VX2023 Program

16th Annual VerdeXchange VX2023 Marketmakers' Conference 

VX2023 Where Clean & Green Tech Marketmakers Meet to Accelerate & Scale Investments in the New Energy Economy

April 30-May 3, 2023

LOS ANGELES—For 16 years VerdeXchange has gathered accomplished clean, green, and blue tech entrepreneurs, energy & water companies, advanced vehicle manufacturers, software & hardware developers, public policymakers as well as: procurers, innovative financiers, and environmental stewards "under-one-roof"  to assess what's in-market, about to be in-market, and what's needed in market to propel the global, multi-trillion dollar verde economy. 

Join global market leaders at VerdeXchange VX2023 on April 30-May 3, 2023, at the Omni Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, to examine how cities, states, and regions, in collaboration with public and private partners and community stakeholders, should and will leverage the $1.1 trillion in US infrastructure funding now flowing, after decades of neglect, to optimize economic recovery, maximize transformational climate infrastructure investments, and accelerate growth of the global clean energy economy.

 

VX 2023 Day 1 Program: Monday, May 1, 2023

7:00 AM

Registration and Breakfast

7:45 AM

VX2023 Welcome
Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation

8:10 AM

Morning Plenary I 

8:55 AM

Plenary II 

Decarbonization Through Electrification: Can the Grid Reliably Support it?

Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Panel: 
David Hochschild, Chair, California Energy Commission
Darcie Houck, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
Steve Powell, President & CEO, Southern California Edison
Gideon Kracov, Governor’s Appointee, CARB/South Coast AQMD

 

9:45 AM

Concurrent Panels

-ENERGY-

Getting Sh*t Done: Assessing & Permitting to Accelerate Project Delivery

Moderator:Tanya Peacock, Managing Director, EcoEngineers
Panel: 
Rick Beuttel, Vice President Hydrogen Business, Bloom Energy
Stephanie Macoritto, Electrical Engineer Associate, LADWP
Kimberlina Whettam, Principal, KW&A 
 

 

-WATER-

Managing Weather Whiplash: Adapting the West’s Water Systems to a New Normal

Moderator: Felicia Marcus, William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow, Stanford Water in the West
Panel: 
Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager, Metropolitan Water District
Bill Swanson, Global Water Resources Leader, Stantec
Keith Lilley, Deputy Director, LA County Public Works

 

-ENERGY-

What is the Future of Natural Gas in California?

Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Panel: 
Siva Gunda, Vice Chair, California Energy Commission
Nate Taylor, Director of Integrated Infrastructure Planning, SoCalGas
Cathy Reheis-Boyd, President, Western States Petroleum Association 

 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

Roundtable: Accelerating through Leverage: Project Deal Flow--by Invitation Only

Conveners:
Fiona Ma, Treasurer, State of California
Matt Horton, Director, Center for Regional Economics & California Center, Milken Institute/Accelerator for America
Arnab Pal, Sr. Advisor & Consultant, USDOE Loan Programs Office

 

10:35 AM

-WATER-

VX2023 Water Charrette (10:35-1:45)—by invitation only

Conveners:
Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager, Metropolitan Water District
Mark Pestrella, Director, LA County Public Works
Martin Adams, General Manager & Chief Engineer, LADWP

-WATER-

Update: Will We Ever Update the Delta Water System's Plumbing?

Moderator: Michael George, Fmr. Delta Watermaster, CA State Water Resources Control Board. 
Jay Ziegler, Delta Watermaster, CA State Water Resources Control Board. 
Charley Wilson, Southern California Water Coalition

 

10:45 AM

Concurrent Panels

-ENERGY-

 A Just Energy Transition—Climate Equity & Environmental Justice

Moderator: Jessica Brown, Deputy City Attorney, Office of LA City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto
Panel: 
Darcie Houck, Commissioner, California Public Utilities Commission
Kristen Torres Pawling, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy & Planning, Office of LA City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky
William Funderburk, Sr. Consultant, PermaCity Foundation
Heather Rosenberg, Associate Principal, Arup
 

 

-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-

Transportation Investment on Steroids: Scaling Wisely & Sustainably

Moderator: Gary Gero, Chief of Staff, Office of LA City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky
Panel: 
Hilary Norton, Commissioner, California Transportation Commission
Randall Winston, Deputy Mayor for Infrastructure, Office of City of LA Mayor Karen Bass
Heather Repenning, Executive Officer of Sustainability Policy, LA Metro

 

