Please join us before programming begins at Convene. 

Brief remarks by the conference co-chairs.

David Vahos, CEO of PECO, provides our morning keynote. 

Looking Local explores efforts to modernize the grid, strengthen resilience, and accelerate the energy transition within the Commonwealth. It requires collaboration from the government, regulators, non-profits, and the private sector. This discussion highlights the essential public–private partnerships and the key opportunities to make the grid more resilient in the state of Pennsylvania. 

•  Tim Burdis, Director, State Policy Solutions, PJM Interconnection
•  Ken Kulak, Energy and Project Development Partner, Morgan Lewis (Moderator)
• Robin Lunt, Chief Commercial Officer, Guzman Energy
• Sam Robinson, Deputy Chief of Staff, Governor Shapiro’s Office
• Pamela Quinlan, Principal, GQS New Energy Strategies

• Cyndia Cao, Senior Mechanical Engineer, AirMyne
• Michael O’Connor, Director, Center for Public Enterprise
• Goksenin “Goksi” Ozturkeri, Sr. Advisor, GS Power Partners; Adjunct Professor, Columbia University 
• Chris Page, CCUS & Lithium Advisor, Chevron New Energies
• Tim Tarver, CEO, Exceed Geo Energy
• Jen Wilcox, Presidential Professor of Chemical Engineering and Energy Policy, University of Pennsylvania; Former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, DOE (Moderator)

• Ayse Coskun, Chief Scientist, Emerald AI
• Sarp Ozkan, VP of Commercial Product, Enverus
• Will Rogers, Principal, Converge Strategies
• Aric Saunders, EVP of Commercialization, Noon Energy
• Russell Sprole, Founder and Managing Partner, Virta Ventures (Moderator)

Join us for catered lunch coupled with our startup showcase. 

Patrick Raab, Head of BD and Commercialization at Google X, provides our afternoon keynote. 

• Trixie Blair, Principal, Greenbacker Capital (Moderator)
• Manasi Desai, Principal, Lime Rock New Energy
• Lovely Sharma, Investor, Aramco Ventures
• Radhika Shroff, Managing Director, Impact Investing Private Equity, Nuveen
• Guy Van Syckle, Director, HASI

This panel brings together leading innovators, developers, and investors driving the new wave of nuclear energy. As startups hit their stride and seasoned developers ramp up construction after years of readiness, the sector is seizing a rare moment of alignment between policy, capital, and technology. This panel explores how the industry is translating momentum into scalable, deployable nuclear solutions for clean, consistent power.

• Vanessa Chan, Vice Dean of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Penn Engineering; Former Chief Commercialization Officer, DOE (Moderator)
• Phil Larochelle, Partner, Breakthrough Energy Ventures
• JD Rulien, Executive Director, Integrated Infrastructure at NextEra Energy Resources
• James Walker, CEO, Nano Nuclear
• Chris West, Head of Corporate Development, The Nuclear Company

• Ben Chadwick, VP, Constellation Energy
• Mary Kelly, Executive Director, Global Power & Utilities Group, Morgan Stanley
• Rebecca Kennedy, Principal Corporate Counsel, Microsoft
• Jon Yoder, CEO, MN8

Rich Roloff, Managing Director at LS Power, provides our closing keynote.

The conference co-chairs provide closing remarks. 

Please join us for happy hour at Harper’s Garden, just steps away from Convene! Address is 31 S 18th St.