Meet Our Team of Experts

Shane Johnson is a successful entrepreneur with 30 years of experience in the energy and telecommunications industries. Shane has provided leadership for building and successfully exiting two startup companies over the last 20 years. Shane is currently the President and CEO of CarbonQuest, a clean tech company focused on decarbonization solutions led by its innovative distributed carbon capture technology.

Prior to CarbonQuest, Shane was a co-founder of Demand Energy Networks, a pioneer of distributed energy storage, management and optimization. Shane’s leadership helped establish its energy storage technology from 2010-2020, through its acquisition by Enel in 2017, into a durable market leadership position worldwide. From 2000-2010 Shane was part of the leadership team building World Wide Packets, a gigabit ethernet fiber optic broadband pioneer, through its successful exit and integration into Ciena in 2008. Shane’s career started in Douglas PUD where he pioneered optical ethernet for utility controls and communications helping construct one of the world’s first optical gigabit ethernet community open access networks. All of Shane’s innovations are still operating as a key business component of the acquiring companies to this day.

Dave is a successful entrepreneur having founded, taken public, and successfully exited three companies. Dave has over 30 years of combined telecommunications and energy software industry experience. Dave is currently Chairman of NextWatts and CarbonQuest, clean energy technology companies. Prior to starting NextWatts in 2015, he was co-founder (2008) and CEO of Demand Energy Networks, an energy software control systems company which was acquired by Enel, a global energy company in 2017. From 2001 to 2008 Dave was President and CEO of World Wide Packets, a point-to-point ethernet switch vendor whose customers included Comcast, Clearwire and AT&T. World Wide Packets was acquired by Ciena in 2006.

Before World Wide Packets, Dave co-founded Architel, a telecom OSS vendor to Verizon, Cable & Wireless, British Telecom, NYNEX and GTE that was taken public in 1998 and subsequently acquired by Nortel in 2000. In 1996, Dave was selected Canadian Entrepreneur on the Year for his leadership at Architel. Now, as he has started CarbonQuest, he is proud to be leading the Quest for Decarbonization involving carbon removal.

Brian has a passion for starting and developing companies at the intersection of clean energy, finance and technology. Currently, he is the Chief Operating Officer of CarbonQuest responsible for leading the growth for the company – strategy, sales, marketing and finance. Prior to CarbonQuest, Brian held several roles for Enel X, including leading global product development for energy products – microgrids, solar + storage. Brian led the team responsible for developing the largest energy storage project in New York City with one of the country’s largest real estate developers. Prior to this role, Brian was Chief Commercial Officer and led the team responsible for sales, marketing, channel partnerships and market development at Demand Energy, an energy storage developer. He led the company through its acquisition by Enel and has a proven track record of growing and funding conceptual stage ideas into developed revenue and profit generating operations.

Brian was a founding member and served as Chief Financial Officer for Green Charge Networks (GCN) from 2010 to 2014 where he developed, staffed, and financed operations for the distributed energy/battery storage application company (acquired by ENGIE in 2016). This included leading the $56m corporate investment by K Road Power as well as developing the Power Efficiency Agreement (PEA) structure.

Earlier in his career, he helped grow several businesses including growing the Professional Services business for Moody’s Analytics in Asia from the ground up. He holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and Finance and Marketing degree from Fairfield University.

William Fuglevand is the original architect of CarbonQuest technology. He is a registered Professional Engineer with a record of experience which includes 30 years in the Electric Power and Natural Gas Industry followed by 15 years in Alternative and Renewable Energy Technologies primarily in Hydrogen Fuel Cells, Fuel Processing, and Energy Storage Systems.

Mr. Fuglevand is founder of Avista Labs, a 1997 startup PEM fuel cell R&D company that later became ReliOn Inc. and was ultimately acquired in 2014 by Plug Power. ReliOn fuel cell technology is now featured in Plug Power’s air cooled fuel cell generator products for Material Handling Systems sold worldwide.

Mr. Fuglevand is named inventor on 22 US patents and one Provisional for a novel battery system. He is an active 28 year Member of the American Chemical Society. Mr. Fuglevand is a retired USAF officer with 22 years of service in Military Power Systems design / operations, with leadership roles in Civil Engineering Global Mission Readiness.

Anna brings over twenty years of experience bridging climate and energy policy with market and sustainability strategies for global corporations. As Vice President, Strategy & Market Development Anna leads the identification of growth opportunities and market development strategies for the company.

Most recently, Anna advised Fortune 100 companies on sustainability, energy transition, and using digital solutions to achieve carbon transparency at an energy and climate consulting firm COEFFICIENT and co-hosted the Digital Climate Alliance. In prior roles, Anna ran Government Relations at Schneider Electric, leading a team of federal and state government and industry liaisons. She built coalitions, and developed federal and state policy and programs focused on building decarbonization and innovative finance at Johnson Controls. In the first half of her career she represented associations and foundations in Washington, DC on trade and energy policy. Anna is a graduate of the Georgetown School of Foreign Service.

