The panelists for our discussion will be:
THOMAS ORTMAN
Tom is a Mechanical Engineer with 40+ years of experience in Engineering, Product Design, Manufacturing Tools & Systems Development, and Test Equipment, with a special focus on Semiconductor Technology, Electronics, Solar Energy, Wind Energy, and Battery Energy Storage Systems.
As Founder, President, and CEO of Concurrent Design, Inc. he oversaw, executed, and delivered on over 1800 projects for many small technology startups through Fortune One clients and is a US DOE Sun Shot Awardee.
He has served as, and worked with, countless CTOS, as well as the office of the CTO, at numerous global technology leaders, including IBM, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, and Amazon Robotics. After 25 years of operating Concurrent Design, his firm was acquired by Voltabox, a German multinational, publicly traded firm operating in the traction battery manufacturing sector.
Tom now serves as a mentor with the Texas Venture Mentor Service (TEXVMS) as well as an Executive in Residence at the University of Texas at Austin Technology Incubator. Tom also runs his consultancy; Nous Energy.
JUAN THURMAN
Juan Thurman is the co-founder and Managing GP of the Semilla Climate Capital Fund. Before venture capital, he spent 7 years as an angel investor, mentor, board member, and consultant. He also has a passion for supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs in climate tech and traditional startups. Juan has made 19 angel investments since 2016 and has had 2 exits.
Juan was one of the first angels at SWAN Impact Network, where he is a Director and was instrumental in the growth of the largest impact network in the Central US. Additionally, he is a Board Member at DivInc, Aiqueous, and VemiDoc, a mentor at Techstars, G51, and other organizations, and was a Venture Partner at NextGen Venture Partners. Before joining SWAN, Juan held sales leadership and technical roles at Twilio, IBM, and other tech companies. As head of Customer Success and Account Management, he helped grow Twilio from $10M to $100M in ARR before their IPO.
Juan has an MBA from the University of Texas, The Red McCombs School of Business, and a BSME from Rice University. He loves fishing and coaching his kids in sports.
SCOTT CRAIG
Scott Craig advises emerging growth, technology, and life science companies and their boards of directors, as well as venture capital and private equity funds on a full range of corporate transactions in high-growth industries. Drawing on his varied experience, Mr. Craig guides clients throughout the company life cycle, from incorporation through exit planning. He brings particular experience in the technology and life sciences sectors. Mr. Craig also advises private equity funds and their portfolio companies from initial investment through exit.
JONATHAN KLEINMAN
Jonathan Kleinman has 25 years of professional experience in the utility industry, focusing on customer programs and services to drive the clean energy transition. He has served as an advisor to utility clients and participated in legislative and regulatory proceedings, managed third-party evaluations, directed program implementation teams, and worked directly with businesses and institutions to manage their energy use. He founded AIQUEOUS in 2015 to provide a program management software platform for energy providers to deliver energy efficiency and clean energy programs. AIQUEOUS, alongside energyOrbit and EnergyX, was acquired by Apogee Interactive in 2023 to create a full customer journey management platform for demand management and clean energy initiatives.
Parking: Parking is available in Rowling Hall or AT&T Conference Center, standard rates apply. The parking garage entrance is on 20th Street. Free street parking is also available in the government district below Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
