About Modern Hydrogen

Christian is a Senior Process Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. He has over a decade of experience in technology development, process engineering design, and process simulation. Christian holds a BSc in chemical engineering from Universidad Simón Bolívar (Venezuela) and an MSc in chemical engineering from the University of Calgary. Christian has worked in the development of new hydroprocessing technologies for bitumen upgrading, life cycle assessment, and oil and gas EPC process engineering. Christian enjoys traveling, camping, and spending time with his dog Roberta.

Mark is an Accountant at Modern Hydrogen. Mark graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accounting at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, and is currently studying to take the CPA Exam in Washington. Mark’s previous work experience at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has kept him interested in the scientific engineering community.

In his free time, Mark enjoys music, hiking, camping, and spending time with family/friends.

Mac is a seasoned Mechanical Engineering Technician at Modern Hydrogen, with a wealth of experience spanning over a decade in manufacturing. His journey through various roles underscores his commitment to innovation and operational excellence. A certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Mac is dedicated to achieving operational perfection.

Away from his engineering pursuits, Mac finds joy in restoring classic rotary cars, enjoying cycling, and kayaking.

Abi is an AP Accountant at Modern Hydrogen. She is a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy graduate from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. For over five years, Abi has provided proactive support for a fast-growing and collaborative finance team, servicing multinational clients by completing accounting tasks as needed. She is fully motivated to face new challenges.

Abi enjoys spending her free time at home cuddling and having playtime with her five adorable Shih Tzu dogs.

Leslie is a Sr. Admin Assistant at Modern Hydrogen. Her educational background is in business management with a major in management accounting from ICCT Colleges. She has the experience of being an Admin Assistant for 4 years and loves to learn.

Outside of work, Leslie likes boxing, eating Korean Food and Hot Pot, and watching K-drama. Her interests are in discovering nice coffee shops, good restaurants, photography, and tattoos. Leslie is based in the Philippines.

Nicolas is a Process Engineering Intern at Modern Hydrogen. He graduated from Washington State University with a BS in chemical engineering and worked on research with heterogenous catalysis regarding cerium oxide nanocrystals and their effect on acetone-to-isobutene reactions.

In his free time, Nicolas likes to ski, watch movies, analyze sports and play with his cat Naima.

Jason is a Facilities Manager at Modern Hydrogen. He holds a certificate in Facility Management from the University of Washington and a graduate of the United States Marine Corps Engineer School. He has 30 years of experience in the construction and HVAC industry, 10 years of that was in large scale hydronic heating, geothermal heating, and solar power. He was also an engineer at WSDOT and had worked on the commissioning team in testing and opening the SR99 Tunnel in Seattle.
During his free time, Jason enjoys going to Las Vegas with his wife, visiting his oldest daughter in college at GCU in Arizona, and gaming with his youngest daughter.

Mechanical Engineering Technician

Brandon is a Mechanical Engineering Technician at Modern Hydrogen and a multidisciplinary fabricator and machinist from Antioch California. As a Mechanical Engineering Technician, his primary goal is to support the team’s fabrication during rapid prototype development. He has diverse experience in aerospace, robotics, gaming, and special effects.

In his free time, he enjoys following the Los Angeles Dodgers, practicing steadicam, and caring for his animals.

HR Recruitment Specialist

Ryan is an HR & Recruitment Specialist at Modern Hydrogen. He has a B.S. in Marketing Management from St. Nicolas College of Business and Technology and a Master’s in Business Administration from Guagua National Colleges in the Philippines. Ryan also holds the professional title of Registered Marketing Professional which he received from Junior Achievement Worldwide. He has extensive experience in Human Resources, particularly in recruitment, sourcing, and people operations.

Outside of work, Ryan is a self-proclaimed artist. He enjoys nature art and portraits and has recently been exploring digital artforms.

Field Operations Manager

Jason is a Field Operations Manager at Modern Hydrogen. He is responsible for overseeing field operations and utilizing his skills in logistics, HSE, technical writing, and creating highly functional field teams to ensure the Hydrogen production units are deployed successfully.

Jason has a BS degree from Texas Tech University and spent 23 years managing field operations at Core Laboratories, where he was a subject matter expert with two patents to his name.