Doug is an energy professional that has worked globally for 30 years. He has been a pioneer in the world of smart grid technologies with a focus on smart metering and intelligent energystorage. He is currently Vice President of Business Development at CarbonQuest and is focused on technology that can increase decarbonization now. Prior to joining CarbonQuest, Stake was Vice President of Utility Business Development for Enel X, a global power company. Enel X acquired Demand Energy, in 2017, where Stake was a cofounder and a pioneer in distributed energy storage systems. Prior to Demand Energy, Stake was a Vice President in various roles at Itron, a global leader in smart metering. Stake is applying his experience in developing new markets for emerging technologies
that can have impact today. He is a third-generation power engineer who grew up in the energy industry. Stake is an active industry participant and his ability to explain complex technology into understandable terms has resulted in groups requesting his contribution in frequent speaking events and industry panels.

Ted is an experienced, collaborative leader and engineer in multiple industries, with a proven ability to successfully manage projects, employees, and operations in a technically dynamic and worldwide environment, with a solid understanding of the legal and financial responsibilities of management.

With 40 years of collaborative leadership and engineering in multiple industries (telecom, medical, industrial, test & measurement, energy storage and decarbonization), Ted has managed projects, employees, and operations in a technically dynamic and worldwide environment. Ted has responsibilities for Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance (Controller), and Quality Assurance for CarbonQuest. Ted has 4 patents on advanced lead acid batteries and another on thermal measurement, and is co-inventor on the carbon capture patents pending.

Benjamin comes to CarbonQuest with over 15 years of cleantech experience, establishing and managing critical relationships with commercial stakeholders. As Senior Director, Sales he leads engagement with clients and partners seeking to execute their decarbonization strategies.    

Before joining CarbonQuest, he advanced the adoption of energy efficiency and renewables at WESCO Energy Solutions. Focused on developing turnkey projects and utilizing emerging technologies he has directed a global client base of various industries toward a sustainable future. Benjamin was also the co-founder of Conserva Partners, an NYC-based energy solutions firm, playing an instrumental role in upgrading the city’s commercial building stock to LED lighting. Benjamin received his degree from the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University. 

Don is a leading expert in natural gas processing which includes advancing gas purification and liquefaction processes. He developed and led teams that engineered, manufactured, installed, and operated multiple plants including biogas, landfill, stranded wells, and pipelines. He improved plant designs to achieve lower cost, faster installation, and start up than the industry average. Don led the design and development of QuestAir (Xebec Adsorption) gas purification technology which is an underlying benefit to carbon capture. He has led teams globally to include Asia, South America, Europe, and the Middle East.

As Vice President of Engineering, Don leads the engineering and scaling of CarbonQuest’s decarbonization technologies, including the company’s unique carbon capture solution. Don brings over 30 years of experience in the design, fabrication, installation and operations of Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) and gas purification projects across the value chain as well as extensive start-up experience. Don is focusing on system engineering, product improvement, cost reductions, project execution and operations to improve client experience.

A West Point graduate and US Army retiree, he also holds advanced degrees in engineering and business administration.

David is an experienced problem solver and proactive leader with over 20 years of experience in Construction Management, Engineering, and Design with a diverse focus in the Industrial, Commercial, Retail, and Residential sectors. David is currently the Director of Project Engineering and Construction for CarbonQuest leading the installation and commissioning of CarbonQuest’s carbon capture technology in buildings throughout New York City.

Before joining CarbonQuest, David was a Senior Manager with major construction firms in the New York City area. David also has extensive MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) design and consulting experience. David has experience as team leader at the Arizona Industrial Assessment Center, conducting energy efficiency audits throughout Arizona and Nevada. David is a registered professional engineer licensed in New York State.

Mike brings a wealth of U.S. and international business experience to CarbonQuest. At CarbonQuest, he plays a key role in leading our business development initiatives, with a primary focus on cultivating CO2 off-take opportunities to complement our expanding portfolio of carbon capture projects.

Before joining CarbonQuest, Mike accumulated over three decades of diverse experience at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, where he held various roles in engineering, marketing, aircraft financing and sales. In his final position at Boeing, he served as a sales executive, overseeing aircraft sales across numerous customers throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Mike has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington, and a master’s degree in business administration from Seattle University.

Clara is currently a Project Engineer focused on the installation of CarbonQuest’s carbon capture technology in buildings throughout New York City. Before CarbonQuest, she spent time in a variety of industries including energy, materials, aerospace, and building design.

Clara has worked with development, engineering, and manufacturing teams to improve process capability and understanding, ultimately lowering overall process costs. She also has experience in building design and manufacturing, maintaining a focus on iterative design and lean production. Clara has always had a passion for renewable energy and is excited to now be on the forefront of decreasing carbon emissions in New York City. She holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

As a Vermont native, Clara enjoys many different outdoor activities including soccer, hiking, biking, snowboarding, and ice skating.

Juan is a recent Boston University Mechanical engineering graduate, passionate about the environment. In the past, he has worked closely in the development of circular economy and carbon capture initiatives. Juan’s goal is to take part in climate change mitigation and grow CCUS alongside CarbonQuest.