-ENERGY-

An Energy Reserve for California: Next Generation Energy Efficiency

Moderator: Marcie Edwards, Fmr. General Manager, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
Panel:
Dana Fischer, Director of Regulatory Strategy, Mitsubishi Electric US
Ross Zelen, Chief Committee Consultant, CA Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies 
Noah Newmark, CEO, 360 Power Group
Phil Raffi, Sr. Director Sustainability & Business Solutions, Peak Power
Siva Gunda, Vice Chair, California Energy Commission

 

11:40 AM

Concurrent Panels

-ENERGY-

Utility Undergrounding: Addressing the High Cost of Resilience

Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Panel:
Hiroshi Tomita, Founder & Chairman of the Board, GEO SEARCH Co, Ltd.
Alex Nazarchuk, City Engineer, City of Santa Monica
Stephanie Clements, Assistant Director, CFO, StreetsLA

 

-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-

Powering Next Gen Clean Trucks & Fleets

Moderator: Terry O'Day, COO, In-Charge Energy
Panel:
Nate Baguio, Senior VP of Commercial Development, The Lion Electric Company
Alex Rafiee, CEO & Co-Founder, Gemini Motor
Michael Lord, Executive Engineer, Sustainability & Regulatory Affairs, Toyota Motor North America

 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

The Climate Transition: Leave No Worker Behind

Moderator: Panama Bartholomy, Director, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Panel:
Jon Switalski, Executive Director, Rebuild SoCal Partnership
Daniel Curtin, Director, California Conference of Carpenters
Rusty Hicks, Fmr. Director, LA County Federation of Labor/ Chair, California Democratic Party
Ruben Aronin, SVP, Better World Group

 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

Roundtable: Assessing the Current State of the California Environmental Quality Act

Moderator: Janna Sidley, Partner, Ichor Strategies/Little Hoover Commission
Panel:
Nicole Gordon, Partner, The Sohagi Law Group, PLC
Trevor Macenski, Sr. Principal, Environmental Solutions, Stantec
Doug Carstens,  Managing Partner, Carstens, Black & Minteer LLP

 

12:25 PM

Introduction: Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation

Special Remarks by Tamotsu Saito, Chairman of Japan New Energy & Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)

 

12:40 PM

Luncheon Plenary 

Moving Equitably from Policy Goals to Shovels in the Ground

Moderator: Marcie Edwards, Fmr. General Manager, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
Panel: 
Arnab Pal, Sr. Advisor & Consultant, US DOE-LPO
David Hochschild, Chair, California Energy Commission
Mike Levin, US Congressman, 49th District, Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Caucus
Martin Adams, General Manager & Chief Engineer, LADWP

 

1:50

2:35 PM

Concurrent Panels 

-ENERGY-

OffShore Wind: Challenges & Potential

Moderator: David Hochschild, Chair, California Energy Commission
Panel:
Tyler Studds, CEO/Managing Director, Gold State Wind
Karen Boutros, Principal, CPP Investments
Sarah Friedman, Principal, Better World Group
 

 

-WATER-

How Do We Scale-up Water Recycling in Southern California- Getting to 100%

Moderator: Mark Gold, Director of Water Scarcity Solutions, NRDC
Panel:
Liz Crosson, Chief Sustainability, Resiliency, Innovation Officer, Metropolitan Water District
Rob Thompson, General Manager, OC San
Dr. Craig Bartels, VP Technology, Hydranautics, Nitto Group

-ENERGY-

The Quiet Challenge of EV Charging Infrastructure: How Do We Pay for it?

Moderator: Cecilia Estolano, CEO & Founder, Estolano Advisors/ CEO, Better World Group
Panel:
Hector De La Torre, Board Member, California Air Resources Board
Minh Le, General Manager, LA County ISD
Yamen Nanne, Manager, Power Distribution System Development, LADWP
Cory Bullis, Sr. Public Affairs Manager, FLO

 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

ESG: The Future of Sustainable Investing

Moderator: Mike Wallace, Chief Decarbonization Officer, Persefoni
Panel:
Jasmine Jiang, Director of Investments, Sunstone Management Inc.
Lisa Woll, Advisor, USSIF
Mike Lombardo, Head of ESG Strategy, Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors
 

3:35 PM

-ENERGY-

You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure: Methane Mitigation

Moderator: Ross Zelen, Chief Committee Consultant, CA Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies 
Panel:
Penfield Tate III, Chief Environmental Justice Officer, Project Canary
Judy Lai Norling, Chief Operating Officer, Carbon Mapper
Aaron Van Pelt, Chief Commercial Officer, QLM Technology, Ltd. 
Ed Newton, Gas Engineering Programs Manager, SoCal Gas
Coby Skye, Deputy Director, LA County Public Works