Outside of work, he loves spending time with family and is also passionate about Krav Maga, CrossFit, cryptocurrency, and engaging in service projects.

Manager of Communications and Public Relations

Leigh is the Manager of Communications and Public Relations at Modern Hydrogen. Leigh champions the company’s mission throughout the climate tech industry as the organization continuously evolves to address the world’s most pressing challenge.

Leigh’s diverse background spans NASA web modernization, TV news, entrepreneurship, non-profit leadership, and academia. She graduated in Broadcast Digital Journalism from S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and with a master’s degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Response Management from Tulane University. Throughout her career, top industry leaders awarded Leigh with acclaim in investigative journalism, pet industry marketing, and dating industry innovation. She was named by Global Dating Insights as one of the top 20 most influential people who shaped the dating industry worldwide in 2020 and 2022.

Off the clock, Leigh volunteers as the President of the Board of Directors for The Crescent School of New Orleans, a non-profit daycare and preschool. She is an avid scuba-diver, student-pilot, and proud mom.

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

Scott is a Senior Mechanical Design Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. He is a registered professional engineer and earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington. He has two decades of experience in aerospace manufacturing automation and is inventor or co-inventor on 6 pending and issued patents.

When not working, Scott enjoys being outdoors with his family in the PNW, playing guitar, flying, sailing and playing with hydrofoils.

Associate Staff Accountant

Emily is an Associate Staff Accountant at Modern Hydrogen. She is a Senior at Washington State University earning a double major in Accounting and Management, and actively working to become a licensed CPA in the state of Washington. Emily’s passion is identifying inefficiencies and improving accounting processes to ensure accurate and timely financial reporting.

In her free time, Emily enjoys traveling, hiking, playing video games, and spending time with her dog, Ollie.

Mechanical Design Engineer

Scott is a Mechanical Design Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. Scott has seven years of design and product development experience in automotive and industrial automation industries. He is listed as co-inventor on three patents related to his design work on the 2022 Nissan Frontier rear body and tailgate. He has also designed conveyance machinery and is listed as a co-inventor on a pending patent for an automated storage and retrieval system.

Scott is also a family man and adventurer and in his spare time he enjoys family and friends, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, traveling, or doing home improvement.

Mechanical Design Engineer

Erica is a Mechanical Design Engineer (contract) at Modern Hydrogen. Erica has demonstrated experience in industry with medical devices, consumer electronics, wearables, and electric vehicles. Erica’s variety of experiences reflect her passion for learning new skills and jumping into technical subject matters.

Before Modern Hydrogen, Erica worked as an engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to Seattle and starting her consultancy. She is the Founder and principal ME at Keen Engineering & Design. Some of the products that she has designed and taken through high volume production include an electric vehicle battery, a consumer medical device and its accessories, and a structural vehicle assembly. Erica studied at Stanford University where she earned a BS in Biomechanical Engineering and an MS in Mechanical Engineering.

In her free time, Erica enjoys almost any outdoor activity (i.e. playing soccer, snowboarding, riding bikes, and paddle boarding), spending time with her husband and dog, and getting into DIY projects around the house.

Mechanical Design Engineer

Eric is a Mechanical Design Engineer who brings experience from automotive, heavy truck, robotics, aerospace and the consumer electronics industries. He’s worked on a range of diverse products from cars and trucks to cockpit controls for fixed and rotary aircraft and drones to painting and removal robots to electric boats to VR headsets and satellites.

Eric enjoys hiking, ice hockey, motorcycles, cycling (road) and playing bass guitar.

VP of Hydrogen Engineering

Travis is the VP of Hydrogen Engineering at Modern Hydrogen. Travis is a process expert in value reclamation and beneficiation of industrial wastes. He has worked in new technology his entire career and has developed a unique ability to transform ideas into reality with a strong understanding of the processes involved in nascent technology commercialization. He has co-authored numerous patents with applications in the concrete, chemicals, electronic waste, and oil and gas industry. Travis holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Toronto and is a registered Professional Engineer (P.Eng) in Canada.

When not working, Travis can be found spending time with his family, playing or coaching soccer, or exploring the surrounding lakes and rivers for fish with his fly rod.

