Technical Program
The ICR25 technical program will showcase major breakthroughs in technology, policy, and infrastructure aimed at mitigating challenges to our environment, health, communities, national security, and economic stability. Focused on resilience, the program highlights solutions for adapting to and addressing the impacts to the world, including innovations that restore ecosystems, adapt infrastructure and societies, and reduce the drivers of extreme weather-related events. We look forward to the conversation and identifying new solutions at ICR25.

ICR25 Important Dates
- Early Bird Registration Deadline
- Friday, February 21, 2025
- Abstract Acceptance Notification
- Monday, March 3, 2025
- Techical Showcase Submission
- Friday, March 14, 2025
- Standard Registration Closes
- Monday, April 14, 2025
ICR25 Speakers
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Nancy J. Balkus, P.E., SES
Deputy Assistant Secretary, the Air Force for Infrastructure, Energy and Environment, Headquarters U.S. Air ForceNancy J. Balkus, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Infrastructure, Energy and Environment, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Virginia. She provides executive leadership on all matters pertaining to formulation, review and execution of plans, policies, programs and budgets for Air Force built and natural infrastructure, environmental, and installation energy. These include facility management, military construction, utilities privatization, energy security, contingency energy, and environmental compliance and restoration. -
Johan Bergenas
Senior Vice President of Oceans at World Wildlife FundJohan leads a diverse team and global programming cutting across ocean health, climate resilience, and environmental security in the Arctic, Eastern Pacific, Asia-Pacific, and Southwest Indian Ocean, markets and finance, and technology and innovation. Prior to joining WWF, Johan worked for Paul Allen’s Vulcan, representing the organization in Washington, DC, and working globally to develop, launch, and scale science, technology, environmental, and national security programs. Johan has co-founded and served as CEO of a technology start-up, and he has also led programming at the intersection of the environment, national security, and technology at the Stimson Center and the Monterey Institute. -
Doug Doan
Founder and General Partner, The Hivers and Strivers Investment FundsDoug is the founder and General Partner of the Hivers and Strivers Investment Funds. The Fund provides the seed and early stage, start-up capital to launch businesses founded by military veterans and has $80m in AUM. Hivers and Strivers Funds has been an early and enthusiastic investor in early stage hydrogen companies. -
Mason Hamilton
Vice President of Economics and Research, The American Petroleum Institute (API)Mason Hamilton is the Vice President of Economics and Research at the American Petroleum Institute (API). Mason leads API’s strategy for analysis of energy markets and policy, managing API’s energy markets and policy analysis teams, and communicates to policy makers, media, and the public on energy markets. Mason is a recognized expert in energy market data and the petroleum supply chain. -
Jeanette Jackson
CEO, ForesightJeanette Jackson is the CEO of Foresight, the nation’s largest cleantech accelerator. Foresight works with innovators, industry, investors, government, and academia across Canada to identify, develop, and ensure the adoption of clean tech solutions. -
Mark Lauby
Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer, North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC)Mark G. Lauby is the senior vice president and chief engineer at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC). Mr. Lauby joined NERC in January 2007 and has held several positions. Prior to joining NERC, Mr. Lauby worked for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for 20 years. Mr. Lauby began his electric industry career in 1979 at the Mid-Continent Area Power Pool in Minneapolis, Minnesota. -
Dr. Rene LeBlanc
Vice President, Growth and Product Strategy, Lithium AmericasDr. Rene LeBlanc has 21 years of experience in a variety of development and production operations as well as commercial experience in supply chain development for the energy storage industry. He joined Lithium Americas after managing efforts to develop the critical materials for Tesla Inc’s battery supply chain, and more than a decade of production operations for FMC Corporation’s Lithium Division. Rene earned his Bachelors and PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of South Carolina. -
Dr. Thomas Lograsso
Director of the Critical Materials Innovation (CMI) Hub, Ames National LaboratoryDr. Thomas Lograsso is the Director of the Critical Materials Innovation (CMI) Hub. He has been a member of its Leadership team since the inception of CMI. He has been a materials scientist at the Ames National Laboratory since 1988 and have served in a number of different Leadership roles at the Laboratory. He received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering from Michigan Technological University. Lograsso’s background is in solidification physics, and he has applied his background to the synthesis and design of novel materials in single crystalline forms. -
Zeshan Muhammedi
Founder and Managing Partner at MBX CapitalZeshan is founder and Managing Partner of MBX Capital, a $100M early-stage firm focused on human and environmental health. Current areas of interest include: applied AI in healthcare, advanced materials, computational chemistry, brain science, and environmental remediation. -
