Meet Our Team of Experts

An accomplished entrepreneur who led two companies to successful exits, Shane Johnson is President and CEO of CarbonQuest, a cleantech company specializing in innovative decarbonization solutions through distributed carbon capture technology. 

Prior to CarbonQuest, Shane co-founded Demand Energy Networks, a leader in distributed energy storage, management, and optimization. From 2010-2020, Shane’s guidance established this technology in the market, leading to its acquisition by Enel in 2017. Previously, Shane played a pivotal role at World Wide Packets, a gigabit Ethernet broadband pioneer, where he helped build the company from 2000-2010 before its acquisition by Ciena in 2008. Shane’s career began at Douglas PUD, where he pioneered optical Ethernet for utility controls and communication, contributing to one of the world’s first community open-access networks—still in operation today under its acquiring companies.

Dave Curry is a successful entrepreneur who helped found, take public, and successfully exit three companies. With over 30 years of combined telecommunications and energy software experience, Dave currently serves as Chairman of both NextWatts and CarbonQuest, two clean energy technology companies. In 2008, he co-founded Demand Energy Networks, an energy software control systems firm acquired by Enel in 2017. Before that, Dave led World Wide Packets as President and CEO, growing it into a major Ethernet switch vendor with clients including Comcast and AT&T. Wordld Wide Packets was acquired by Ciena in 2006.

Earlier in his career, Dave co-founded Architel, a telecom OSS provider for clients including Verizon and British Telecom, which went public in 1998 and was later acquired by Nortel in 2000. In recognition of his leadership at Architel, Dave was named Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year in 1996. Now, through CarbonQuest, he is leading the quest for decarbonization and advancing carbon removal technologies.

Brian Asparro is passionate about growing companies at the crossroads of clean energy, finance, and technology. As the Chief Operating Officer of CarbonQuest, Brian is responsible for driving growth through strategy, sales, marketing, and finance. Previously, he held multiple roles at Enel X, where he led the development of large-scale energy storage projects and worked closely with a major real estate developer on the largest storage project in New York City. At Demand Energy, Brian served as Chief Commercial Officer, steering the company through its acquisition by Enel and building a track record for scaling revenue-generating operations.

Brian also co-founded and served as CFO for Green Charge Networks, securing a $56 million investment and developing a novel Power Efficiency Agreement structure. Earlier, he helped grow Moody’s Analytics Professional Services in Asia. Brian holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a degree in Finance and Marketing from Fairfield University.

William Fuglevand, a registered Professional Engineer, is the original architect behind CarbonQuest’s technology. With over 30 years in the Electric Power and Natural Gas Industry, followed by 15 years in Alternative and Renewable Energy Technologies, William has extensive expertise in fuel cell and energy storage systems.

William founded Avista Labs, a PEM fuel cell R&D company that became ReliOn Inc., later acquired by Plug Power in 2014. He also holds 22 U.S. patents and is a long-time member of the American Chemical Society. A retired USAF officer, William served for more than 20 years in Military Power Systems, including leadership roles in Civil Engineering for global mission readiness.

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

Prior to working at CarbonQuest, Anna held a number of executive roles at global Fortune 100 corporations such as Schneider Electric and Johnson Controls, where she focused on decarbonization strategy, policy, and sustainability.

Doug Staker is a seasoned energy professional with 30 years of experience in smart grid technologies, particularly in smart metering and energy storage. Currently, he is Vice President of Business Development at CarbonQuest, focused on advancing decarbonization technologies. Previously, Doug was VP of Utility Business Development at Enel X, following Enel’s acquisition of Demand Energy, where he was a co-founder.

A third-generation power engineer, Doug previously held several VP roles at Itron and is known for explaining complex technology in accessible terms, making him a frequent speaker at industry events.

Ted Volberding brings 40 years of leadership in multiple industries including telecom, medical, industrial, and decarbonization to his role at CarbonQuest. As the company’s Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance, and Quality Assurance lead, Ted manages operations in a dynamic, global environment. He holds four patents on lead-acid batteries and a patent on thermal measurement, and he is co-inventor on CarbonQuest’s pending carbon capture patents.

Ben Roberts has over 15 years of experience in cleantech, and has extensive experience building and maintaining relationships with commercial stakeholders. As Senior Director of Sales, Ben oversees CarbonQuest’s client engagement efforts, helping partners execute their decarbonization strategies. Before joining CarbonQuest, he advanced energy efficiency at WESCO Energy Solutions and co-founded Conserva Partners, helping upgrade NYC’s commercial building stock to LED lighting. Ben graduated from Colorado State University’s Warner College of Natural Resources.

Don Gongaware is a leading expert in natural gas processing, specializing in gas purification and liquefaction. As Vice President of Engineering, Don leads CarbonQuest’s distributed carbon capture technology engineering. Previously, he developed QuestAir (now Xebec Adsorption) technology, contributing to carbon capture advancements. A West Point graduate and retired U.S. Army officer, Don also holds advanced degrees in engineering and business.