Commercialization Manager

Mack is the Commercialization Manager at Modern Hydrogen. His focus is business development, go-to-market strategy, marketing, and sales, and he is supporting work in government affairs, economics, technology roadmap, communications, corporate development, and public affairs. Mack spent his early career as an engineer working on new technology in the aerospace industry before moving into manufacturing engineering, operations management, and eventually sales for specialty aerospace, medical device, robotics, and telecommunications hardware manufacturers, with a short stint as a management consultant in the energy and utilities sector.

Mack is a former college swimmer at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he completed his BS in Materials Engineering, was twice named to the Pac-12 All-Academic team and held several school records. He recently completed his MBA from the Foster School of Business at UW where he led several clubs, organized the conference “So You Made a Climate Pledge; Now What?” and cofounded the partnership between Foster and the Clean Energy Institute.

Mack loves to play golf, fly fish, backpack, and work on a very beat-up Toyota Land Cruiser.

Product Manager

Mike is a Product Manager at Modern Hydrogen. He holds a BS in civil engineering from Gonzaga University. Before Modern Hydrogen, Mike worked in Tesla’s Energy Products division, where he developed and launched several products and set engineering standards as a design engineer. Mike then pursued his MBA at UW’s Foster School of Business.

When not at work, Mike is usually getting into a DIY project around his house, exploring the Washington wine scene, or playing with his dog.

Combustion Engineer

Raghul is a Combustion Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. His expertise lies in gas turbine combustion, combustion dynamics, high-speed imaging, laser diagnostics, physics-informed machine learning, complex statistical learning, and image processing techniques.

Raghul graduated with a PhD and MS in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology where he investigated the kinetic–hydrodynamic instability interactions in bluff body flames close to blowoff. He also has a BTech in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

Outside of work, when not spending time with his cat, Raghul enjoys hiking, working out, and gardening. He also enjoys tinkering with home automation and control projects (most recently involving the Raspberry Pi).

Senior Thermal Mechanical Design Engineer

Andrew is a Senior Thermal Mechanical Design Engineer at Modern Hydrogen.  His background is in finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics.

Before Modern Hydrogen, Andrew worked for a major jet engine manufacturer simulating chemical vapor infiltration processes as well as the impact of microstructure on the durability of Ceramic Matrix Composites. He obtained a BS in aerospace engineering from Clarkson University and a Ph.D. from the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University. To date, Andrew holds five granted patents in areas related to machine learning for defect detection and manufacturing methods for ceramic matrix composites.

Andrew’s hobbies away from the office include making and playing music, hiking, camping, and cycling.

Materials and Process Engineer

Lex is a Materials and Process Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. His focus is on process development and optimization. Lex graduated from the University of Oregon with an MS in applied physics, with a focus on semiconductor characterization and fabrication. Previously, Lex worked at Keysight Technologies, Solaero Technologies, and nLIGHT where he focused on wire bonding, electroplating, unit assembly, and process development and optimization.

Lex enjoys taking online classes, listening to audiobooks, riding his bike, fishing, hiking, and watching the Mariners, in his off time.

Mechanical Engineering Intern

John is a Mechanical Engineering Intern at Modern Hydrogen. He graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a BS in mechanical engineering and an MS in applied material science. He is co-author of two publications for material property characterization of thermoplastic polymer blends, and his master’s thesis focused on additive manufactured mold tools for thermoplastic injection molding.

John’s hobbies when not working include snowboarding, surfing, and anything outdoors.

Director of Finance and Operations

Scott is the Director of Finance and Operations at Modern Hydrogen. Scott has extensive executive leadership experience in the aerospace industry and has led finance and operations at Boeing, Panasonic, and Sierra Nevada Corporation. He most recently served as the President of Spectralux Avionics. Scott is also a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Governance Fellow currently serving on the Board of the Central Washington University Foundation.

Scott’s spare time activities include spending time with family, fly fishing, camping, golfing, and road biking.