Justin Philpott
Partner and Patent Attorney, Banner WitcoffJustin helps clients protect inventions across a wide range of technologies, from wireless communications and TVs, to agrivoltaics and EVs. As a member of the Intellectual Property Owners Association he has served as panel moderator for its Green IP Committee, and he was named as a “Voice for a Green Future” by Sagacious IP in its 2024 GREEN100 Report. Prior to joining Banner Witcoff, Justin was a patent agent and patent attorney at Jones Day and a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Justin has a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rutgers University and a law degree from Georgetown University. -
Santosh Raikar
Managing Partner, Silverpeak Renewables Investment PartnersSantosh Raikar is the Managing Partner of Silverpeak Renewables Investment Partners, responsible for leading the firm’s new renewable energy sector platform. Santosh has more than 20 years of experience in energy and infrastructure project finance, including renewable energy, oil & gas, power, and midstream infrastructure assets. Prior to joining Silverpeak, he was a Managing Director in the Renewable Energy Investments Group at State Street where he was responsible for leading a team in originating, structuring, and executing tax equity investments in the U.S. renewable energy sector. -
Tom Wall
Director, Center for Climate Resilience and Decision Science, Argonne National LaboratoryDr. Tom Wall is the Director of Argonne National Laboratory’s Center for Climate Resilience and Decision Science (CCRDS), which combines Argonne’s deep capabilities in climate science and modeling, advanced computing, infrastructure risk analysis, and decision science, to translate climate science and modeling into actionable information for decision makers. This information has driven proactive resilience planning and investment across the utility sector—from large investor-owned utilities to small municipal utilities—as well as among state and local governments, and local communities. Tom has over a decade of experience in climate resilience, and critical infrastructure analysis and protection; he leads infrastructure-focused projects for the Department of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state and local governments, and industry stakeholders. -
Dr. Dawn Wellman
Strategic Programs Manager, The Rio Tinto Copper Research and Development groupDr. Dawn Wellman is the Strategic Programs Manager for the Rio Tinto Copper Research and Development group. Dawn oversees the portfolio of programs across the value stream including recovery of critical minerals, transformative technologies for tailings and water management, and growth enabling technology for copper production. Prior to joining Rio Tinto, Dawn was at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for over 20 years in numerous organizational and leadership roles including senior research scientist, program manager, sector manager, and division director. Additionally, she served as Chief Scientist for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management. Dawn has a Ph.D. and B.S. in Chemistry. -
Nelson Yip
Director of Strategic Planning (Resilience and Sustainability), Con EdisonNelson Yip has nearly 25 years of experience in utility operations, engineering, planning and energy policy. He is shaping Con Edison’s resiliency plans and clean energy and sustainability strategy. As director of Strategic Planning, he advises senior leaders and their teams on building safe, reliable, clean and resilient infrastructure. He fosters innovative, sustainable and industry-leading solutions, while enabling effective decision-making and considering equity.
Program Overview
The summer of 2023 set a new record as the hottest ever, with the year witnessing unprecedented extreme weather worldwide. In response, the world's top innovators are uniting at ICR25 to forge actionable solutions for resilience.
Join leading scientists, researchers, and policymakers from academia, industry, and government at the forefront of innovation. Together, we aim to craft a sustainable future by restoring ecosystems, adapting infrastructure, and mitigating weather-related disasters. ICR25 is your chance to contribute to scalable solutions that will benefit generations to come.
Program Themes
ADAPTATION | ||||
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Investing in Resilient Infrastructure | Risk Assessment for Government, Commercial, Civilian Resilience | Transitioning Nature-based Solutions (to Market) | Innovative Technologies for Resilience | Prioritizing Resilience: Policy, Collaboration, and Environmental Impacts |
MITIGATION | ||||
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Market Mechanisms (technology & process) for Carbon Neutrality | Solutions for Challenges to Health | Carbon Capture & Storage: Scaling | Investing in Future Energy Solutions | Artificial Intelligence (AI) Solutions for Resiliency |
SUSTAINABILITY | ||||||
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Entrepreneurship in Sustainability | Water and Air Quality Technologies | Nutrition, Food Security, and Agriculture | Strategies for a Successful Sustainable Economy | Translating Science into Effective Policy & Community Acceptance | Critical Materials | Global Deployments in the Age of Research Security |