TUSIAD Silicon Valley Network Climate Technologies and Sustainability Panel

The TUSIAD Silicon Valley Network invites you to a panel discussion on climate technologies and sustainability. Our distinguished speakers will explore the implications of climate technologies for investment and innovation, and how they can shape a sustainable future.

In recent years, we have witnessed a remarkable surge in awareness and engagement in sustainability and climate action. This paradigm shift has opened vast opportunities for investment and innovation, transcending traditional economic models and leading us towards a greener, more resilient future. Our panel will discuss the challenges, opportunities, and emerging trends, and identify the key drivers that can accelerate the transition towards a sustainable and prosperous future.

The panel discussion will be followed by a networking reception.

Date: June 15, 2023, Thursday

Time: 5:30 - 8:30 pm

Location: Generate Capital Clubhouse, 150 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94111

Moderator: Asli Aras PhD – Corporate Strategy & Development Executive for Life Sciences and Biotech

Speakers:

 Christian Okoye – Principal, Generate Capital

 Sara Aghakazem Jourabbaf, PhD – Manager, Sustainability & Climate Deloitte

 Sila Kiliccote – Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

 Tara Karimi – Cofounder and CSO CemVita

Biographies:

Asli Aras, PhD, Corporate Strategy & Development Executive for Life Sciences and Biotech

Asli Aras has over two decades of global experience creating enduring value for companies in the life sciences and bio-tech sector with expertise across corporate business development, investment banking, mergers and acquisitions and strategic planning. She is currently board member and strategic advisor to several health-tech and life sciences companies. Previously, she led corporate development at Codexis, a leading biopharma company. She joined Codexis from Woodside Capital Partners, where she was a Managing Director and provided M&A and strategic financing advice to health-tech companies with breakthrough technologies. She previously served at Agilent Technologies for 13 years, most recently as Associate Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development. Dr. Aras received her Ph.D. in Finance from Bogazici University in Turkey, her M.S. in Accounting and Finance from The London School of Economics and Political Science and her B.S. in Management from Bilkent University in Turkey.

Christian Okoye, Principal, Generate Capital

Christian Okoye is a Principal at Generate Capital responsible for investments in emerging sustainable infrastructure opportunities. Prior to Generate, Christian was a Partner at Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners where he focused on transactions advancing virtual power plants. Leading up to his time at Sidewalk, Christian was a director of Venture Investments at Emerson Collective. Here, he focused on managing venture capital and growth equity investments across energy and environmental solutions including waste to energy, distributed energy resource management, and energy efficiency technologies. Christian has also worked for Denham Capital's Energy Infrastructure platform investing in infrastructure development in emerging markets, and started his career in Goldman Sachs' Natural Resources group. Christian holds an MBA and MS in Energy and Environmental Resources from Stanford University, and a BA in Economics from the University of Chicago.

Sara Aghakazem Jourabbaf, PhD, Manager, Sustainability & Climate, Deloitte

Sara is a manager in Deloitte’s Risk and Financial Advisory practice. She hold a PhD in environmental economics and has more than 10 years of experience in building economic and financial risk models to support decisions in the area of sustainability and climate change. She has supported clients operating in a variety of sectors with climate transition and physical risks financial modeling, climate scenario analysis, regional-based carbon pricing analysis, economic impact assessment of low-carbon projects, setting net-zero pathways, and GHG quantification. Prior to Joining Deloitte, Sara was a Senior Consultant at PwC Canada. She has also worked in the Canadian financial sector focusing on areas related to sustainable finance and climate risk. Sara has published to the journal of Resource and Energy Economics and her research has been featured by the European Commission news services for environment policy.

Sila Kiliccote, Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures

Sila is an impact driven technology and business leader with expertise in buildings, grid integration of distributed energy resources and electrification of transportation. Prior to joining BEV, she was the CEO of eIQ Mobility, a fleet electrification startup, and ushered it through its incubation to its acquisition. She also built and led the Grid Integration Systems and Mobility research team at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and managed the Bits and Watts initiative at Stanford University’s Precourt Energy Institute. With over 15 years of research, she led complex research projects that were geared towards engaging the electricity industry stakeholders to develop a more flexible and responsive electricity grid in the US. Her research career is marked by development of automated demand response, OpenADR, flexible resources participating in a variety of electricity markets and data-driven approaches to plan and operate distribution grids. Sila has a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of New Hampshire and a masters in building science from Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. Tara Karimi, Co-founder and CSO, CemVita

Tara has devoted her academic and professional careers to studying biological systems and applying natural principles in the service of creating biologically-inspired technology. A multidisciplinary scientist, she has completed several projects in tissue engineering, genetic engineering, molecular and developmental biology, stem cell research, and regenerative medicine. She is also the author of the Springer book titled “Molecular Mechanisms of Autonomy in Biological Systems by the Relativity of Code, Energy, and Mass.” Dr. Karimi received her Doctor in Veterinary Medicine & PhD in Biochemistry from Shiraz University; her Postdoc in Tissue Engineering from University of South Carolina; and Postdoc in Stem Cell Programming from Tulane University.

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TUSIAD

The Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) is the premier private sector organization in Turkey. It is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit entrepreneur organization which represents a large share of the Turkish economy. Member companies (including many U.S. multinationals) account for 85% of Turkey's total foreign trade volume (excluding energy imports), 50% of total private sector employment, and 80% of total corporate taxes. TÜSİAD promotes principles of participatory democracy, a competitive market economy, environmental sustainability, and universal freedoms and human rights. TÜSİAD is a member of BusinessEurope and Global Business Coalition, with a strong international network of five representative offices around the world: Washington, Brussels, Paris, Berlin, and London. TÜSİAD is also the leading proponent of policies that promote entrepreneurship, innovation and the internet ecosystem, STEM education, digital industrial transformation and Industry 4.0. For more information see: www.tusiad.org

TUSIAD Silicon Valley Network: The TÜSİAD Silicon Valley Network was established in 2017. It is an all-volunteer business network with over 400 members in the San Francisco Bay area that works to strengthen business ties between the United States and Turkey, primarily in the technology space. TÜSİAD is the leading advocate for digitalization, industrial transformation, innovation, entrepreneurship, STEM education, intellectual freedom and property rights in Turkey. The Network strives to facilitate communication and knowledge exchange between TÜSİAD members and professionals in Turkey and professionals in the Bay Area. The Network supports entrepreneurship, innovation and the internet ecosystem, STEM education, digital industrial transformation and Industry 4.0 in Turkey through content and communication, helps entrepreneurs navigate effectively in Silicon Valley, and promotes awareness and interest in the Silicon Valley ecosystem.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

150 Pacific Ave, 150 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, United States