VP of Business Development & Government Affairs

Mothusi is the VP of Business Development & Government Affairs at Modern Hydrogen. He is responsible for product-market fit and external affairs. The former Chief Commercial Officer at private equity firm B3\, Mothusi co-founded a data contextualization startup and has led early-stage business development and go-to-market in energy, power generation, waste heat recovery, and industrial operations. Mothusi formerly worked in strategy and business development at Cummins Inc and later served as the executive in charge of the company’s Power Generation division for commercial and industrial customers in eleven countries in southern Africa.

A former whitewater river guide in the Grand Canyon, Mothusi studied at UC Santa Cruz, Beijing University, and Yale University.

Director of Engineering

Noah is a Director of Engineering at Modern Hydrogen. He leads the fabrication team that delivers quality, on-time parts to support the company’s rapid design needs.

Before he joined Modern Hydrogen, Noah spent nearly a decade in the aerospace industry, focusing on delivering automated tooling solutions for multi-million-dollar projects. Over the years, he has developed expertise in machine design, control systems, software development, advanced manufacturing, and project execution. Noah earned his BS in mechanical engineering and MS in manufacturing engineering technology at the Oregon Institute of Technology.

When Noah is not at work, he enjoys spending time with his friends and family, trying new recipes, and working on lots of wood, metal, and building projects.

Materials Engineer

Ryan is a Materials Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. He primarily works on new methods of controlling electrode chemistry to improve device performance. Ryan graduated from the University of Arizona with a BS in chemical engineering and from Oregon State University with an MS and PhD in chemical engineering. His PhD work spanned multiple projects from the surface characterization of engineered biomaterials for vascular grafts to a microfluidic photoreactor for the treatment of neonatal jaundice.

Ryan’s hobbies include reading, skiing, and walking his dog, Bagels.

TIG Welder / Fabricator

Nik is a TIG Welder / Fabricator at Modern Hydrogen. Nik is primarily a self-taught fabricator with fifteen years of experience in welding, machining, design, and precision fabrication. His specialty is delivering versatile quality solutions to the prototyping team.

Outside of work, Nik’s life revolves around his wife and two young sons, who enjoy riding dirt bikes and raising chickens together. He is also building a custom Harley Davidson chopper with the goal of having his bike featured on the cover of a cycle magazine.

Chemical Engineering Technician

Jeff is a Chemical Engineering Technician at Modern Hydrogen. He has a BS in environmental health and safety and over twenty years of experience in R&D / hydrocarbons production with the Dow Chemical Company, where he spent his career in polyolefins research supplying resins for the specialty chemicals market, hydrocarbons research with a focus on ethane and propane dehydration, and hydrocarbons production operation manufacturing ethylene and propylene monomers. Jeff also has a Six-Sigma Green Belt certification and has led teams to VPP certification through OSHA.

In his free time, Jeff enjoys working out, golfing, traveling, investing, cooking, managing his online store, and spending time with his family.

Materials Engineer

Kate is a Materials Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. Her focus is experimental testing and materials research. Kate graduated with a BS and MS in materials science and engineering from Cornell University with a focus on semiconductor characterization. Previously, she worked on developing TFTs on flexible substrates, and qualified the US women’s quadruple sculls for the 2021 Olympics.

In her spare time, Kate enjoys bouldering, hiking, and crossword puzzles.

Senior R&D Machinist

Arie is a Senior R&D Machinist at Modern Hydrogen. He has seven years of machining experience in the aviation field working with a variety of exotic machinable alloys with high precision tolerances and using a variety of multi-axis milling centers.

In his spare time, Arie likes to read classic literature with John Milton, William Blake, Kierkegaard, Ovid, and Plato as his favorite authors. He is also teaching himself how to cook French mother sauces.

Associate Mechanical Engineer

Aditya is an Associate Mechanical Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. He holds a BS in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech, where he worked extensively on data analysis for a research group developing intelligent prosthesis and exoskeleton controls. Aditya is a co-author of a publication on an automated method of motion capture data analysis.

In his spare time, Aditya enjoys playing the violin, writing music, cooking food, and playing video games.

Senior Materials Engineer and Technology Strategist

Alex is a Senior Materials Engineer and Technology Strategist at Modern Hydrogen. He has significant experience working at the intersection of semiconductor processing and energy technology, and he specializes in surface science, thin-film processing, solid-state and nonaqueous electrochemistry, and vacuum engineering.