Over the past few years, Juan took part in a diverse number of projects that allowed him to gain valuable experience in robotics, iterative design, sustainable development, and humanitarian engineering. Before this role, Juan worked as a project manager, leading technology deployment projects.

Currently, he is a Project Engineer working on the deployment of CarbonQuest’s carbon capture technologies in buildings throughout New York City. During his free time, he enjoys backpacking, snowboarding, and climbing, taking advantage of the outdoors.

Albert is a recent graduate from Gonzaga University, BS in Mechanical Engineering, who is excited to be at the forefront of the next generation of renewable energy. With his combined passion for fluid systems, developing new test systems, and saving the planet, Albert is currently working on the research & development aspects of the carbon capture system.

At university, Albert’s senior design team successfully developed an operational rocket test stand for Gonzaga’s mechanical engineering department. This stand will serve as a way for the program to give students hands-on experience with rocket science. Albert also recently received his Engineer-In-Training license.

During his free time, Albert enjoys skiing in the winters and backpacking and mountain biking in the summers.

Olivia recently graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She is passionate about the environment and fighting climate
change. Before this role, she worked in the CDR industry on system and process design for carbon capture projects. Olivia’s goal is mitigating climate change by scaling up CCUS with CarbonQuest.

Olivia is a Project Engineer deploying CarbonQuest’s carbon capture technologies in buildings throughout New York City. In the past, she worked on a variety of projects, gaining
experience in systems engineering, sustainable design, and project development. Olivia is a Colorado native with a love for the outdoors. She spends most of her free time rock climbing,
skiing, and camping.

Ben is a seasoned Mechanical Engineer with design experience across a wide range of components and product categories. He is dedicated to product quality, having held both Quality Engineer and Quality Manager roles, with expertise in validation test methods, strength and reliability testing, electrical testing, equipment troubleshooting and programing gage and fixture design, statistical process controls, failure analysis, and risk assessment.

As Plant Engineer, Ben plans and develops production processes and test methods, in addition to supervising the fabrication and assembly of carbon capture systems. 

An avid snowboarder and outdoor enthusiast, he recognizes the impact of climate change on activities he regularly enjoys and is excited to work on a team developing technology that will reduce carbon emissions today.

Eric Ruud is a Product Development and Data Science Lead at CarbonQuest, bringing 17 years of software production and data expertise to the clean tech industry. His experience spans critically acclaimed AAA strategy games at Sega, chart-topping mobile games at Storm8, and innovative AR/VR and AI-enabled brand activations for clients like Visa, Microsoft, and Google while at Helios Interactive (A Freeman Company).

Throughout his career, Eric has championed collaborative problem-solving, recognizing that the best solutions often emerge from diverse, well-coordinated teams. He also believes that great software and data tools unlock new potential, and he’s excited to contribute his skills to the Carbonquest team on its mission to decarbonize the built environment.

Outside of work, Eric enjoys gardening, cooking, games, music, learning new things, watching the Golden State Warriors, and spending time with friends and family.

Jacob is excited to have a hand in building and testing carbon capture systems. He is certified by Perry Technical Institute in the field of Instrumentation and Industrial Automation. A persistent and creative problem solver. Never hesitant to ask questions. He is determined to see our systems assembled, tested, and delivered via diligence and professional pride.

Living in the northwest U.S. Jacob has a penchant for hiking and camping. Naturally he is at home alongside the forests, mountains, and rivers of the region.

An experienced Operations and Maintenance Engineer, Reno brings a proven track record of excellence in enhancing energy proficiency across both commercial and residential buildings. Known for his passion for sustainability, he has a specialized focus in leveraging carbon capture technologies to create sustainable systems. He brings hands-on expertise in managing, operating, and maintaining complex systems such as HVAC, Boilers, BMS, always with an eye towards environmental impact and helping to smooth the integration of BCCS technology into buildings.

Reno is always learning and staying abreast of the latest advancements in green technology, with an eye to applying his engineering savvy to reducing carbon emissions.

Martin’s role as a Product Engineer varies greatly day-to-day, but includes system design, factory acceptance testing, equipment sourcing, fabrication, and detailed report writing. A Gonzaga grad in mechanical engineering, he has a background in signal processing and HVAC systems. Having a positive environmental impact has always been core to his pursuits in and out of school.

 Martin spent his first year out of college in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, creating and teaching a technology curriculum for a K-8 dual language school in Phoenix.  He’s learned the importance of engaging with the community as fully as possible, and he hopes to transfer what he learned there into this position. Like many others, Martin has recently become obsessed with playing pickleball in his spare time.

Nick is a Project Engineer – Process EIT at CarbonQuest, where he contributes to the product team with a background in Chemical Engineering. As a recent grad from the University of Idaho, he looks forward to applying his skills to projects aimed at mitigating carbon emissions to advance environmental sustainability. During his time at university, his senior project achieved first place in two engineering design competitions, which explored using electrochemistry to enhance sustainability. He is enthusiastic about working with cutting-edge technology in the clean energy sector. Nick’s academic journey includes successfully passing the FE exam and taking specialized classes in energy storage systems and chemical process safety. Beyond work, he enjoys sports, fishing, and mountain biking—activities that resonate with his Idaho roots.