 

-WATER-

The Food-Energy-Water Nexus: An Agriculture Renaissance for Resilience 

Speaker: AG Kawamura, Founder & Chair, Solutions from the Land

Moderator: Felicia Marcus, William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow, Stanford Water in the West
Panel:
Nurit Katz, CSO, UCLA/LADWP Board of Commissioners
Larry Kopald, The Carbon Underground
Charley Wilson, Southern California Water Coalition

 

-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-

Adapting the San Pedro Bay Ports to Climate Change

Moderator: Janna Sidley, Fmr. General Counsel, Port of LA
Panel:
Hector De La Torre, Board Member, CARB
Chris Cannon, Chief Sustainability Officer, Port of LA
Noel Hacegaba, Deputy Executive Director, Port of LB
 

 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

Next Generation Investment in Clean Energy & Climate Solutions

Moderator: Anil Tammineedi, Partner, Angeleno Group
Panel:
Tom Soto, Founder, Latimer Partners LLC
Allan Emkin, Managing Principal, Meketa Investment Group
Jake Levine, Chief Climate Officer, US International Development Finance Corporation
Karen Boutros, Principal, CPP Investments

 

4:30 PM

-POLICY/FINANCE-

Education Facilities & Sustainability: Aligning Decarbonization & Resiliency

Moderator: David Vela, Board of Trustees President, LACCD
Panel: 
Beth Tomlinson, Carbon and Climate Discipline Leader, Buildings, Stantec
Rueben Smith, Vice Chancellor and Chief Facilities Executive, LACCD 
Nick Melvoin, Board District 4, LAUSD

 

-WATER-

What’s the ROI on Investments in Multi-Benefit Stormwater Capture & Reuse?

Moderator:John Withers, Chair, OC San Board of Directors
Panel:
Liz Crosson, Chief Sustainability, Resiliency, Innovation Officer, Metropolitan Water District
Ed Othmer, Vice President, North America Wet Weather Sector, Stantec
Keith Lilley, Deputy Director, LA County Public Works

 

-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-

Investing in Cycling & Micromobility Infrastructure 

Moderator: Yuval Bar Zemer, Principal, Linear City Development LLC
Panel:
Naoki Hara, President, JFE Engineering America
Steve Burger, Deputy Director, Transportation, LA County Public Works
Aaron Paley, President, CARS
 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

WTC-LA/VX23 Consular Panel 
Consular Reception to Follow

 

VX 2023 Day 2 Program: Tuesday, May 2, 2023

7:15 AM

Registration and Breakfast

7:45 AM

VX2023 Welcome:

David Abel, Chairman, VerdeXchange
Introduction: Stephen Cheung, President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation

Remarks:  Karen Bass, Mayor, City of LA
 

8:00 AM

Plenary 

The Intended Legacies of Public Investments in Transportation & Sports Infrastructure

Moderator: Renata Simril, President & CEO, LA84 Foundation
Panel:
James T. Butts, Mayor, City of Inglewood
Samantha Bricker, Chief Sustainability and Revenue Officer, Los Angeles World Airport
Ernesto Chaves, Director, Highway Program, LA Metro

 

9:10 AM

Moderator: Rick Cole, Deputy City Controller, Office of LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia
Panel:
James T. Butts, Mayor, City of Inglewood
Marcel Porras, Deputy Chief Innovation Officer, LA Metro
Connie Llanos, Interim General Manager, LADOT

 

-ENERGY-

Is Residential Solar Dead in California? Opportunities & Promise of Solar + Storage for Underserved Communities

Moderator: Eliot Abel, Co-Owner / Senior Director of Business Development, Namaste Solar
Panel:
Derek Chernow, Western US Regional Director, Coalition for Community Solar Access
Chris Worley, Director, Public Policy, Sunrun
Arash Saidi, Power Engineering Manager of Distributed Resources Development & Programs, LADWP

 

-WASTE & RECYCLING-

Circular Economy: Market & Policy Solutions

Moderator: Coby Skye, Deputy Director, LA County Public Works
Panel:
Rachel Machi Wagoner, Director, CalRecycle
John Shegerian, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman, ERI 
Yoshimi Yamamoto, Manager, Resonac Corporation