Prior to joining Modern Hydrogen, Alex worked as part of a multi-institutional Department of Energy-funded Energy Frontier Research Center, where he successfully developed the first solid-state lithium-ion battery fabricated using conformal, vapor-phase chemistry. He obtained a PhD in materials science and engineering from the University of Maryland based on this work. Alex has coauthored more than twenty scientific publications and one patent on topics ranging from colloidal nanolithography to lithium-air batteries. He holds bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania.

When not working, Alex’s hobbies include hiking, diving, skiing, and fossil hunting.

Director of Engineering

Andrew is a Director of Engineering for Modern Hydrogen. Andrew’s expertise lies in low-dimensional carbon materials, ultra-high vacuum systems, and nanofabrication. He earned a MASc at University of British Columbia, where he designed and fabricated nanostructured devices for heat-to-electricity conversion.

During his two-year master’s studies, Andrew was published in a multitude of peer-reviewed journal papers and conferences. He earned a BS and graduated #1 in electrical engineering at The Ohio State University.

Andrew’s passions include writing and producing music, teaching science to grade-school students, and consuming spicy food.

Senior Computational Physicist

Arvind is a Senior Computational Physicist at Modern Hydrogen. He holds a BS in chemical engineering (biomolecular track) from the California Institute of Technology and an MPhil in chemistry from the University of Cambridge, where he was a Churchill Scholar. Arvind’s research experience spans from protein folding and atomistic simulation to biocatalysis and drug discovery, and he is broadly interested in applying techniques from computational physics and statistics towards problems of societal interest. He has also coauthored ten publications and patents.

Arvind is currently pursuing a PhD in chemical engineering as a Hertz Fellow at Stanford University, where he is working with Professor Jennifer Cochran on enzymology and high-throughput biochemistry projects.

Arvind enjoys homebrewing and electronic music production in his spare time.

Associate Mechanical Engineer

Casey is an Associate Mechanical Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. He recently graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and obtained a BS in mechanical engineering. Casey has experience interning at a solar-powered refrigerator/freezer R&D lab as well as a camper-van conversion and camping equipment company doing mechanical design and fabrication.

He is an avid outdoors person and can usually be found mountain biking, skiing, backpacking, or recreating outdoors in some capacity. He also enjoys playing the guitar and creating art.

Senior Thermal Mechanical Design Engineer

Daniel is a Senior Thermal Mechanical Design Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. He has nearly a decade of experience in solid-state power conversion ranging from semiconductor materials development and characterization to prototype device design and testing.

Daniel holds a BS and MS from ETH-Zurich and earned his PhD in mechanical engineering from MIT by spearheading multiple research projects including the experimental demonstration of solar thermoelectric generators, and the development of high-temperature solar absorbers and highly thermally conductive polymers. He is the author of over twenty peer-reviewed publications and two book chapters and is a coinventor on seven patents and patents pending.

Danie’s hobbies include windsurfing, basketball, trying new restaurants, and exploring cities and national parks by car and foot.

Engineering Technician

Emily is an Engineering Technician at Modern Hydrogen. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Bellevue College. Emily has a background in laboratory research with GC-MS, LC-MS, and TLC practices, and two years of laboratory management experience. In addition, Emily worked for Bellevue College’s Disability Resource Center as a professional notetaker for three years.

In her free time, Emily enjoys watercolor painting, cooking, video games, and spending time with her boyfriend John and their two cats, Luna and Maple.

Electrical Engineer

Ethan is an Electrical Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. In his position, he supports the core R&D team. Prior to joining Modern Hydrogen, Ethan worked at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, developing functional test setups and procedures for airplane systems. He holds a BS in electrical engineering from MIT.

Outside of work, Ethan can be found somewhere in Washington climbing a mountain or at home tending his garden.

Associate Engineer

Harrison joined Modern Hydrogen in 2021 as an Associate Engineer having worked previously at NASA and the Department of Energy.

He made significant contributions to the thermionics program, performing high-temperature vacuum experiments on materials and assemblies for use in the extreme environments within a thermionic converter. His contributions led to a 50x improvement in material lifetime of a critical component and opened the door to prototype- and product-spec lifetimes. He has also made significant contributions in the Hydrogen program, leading several design efforts and contributing to the completion of lab- and pilot-scale Hydrogen reactors.