David Jacobi, Director of Project Engineering and Construction at CarbonQuest, has over 20 years of experience in construction management, engineering, and design. He leads CarbonQuest’s installation and commissioning of carbon capture technology in NYC buildings. Previously, David worked as a senior manager for major construction firms in New York City and holds a professional engineering license 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 Johnson is a Project Engineer at CarbonQuest, focused on carbon capture technology installation in NYC buildings. She brings experience from a diverse arrray of industries — including energy, materials, and aerospace — and is passionate about reducing carbon emissions. Clara holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. A Vermont native, Clara enjoys many different outdoor activities including soccer, hiking, biking, snowboarding, and ice skating.

Juan Arango, a Boston University Mechanical Engineering graduate, is a Project Engineer at CarbonQuest focused on carbon capture technology deployment. Passionate about the environment, he has experience in sustainable development, robotics, and circular economy initiatives. During his free time, he enjoys backpacking, snowboarding, and climbing, taking advantage of the outdoors.

Albert White, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Gonzaga University, works in R&D on CarbonQuest’s carbon capture system. He brings expertise in fluid systems and system testing. At university, Albert’s senior design team successfully developed an operational rocket test stand for Gonzaga’s mechanical engineering department. He recently obtained his Engineer-in-Training license and enjoys skiing and backpacking in his free time.

Olivia Driscoll is a Project Engineer at CarbonQuest, where she deploys carbon capture technologies in NYC buildings. A UCLA graduate in Mechanical Engineering, Olivia previously worked in carbon capture systems design and is dedicated to scaling CCUS. A Colorado native, Olivia enjoys rock climbing, skiing, and camping.

Ben is a seasoned Mechanical Engineer with extensive design experience across a wide range of components and product categories. Dedicated to product quality, Ben has held roles as both Quality Engineer and Quality Manager, developing expertise in validation test methods, strength and reliability testing, electrical testing, equipment troubleshooting, gauge and fixture design, statistical process control, failure analysis, and risk assessment.

As Plant Engineer at CarbonQuest, Ben oversees essential engineering functions, driving improvements in the quality and reliability of CarbonQuest’s carbon capture systems. His attention to detail and commitment to rigorous testing ensure the durability and performance of CarbonQuest’s technologies.

Eric is the Product Development and Data Science Lead at CarbonQuest, bringing 17 years of expertise in software and data solutions to the cleantech industry. His background spans the production of critically acclaimed AAA strategy games at Sega, chart-topping mobile games at Storm8, and innovative AR/VR and AI-driven brand activations for top clients like Visa, Microsoft, and Google while at Helios Interactive .

A firm believer in the power of collaborative problem-solving, Eric sees diverse, well-coordinated teams as essential to creating the best solutions. He’s excited to apply his skills to CarbonQuest’s mission to decarbonize the built environment by developing high-impact software and data tools.

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

Jacob brings hands-on expertise in building and testing CarbonQuest’s carbon capture systems, with a certification in Instrumentation and Industrial Automation from Perry Technical Institute. Known for his persistence and creative problem-solving skills, Jacob is always eager to ask questions and resolve complex issues, ensuring that systems are assembled, tested, and delivered with diligence and professional pride.

Living in the Northwest, Jacob has a deep appreciation for nature and enjoys hiking and camping in the forests, mountains, and along the rivers of the region.

Reno is an experienced Operations and Maintenance Engineer with a strong record of improving energy efficiency in commercial and residential buildings. Known for his dedication to sustainability, he specializes in leveraging carbon capture technology to create environmentally sustainable systems. Reno brings hands-on expertise in managing HVAC systems, boilers, and building management systems (BMS), with a focus on seamlessly integrating carbon capture solutions into building infrastructure.

Committed to staying current with advancements in green technology, Reno applies his engineering skills to reduce carbon emissions and support CarbonQuest’s sustainability goals.

As a Product Engineer, Martin’s responsibilities include system design, factory acceptance testing, equipment sourcing, fabrication, and detailed report writing. A Gonzaga University graduate in mechanical engineering with a background in signal processing and HVAC systems, Martin has long been driven by a desire to make a positive environmental impact.

Following college, he joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, where he created and taught a technology curriculum for a K-8 dual-language school in Phoenix. The experience taught him the importance of community engagement, a value he brings to his work at CarbonQuest. Martin also enjoys playing pickleball in his spare time—a recent passion he’s embraced.

Nick is a Project Engineer – Process EIT at CarbonQuest, contributing his background in Chemical Engineering to projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions and advancing environmental sustainability. A recent graduate of the University of Idaho, Nick’s senior project — which explored using electrochemistry to promote sustainability — won first place in two engineering design competitions.

His academic achievements include passing the FE exam and taking specialized courses in energy storage systems and chemical process safety. Nick is eager to apply his skills to cutting-edge technology in the clean energy sector. Outside of work, he enjoys sports, fishing, and mountain biking, all of which reflect his strong connection to his Idaho roots.