 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

Re-Envisioning Parks: The Rise of Play Equity

Moderator: Renata Simril, President & CEO, LA84/LA City Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners
Panel:
Joe Edmiston, Executive Director, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
Aaron Paley, President, CARS
Nick Melvoin, Board District 4, LAUSD
Matthew Rudnick, Executive Office and Assistant General Manager, LA City Dept. of Recreation & Parks 

 

9:10 AM 

-H2 SUPERTRACK -

VerdeXchange H2 Super Track (9:10am to 4:15pm)

9:10 am – 10:00 am:
Hydrogen’s Promise: Advancing its Role in a Total Energy System 
Moderator: Brian Goldstein, Executive Director, Energy Independence Now
Panel:
Tak Yokoo, Founder & Chair, Japan Hydrogen Forum
Eric Guter, VP Hydrogen for Mobility Solutions,  Air Products
Angelina Galiteva, Board Member, CAISO
Daisuke Yanagisawa, Mitsui & Co.(USA) Inc.  

10:00 am – 10:30am:
H2 Innovations: Ports & Goods Movement
Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric 
Panel:
Toru Sugiura, Sr. Manager, Corporate Strategy & Business Development, Toyota Tsusho America Inc.
Troy Collard, General Manager Sales, PACECO Corp. 
Patrick Jacob, Director, Rolling Stock Business Development, Alstom
 

10:30 am – 11:15 am:
Going All-In: US & Global Hydrogen Strategy
Moderator: Tanya Peacock, Managing Director, EcoEngineers
Panel:
Eiji Ohira, Director General, Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Group Japan New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
Arnab Pal, Sr. Advisor & Consultant, USDOE Loan Programs Office
Dave Edwards, Director and Advocate for Hydrogen Energy, Air Liquide
Justin Ward, General Manager, Fuel Cell Development, Toyota

11:15am-12:00noon:
H2 Innovations: Production
Moderator: Brian Goldstein, Executive Director, Energy Independence Now
Panel:
Mariam Awara, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, Pulsenics
Tomoyuki Koide, Deputy General Manager of Marketing Dept. Tsubame BHB Co, Ltd.
Jag Singh, Director of Business Development, Golu Hydrogen
Yoshimi Yamamoto, Manager, Resonac Corporation
Daniel Charette, Chief Operating Officer, CHARBONE, Hydrogen Corporation

(continued after Luncheon plenaries)
 

10:10 AM

How Might Electrification, Autonomous Vehicles, & AI Reshape Urban Mobility

Moderator: Mary Nichols, Co-Chair, Commission on the Future of Mobility
Panel:
Blair Schlecter, Director of Business Development & Programming, Stantec GenAV
Ram Ramaseshan, SVP and Geo Head - Americas, Tata Elxsi
William Rouse, General Manager, Yellow Cab of Los Angeles
 

 

-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-

Is High Speed Rail Still a Mirage in the Desert: What's New?

Moderator: Arthur Sohikian, Executive Director, High Desert Corridor JPA
Panel:
Ben Porritt, SVP Corporate Affairs, Brightline West
Patrick Jacob, Director, Rolling Stock Business Development, Alstom

 

-WASTE & RECYLING-

E-Waste Technologies & Addressing the Plastic Crisis
Moderator: Robert Hertzberg, Sr. Advisor, Mission Possible Project
Panel:
John Shegerian, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman, ERI 
Shinya Shimizu, CEO, Elephantech
Brad Haydel, Associate Director, Office of Sustainability, USC

 

- BUILT ENVIRONMENT-

Housing Affordability: Rethinking the Urban Planning Paradigm

Moderator: Shmel Graham, Counsel, Ashurst
Panel:
Gail Goldberg, MWD Board/Fmr. Planning Director, City of Los Angeles, City of San Diego
Ben Stapleton, Executive Director, USGBC-LA
Brittany Moffett, Sr. Resilience Engineer, Arup
Larry Kosmont, Chairman & CEO, Kosmont Companies

 

11:10 AM

Adapting the Built Environment for a Decarbonized Future

Moderator: Panama Bartholomy, Executive Director, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Panel: 
Andrew McAllister, Commissioner, California Energy Commission
Windie Yancy, Director, Power New Business and Electrification, LADWP
Beth Tomlinson, Carbon and Climate Discipline Leader, Buildings, Stantec
Heather Rosenberg, Associate Principal, Arup

 

-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-

EV Adoption—Moore’s Law?