Harrison received a Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Case Western Reserve University in 2017 and a Master of Science in Materials Science from Oregon State University in 2020. In his free time, Harrison enjoys cooking, hiking, biking, and playing video games.

Senior R&D Engineer

John is a Senior R&D Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. He has twenty years of experience working in the field of vacuum tubes and cathodes, ranging from CRT manufacturing to field emission to mass spectrometers and ion thrusters. John is a coinventor on four patents and coauthor on six publications. He has helped startups bring products from concept to prototype to market and has designed and assembled hardware that has flown to Venus! He holds a BS in physics from Truman State University.

John’s interests include planetary science, movies, science fiction, and travel. He enjoys spending time with his family hiking, canoeing, and visiting waterfalls.

Senior Fabricator

Josh is a Senior Fabricator at Modern Hydrogen. He has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with a major in fashion design. Josh has spent his professional career doing custom design and fabrication using a vast array of materials, with the last decade spent doing 3D design, welding, and CNC machining. He is currently teaching himself woodturning, blacksmithing, and finding the next skill to add to his repertoire.

In his spare time, Josh loves working on projects in his home shop, camping, gardening, and spending time with his family.

Senior Mechanical Engineer

Kristen is a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. She is on the Product Development Team and has five years of experience in the energy industry in process equipment design, maintenance, and fabrication, including thermal analysis and design of heat exchangers. Kristen obtained a BS in mechanical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin.

For fun and recreation, Kristen enjoys attempting new recipes, exploring the outdoors, and constantly learning.

Purchasing Agent

Lindsey is the Procurement Operations ​Manager​ at Modern Hydrogen. Previously, Lindsey oversaw clinical, administrative, and treatment operations at an orthodontics office. Lindsey’s passion is identifying inefficiencies and simplifying processes, with the goal of constantly improving day-to-day functions within the company.

Lindsey loves being outdoors and staying active, going wine tasting, and attempting home renovation projects. She also enjoys spending time with her fiancé, Spencer, and her son, Henry.

Director of Human Resources

Luisa is the Director of Human Resources at Modern Hydrogen. Luisa graduated from Santa Clara University with a BS in public health. Her passion lies in growing startups and small businesses and working to make the world a healthier place for all.

In her spare time, Luisa enjoys running, hiking, and trying new foods, however, she is also just as content curling up with a good book and listening to the rain.

Mechanical Engineer Chemical Reactor Design

M.J. is a Mechanical Engineer Chemical Reactor Design at Modern Hydrogen. He has over five years of experience in the innovation of high-temperature applications in the metals and mining sector—most notably commercializing the dry granulation technology from lab-scale to full-scale. M.J. is experienced with computational fluid dynamics with a focus on particle modeling. He graduated with a BASc in chemical engineering from the University of Waterloo in Canada.

M.J. is an avid fencer—both as an athlete and a coach—and enjoys exploring the outdoors, snowboarding, and learning new things.

Senior Materials Engineer

Matthew is a Senior Materials Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. He has expertise in prototyping, development, and automation of experimental test stations, and materials research. He graduated from UC Davis with an MS in chemical engineering, with research projects in the synthesis and characterization of ceramic electrolytes for batteries and fuel cells.

Matthew was involved in the development of novel X-ray sources based on the triboelectric effect at a startup in Los Angeles called Tribogenics and more recently was involved in SBIR projects related to X-ray scanning and optical metrology at Physical Optics.

Matthew enjoys bouldering, kiteboarding, and board games for fun.

Co-Founder and CTO of Modern Hydrogen

Max Mankin is the co-founder and CTO of Modern Hydrogen. He has nearly 15 years of experience building and leading teams, as well as designing, fabricating, and characterizing energy and chemical systems and functional materials. Max leads a team of 45 scientists, engineers, and technicians, rectifies product and market requirements with technology, and sets company market and technology strategy.

Prior to Modern Hydrogen, Max was an entrepreneur in residence at the Invention Science Fund. Max earned a BS with honors in chemistry from Brown University and a PhD in physical chemistry from Harvard University, where he held fellowships from the Hertz and National Science Foundations. Max is an inventor on a few dozen patents pending and granted. His accolades include one of Inc. Magazine’s most brilliant entrepreneurs under 30 and Forbes 30 Under 30.

