Scientists, operators, and builders — aligned around one problem.

Pirouz Kiani is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of NanoStrip. A PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of Calgary, his research focuses on characterizing the local electronic properties of heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts, with applications in both pharmaceutical synthesis and industrial-scale catalyst optimization. His work includes high-throughput spectroscopic featurization of drug synthesis catalysts and the development of environmentally efficient hydrogenation catalysts in collaboration with industrial partners in Japan.

Pirouz has also contributed to research on mixed phase characterization of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for CO₂ catalysis with collaborators in Germany. Before his PhD, he developed physics-based regression algorithms to quantify ligand electrochemical parameters at York University and studied GLP-1 and GLP-2 agonists' effects on lipid metabolism at the University of Toronto. He holds a dual Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and Neuropsychology.

Beyond the lab, Pirouz is an avid reader of both non-fiction and the fantasy worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien. He enjoys swimming and is a passionate football (soccer) fan who loves analyzing matches and discussing the game with friends.

Joe Bulhoes brings nearly 20 years of expertise in instrumentation and automation. A Red Seal Journeyman Instrumentation Technician, he has led large-scale construction and startup projects for SAGD facilities and spent a decade managing plant maintenance and reliability teams.

His diverse career spans a vast range of industries, including mining, agriculture, oilsands startup and maintenance, and midstream oil and gas pipeline commissioning (CSU). He also spent over three years working with a manufacturer, receiving factory training and becoming a North American field expert in instrumentation and automation.

Outside of work, Joe is an avid car enthusiast with a passion for drag racing, particularly Drag and Drive events. A true technology aficionado, he has a full 180-degree wraparound racing simulator in his basement. Whether it's live sports, music, or high-performance engineering, Joe thrives on speed, precision, and innovation.

JP Bayangos has over 20 years of experience across energy, consumer goods, and entrepreneurship. He has been with Shell for 12 years with experiences across Upstream, Downstream, and Low Carbon Solutions. He is currently the Regional Business Development Manager for Nature-based Solutions in North America at Shell, focusing on alliances, M&A, and investments to protect and redevelop natural ecosystems.

At Shell, he has held various key positions, including Country Marketing Manager, Regional Marketing Development Manager, Global Organizational Development and Analytics Manager, Regional Supply Chain Commercial Advisor, and Regional Strategic Contracts Manager. Prior to Shell, JP was head of sustainable development at Nestlé. He also has 7 years of B2C marketing experience from Nestlé, Unilever, and Sara Lee. He began his career as an entrepreneur in coffee, shawarma, and advertising businesses.

JP holds a Bachelor's degree in Entrepreneurship and a Master's degree in Sustainability. He is an angel investor with Start-Up TNT.

JP attributes his tenacity to years of playing basketball and to being a Kobe Bryant fan.

Deanna Martin is a seasoned leader in the Anaerobic Digestion / RNG industry, with over a decade of operational experience driving sustainable change. She successfully operated Woolwich Bio-En, a 90,000 tpa food waste digester that produced 2.8 MW of renewable energy for over ten years. Since running that facility, Deanna has been involved in various asset sales and acquisitions, as well as designing and deploying automated waste depackaging systems throughout various projects across North America.

Today, Deanna is driving innovation with NanoStrip, a company at the forefront of de-ammonification technologies. Focused on advancing the properties and applications of nanobubbles, NanoStrip is pioneering solutions that seek to enhance process efficiencies and sustainability outcomes within the RNG sector. Deanna's leadership is instrumental in pushing the boundaries of what's possible, applying cutting-edge technologies to solve industry challenges and redefine environmental stewardship.

Bryan Trudel is a seasoned finance professional with 25 years of experience spanning company formation, capital markets, and strategic financial leadership. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce with High Honours from the Sprott School of Business and spent two decades at CIBC Capital Markets, specializing in stock markets and publicly listed companies.

As a strategic thinker with expertise in networking, operations, leadership, and coaching, Bryan co-founded AVATAR Innovations five years ago, establishing it as Canada's leading Corporate Venture Studio focused on industrial decarbonization.

Beyond finance and innovation, Bryan is an avid skier and enjoys reading non-fiction books to continuously expand his knowledge of the world. In his free time, he also enjoys basketball, volleyball, and billiards.

Bradley Wamboldt is the Principal Associate at Hawk & Squirrel Innovation, a boutique consultancy and technology development practice based in Calgary. With over 30 years of experience in oil and gas operations, project development, commissioning, and technology innovation, he has played a pivotal role in advancing energy solutions.

During his tenure at Shell Canada and Suncor Energy, Bradley led the development and commercialization of disruptive technologies. At Suncor, he established and headed Enterprise Technology, a forward-thinking division responsible for identifying and scaling several energy transition technologies for commercial deployment.

Now, Bradley focuses on helping both large corporations and start-ups drive new energy transition and decarbonization technologies from research to market. He also contributes to the industry as Chair of the Technology Enablement Committee at the Clean Resource Innovation Network (CRIN) and as a volunteer mentor with Foresight Canada. Bradley holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from McGill University and an MBA (with distinction) from the Ivey School of Business at Western University.

Dr. Sedigheh (Sedi) Mahdavi is a technology scale-up advisor with over a decade of experience spanning both research and industry. At the Energy Transition Center, she specializes in evaluating the technical feasibility and risks of emerging technologies developed by start-ups, particularly in the clean-tech energy sector. Her work involves designing and validating experimental campaigns and providing hands-on guidance to third-party research and facility providers.

Prior to this role, Sedi was a researcher at the Schulich School of Engineering, where she contributed to projects on solvent extraction from biomass, in-situ bitumen viscosity reduction, and the use of microorganisms and polymers in fracking. She earned her PhD in Process Engineering from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2019, focusing on carbonated water injection for enhanced offshore oil recovery at Hibernia. Earlier in her career, she worked as a Project Engineer at the Petroleum University of Technology (PUT), where she co-supervised multiple projects in collaboration with industrial partners. Sedi holds an MSc in Reservoir Engineering and a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Science and Research University.

Outside of work, Sedi enjoys playing volleyball and occasionally indulges in drawing.

Ghazal Jalali is a researcher and engineer specializing in water resources management, bioretention systems, and environmental data analysis. Currently a PhD candidate at the University of Calgary, her research focuses on characterizing and modeling nutrient leaching in bioretention systems to enhance water quality performance.

She also has expertise in biogas production, GHG emissions modeling, and hydrological sustainability modeling, with strong proficiency in statistical analysis, Python-based environmental modeling, and data visualization. Her MSc research investigated heavy metal contamination of soil and water from mining operations, while her industry experience includes biogas production modeling, methane optimization, and GHG emission assessments in anaerobic digesters.

Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, Ghazal is a dedicated athlete, excelling as a professional runner and fitness trainer with a passion for strength and endurance sports. She enjoys hiking, tennis, and playing the piano. A devoted dog lover, she deeply values the companionship they bring.