Climate Solutions Prize Festival

Mario is a senior energy transition executive with significant experience developing and investing in energy infrastructure projects.

Before Breakthrough Energy, Mario was with Chicora Energy, an energy transition investment platform he co-founded focusing on Latin America. Before Chicora, Mario was with Macquarie Capital, serving as a Managing Director and Head of Latin America Energy Principal Investments Origination. Before Macquarie, Mario was the CFO for Trafigura’s US$1 billion Colombia fluvial logistics project. Mario also worked for several international financial firms, including ING Capital and Syncora Guarantee.

Mario obtained a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University and Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Boston College. 

Fred is co-founder of Deep Sky and CEO and Co-Founder of Hopper, which sells $7 billion of travel and travel financial services per year. Frederic previously co-founded Newtrade Technologies, which was acquired by Expedia in 2002.

Elena Nikonova, VP North America and APAC, is responsible for identifying and developing large-scale Direct Air Capture projects across the Globe. With over a decade in Sales & Strategy Leadership roles at e-mobility branches of Energy Multinationals like Shell and ENGIE, she led global electrification programs for Amazon, Ford and Bridgestone. Previously ex-Chief Strategy Officer at a chargepoint operator backed by BOLT, and strategy consultant at Roland Berger. She holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from University of Dublin.

After a career as a transit advocate where he helped pass more than $25B in funding for transit in Washington State, Rob was elected to be the first councilmember from Seattle’s Council District #4 a position he held from 2015 to 2019. While on council he was proud to pass Seattle’s largest zoning changes in 40 years, a $50B expansion of our region’s light rail system, and the largest investment in public school support in Seattle’s history. Since leaving elected office he’s been in charge of Sustainability and Transportation for the Seattle Kraken and Climate Pledge Arena. Rob’s led the team that secured the arena ILFI Zero Carbon, TRUE Zero Waste, and LEED Silver Certifications, eliminated front of house single use plastics, subsidized transit passes for all publicly ticketed events, installed on site solar, and much more.

Phil De Luna is Chief Science and Commercial Officer at Deep Sky, a carbon removals project developer building large scale infrastructure to reverse climate change. Prior to Deep Sky, Phil led carbontech at McKinsey & Company, was the youngest-ever Director at the National Research Council of Canada, and was a finalist in the Carbon XPRIZE. He is a Governor General Gold Medal winning scientist, a Member of the College of the Royal Society of Canada, an adjunct Professor of Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Toronto, and a Forbes Top 30 Under 30.