Erika Kula
Erika Kula is responsible for the Business Development needs for Prescience International, San Jose BioCenter, and Environmental Business Cluster. Prior to Prescience International Ms. Kula was responsible for sales and management of corporate accounts at Equilar, Inc, the market leader for benchmarking executive and director compensation and providing corporate governance related information to over two-thirds of the Fortune 500 companies.  In her capacity she was responsible for the management of over 200 accounts such as Eli Lily, AutoNation, and Capital One.

Ms. Kula holds a BA in Biological Sciences and Political Science from the University of Southern California and a Certificate from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, Center for Executive Education for their 2008 Business Executive Program.

Nicholas Querques
Assistant Vice President for Clean Energy Programs
College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering

Mr. Querques is Assistant Vice President for Clean Energy Programs at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the University at Albany. With more than $14 billion in high tech investments, CNSE represents the world’s most advanced university-driven research enterprise, offering students a one-of-a-kind academic experience and providing over 300 corporate partners with access to an unmatched ecosystem for leading-edge R&D and commercialization of nanoelectronics and nanotechnology innovations. Mr. Querques oversees commercialization activities for startup and partner companies of iCLEAN, CNSE’s energy and nanotechnology incubator, in addition to managing innovation and entrepreneurship programs at CNSE including the New York Business Plan Competition, New Energy Symposium, and Tech Valley Innovation Pipeline. Over the past 4+ years, he has helped more than 200 early stage ventures develop disruptive technologies and pitch their businesses to some of the world’s top investors and commercialization partners. In that time, Mr. Querques has directly assisted cleantech startup and spinout companies raise over $10M in public and private investments; the programs that he is responsible for overseeing have helped high tech companies raise more than $175M to date.

Prior to his current role, Mr. Querques was Innovation Leader of iCLEAN, and led the incubator’s day-to-day operations from inception. In 2010, he co-founded MICROrganic Technologies, a startup that is developing microbial fuel cell platform technologies for wastewater treatment applications.

Mr. Querques holds a BS in finance and management magna cum laude and an MBA in information technology and nanotechnology from the University at Albany-SUNY.

David Specca
David Specca has worked for the past sixteen years on small and large scale bioenergy projects at the Rutgers EcoComplex.  His activities include identifying, demonstrating and promoting sustainable renewable energy technologies. Currently, his projects include working on technologies in landfill gas cleanup and utilization, microturbine co-generation, and anaerobic digestion.

As part of the environmental business development activities of the EcoComplex, Dave is a member of the NJ Business Incubator Network, the Rutgers Energy Institute, and NJ Economic Development Authority Clean Technology Advisory Council, also Co-chair of NJ Renewable Natural Gas Work Group, and Past Chair of the Clean Energy Alliance, a nationwide network of clean energy incubator facilities. He also directs the activities of a one-acre hydroponic vegetable and aquaculture greenhouse facility powered by two landfill gas to energy technologies. He was part of the NJAES team that produced the “Assessment of Biomass Energy Potential in NJ” and has written a paper on agricultural bioenergy in NJ, “Opportunities for Agricultural-based Bioenergy in New Jersey, a case study of switchgrass and field corn.”

Dave holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in plant science from Rutgers University.

Suzanne Roberts
Ms. Roberts works with entrepreneurs to help them realize the potential of their technologies by developing sound business cases for equity investors. Her current focus is accelerating the commercialization of clean energy technologies, including renewables, microturbines, fuel cells, power quality, energy efficiency, alternative fuels, transportation and energy-related e-commerce and information technologies.

Ms. Roberts has experience within the aerospace and defense industries where she has managed initiatives for engineering firms in the areas of strategic planning, technology commercialization and proposal and business plan development.

Ms. Roberts holds a BA from Tulane University and a MA from the University of New Mexico.

Mitch Jacobson
Mitch has been the Co-Director of the Clean Energy Incubator at The University of Texas @ Austin since July of 2009.  Prior to that Mitch was one of the founders and limited partners in the Angel Investment Group, Eyes of Texas Partners, LLC.  For 7 years he invested in and worked with emerging technology companies as a limited partner, board member and consultant.  Before that he was the Vice President of Sales & Operations for Tech Data Corporation in Clearwater, FL from 1996-1999.  Prior to that, Mitch was with Dell, Inc. for 8 years in a variety of executive positions.  He ran Dell Direct Sales in the U.S. and then moved to Europe to expand Dell's footprint throughout the continent.  He then ran the Rest of World Organization responsible for sales of Dell products through Distributors and Dealers in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia. 

Mitch serves on a number of Clean Energy boards and committees in the Central Texas area including The Pecan Street Project, The CleanTX Foundation, The Texas Foundation of Innovative Communities, The Greater Austin Chamber Clean Energy Council, The Greater Austin Chamber Federal and State Issues Committees, The Chamber Business Retention & Expansion Advisory Board, The Clean Energy Special Interest Group, Clean Energy Alliance, TREIA, The Advisory Board for SXSW ECO, and Strategic & Competitive Intelligence Professionals.  

Mitch graduated with a BS in Business and Marketing from the University of Florida in 1980 with honors and is involved in many non-profit organizations in Austin including sitting on the Board of Directors of The Austin Habitat for Humanity & Zach Theatre.

James F. Groelinger
Mr. James F. Groelinger is an internationally experienced energy expert who focuses on business and technology development and commercialization. Currently he is:

–	Executive Director of the Clean Energy Alliance, Inc., a rapidly growing national association of clean energy business incubators and related companies;
–	Chairman, President, and CEO of Heartland Bridge Capital, Inc., a publicly-traded company focused on operations and investments in the areas of clean energy, waste management, and life sciences; and
–	Managing Director of Bellegrove Associates, a consulting company focusing on clean energy strategy and business development.

Previously, he was CEO and President of EPV Solar, Inc., a solar energy technology company that designed, manufactured, and sold amorphous silicon (“a-Si”) thin-film photovoltaic (“PV”) modules and manufacturing facilities for power and BIPV applications. Earlier, he was Senior Vice President for business development for CHI Energy, Inc., a Stamford, CT-based renewable energy company operating in hydroelectricity, biomass cogeneration, wind, and solar. Before that he was a director of Putnam, Hayes & Bartlett, Inc., an international energy strategy firm at which he was involved in numerous activities related to electric industry strategy and restructuring around the world.

Mr. Groelinger started his career as a process engineer for Monsanto Company. He has a Bachelor in Chemical Engineering degree from City College of New York and an MBA-Finance from Temple University