When not working, Max’s hobbies include backpacking, skiing, woodworking, and home automation.

Senior Thermal Mechanical Design Engineer

Patrick is a Senior Thermal Mechanical Design Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. He is on the conceptual design team and brings with him over 15 years of thermal-mechanical design experience—having designed components for industrial gas turbines with GE Power and conceptual hybrid propulsion systems for the aircraft startup Zunum Aero. His engineering experience has been focused on exploring the full design space and bringing parts from sketches to prototype, test, and production phases.

Outside the office, Patrick enjoys attending and performing live music events, cooking and eating food, and exploring new cities.

Senior Computational Physicist

Peter is a Senior Computational Physicist at Modern Hydrogen. He has more than fifteen years of experience in computation and theory across materials simulations, plasma physics, physical chemistry, condensed matter theory and quantum mechanics. Peter received his PhD in physics from the University of Chicago where he studied high-temperature superconductivity and his BS is from Harvey Mudd College. As a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, he studied methods for atomic-scale fabrication of quantum information devices. Peter is the first author of nine papers and is a recipient of several national fellowships, including the Hertz Fellowship, the Goldwater Scholarship, and the IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship.

Peter also plays cello and piano, and enjoys woodworking, landscape photography, bicycling, and gardening.

Associate Mechanical Engineer

Sammy is an Associate Mechanical Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. She is pursuing her master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Sammy has worked on a variety of projects including the wheel anomaly testing for the Mars Curiosity Rover at JPL and the Science Cryostat design for Caltech’s Sharpening Images Using Guidestars at the Hale Telescope (SIGHT) at Palomar Observatory.

In her free time, you can find Sammy mountain biking, exploring the outdoors, and traveling. She enjoys trying new hobbies and sports, especially those outside of her comfort zone.

Principal Engineer

Stephen is a Principal Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. His background is in the development and industrialization of high temperature and composite materials for energy, aerospace, and space applications.

Earlier in his career, Stephen worked for a major jet engine manufacturer developing ceramic matrix composites, along with their manufacturing processes, test methods, and lifing and reliability models. He obtained a BS in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MS in materials science and engineering from the University of California Los Angeles. Stephen holds more than twenty patents on various materials, manufacturing processes, and component design methods for managing thermal, mechanical, and environmental issues.

Stephen’s favorite hobbies include sailing, hiking, and restoring antique cars.

Co-founder and CEO of Modern Hydrogen

Tony is the co-founder and CEO of Modern Hydrogen. His educational background includes a BS from Stanford University and a PhD in physics from Harvard University, and he was awarded national fellowships from Hertz, Soros, and the National Science Foundation.

Earlier in his career, Tony held several influential positions such as Strategist at Goldman Sachs and Pro Bono Consultant on Global Health for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Global Good Fund. He was also a Member of the Global Future Councils on Energy & Entrepreneurship and an Entrepreneur in Residence & Consulting Inventor at Intellectual Ventures. Tony is currently a Term Member for the Council on Foreign Relations.

Some notable recognitions of Tony’s successes include being named to Forbes 30 under 30, the MIT Technology Review Innovators under 35, and the Business Journal 40 under 40. Tony is also an inventor on an impressive 250+ patents pending.

In his free time, Tony likes to be out in nature whenever possible and enjoys hiking and kayaking.

Senior Chemical Process Engineer

Vikram is a Senior Chemical Process Engineer at Modern Hydrogen. He has over six years of experience in the chemical industry in both R&D and the manufacturing of hydrocarbon resins. Vikram graduated with his BTech from SASTRA University and MS from Indian Institute of Technology Madras in chemical engineering. He earned his PhD from North Carolina State University with his work on chemical kinetics of combustion and pyrolysis of biomass-related compounds. He has published six journal papers and one patent. Vikram also has a Six-Sigma Green Belt certification.

Vikram enjoys playing squash, badminton, and running, as well as spending time with his family and friends. He occasionally does acrylic painting of landscapes and listens to Indian classical music.