Moderator: Felicia Williams, Vice Mayor, City of Pasadena
Panel:
Alex Haring, Senior Associate, Advanced Transport Bloomberg NEF
David Jacot, Director of Efficiency Solutions, LADWP
Ryan Harty, Senior Manager, Energy Solution Business Division, American Honda Motor Co, Inc. 
Lauren Faber O'Connor, Former Chief Sustainability Officer, City of LA

 

-BUILT ENVIRONMENT-

How Planning with Digital Twins Will Change Cities & The World

Moderator: Thomas Aujero Small, President & CEO, Culver City Forward
Panel: 
Myrna Bittner, CEO & Co-Founder, RunWithIt Synthetics
Aurelia Setton, Chief Business Officer, Exodigo
Rob Lempert, Director, RAND Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition
Philip Allsopp, CEO, Orbis Dynamics

 

12:00 PM

Game Changers: Meet the Innovators

Moderator: Jim Kelly, Director, S&C Electric
Panel:
Carol L Folt, President University of Southern California
Martin Muoto, Founder & CEO, SoLa Impact
Hiroshi Tomita, Founder & Chairman of the Board, GEO SEARCH Co, Ltd.
Jake Levine, Chief Climate Officer, US Development Finance Corporation

 

1:20 PM

Post-Luncheon Plenary 
Hydrogen Cities: It's Getting Real—Meeting the Energy Transition Moment with Three Hydrogen City Mayors
Moderator: Lex Heslin, CEO, Enso Infrastructure, LLC
Panel:
Eiko Yoshida, Mayor, Namie Town, Japan
Mitch Roth, Mayor, County of Hawai’i
R. Rex Parris, Mayor, City of Lancaster, CA

 

2:00 PM

Concurrent Panels

-TRANSPORTATION / INFRASTRUCTURE-

Multimodal & Active Transportation: A Vision for the Future of LA—Cities Built for People are Good for Business

Moderator: Michael Schneider, Founder & CEO, Streets for All
Panel:
Yuval Bar Zemer, Principal, Linear City Development LLC
Gleam Davis, Mayor, City of Santa Monica
Lava Sunder, Fmr. Founding General Manager, Culdesac Tempe
Natalie Freidberg, President, Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce

 

-ENERGY-

Neighborhoods as Energy Resiliency Hubs

Moderator: Rick Cole, Deputy City Controller, Office of LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia
Panel:
Neil Navin, Chief Clean Fuels Officer, SoCal Gas
Panama Bartholomy, Executive Director, Building Decarbonization Coalition
Steven Bingler, CEO, Concordia
Jacki Bacharach, Executive Director, South Bay Cities Council of Governments
Responder: Andrew McAllister, Commissioner, California Energy Commission

 

-INNOVATION-

India’s Climate Tech Leadership on Scaling Collaborations with California

Moderator: Gunjan Bagla, CEO, Amritt, Inc.
Panel:
Siva Gunda, Vice Chair, California Energy Commission
Aditya Ramji, India Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Research Centre Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS), University of California
Jessica Lall, Managing Director, CBRE

 

-H2 SUPERTRACK -

VerdeXchange H2 Super Track (Continued)

2:00 pm – 2:30 pm:
Accelerating Goals: Zeroing Out Carbon Emissions 

Moderator: Lex Heslin, CEO, Enso Infrastructure, LLC

Panel:
Matt Gregori, Technology Development Manager, SoCal Gas
Go Tejima, Technical Advisor, Toyota Research Institute
 

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm:
Accelerating Infrastructure: Hydrogen Hubs

Moderator: Robert Hertzberg, Sr. Advisor, Mission Possible Project

Panel:
Angelina Galiteva, Board Member, CAISO
Jason Caudle, City Manager, City of Lancaster
Riley Saito, Energy Specialist and the Deputy Director, County of Hawai'i
Brian Goldstein, Executive Director, Energy Independence Now

 

2:55 PM

Affordable Housing: The Vienna Model

Moderator:Alex Fisch, Deputy Attorney General, CA Department of Justice
Panel:
Gerhard Mayer, Principal Architect,  GGLO Architects
Helmi Hisserich, Director of Global Housing Solutions, Global Policy Leadership Academy, 
Stephanie Klasky Gamer, President & CEO, LA Family Housing
Responder: Jason Ward, Associate Director,  RAND Center on Housing and Homelessness

 

 

-POLICY/FINANCE-

Elders Forum: Who Will Use Government to Do What Needs to be Done: Has California Lost its Edge?
Moderator: Bob Wieckowski, Fmr. CA State Senator
Panel:
Mary Nichols, Fmr. Chair, California Air Resources Board
Steve Peace, Fmr. CA Legislator