Steve Empedocles, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Empedocles, is the Founder and CEO of Clark Street Associates. He focuses on strategy, messaging and value proposition development for all of Clark Street’s clients.
Dr. Empedocles spent more than 25 years as a business development executive for advanced technology companies in various segments of the semiconductor and clean energy industries, with an emphasis on identifying opportunities to leverage commercial technologies into dual-use applications. In his career, Dr. Empedocles has developed commercial products in multiple industries, including batteries, photovoltaics, fuel cells, displays, memory and solid-state lighting. Dr. Empedocles received his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds over 100 patents in semiconductor, energy and advanced electronic materials and was selected by MIT Technology Review as one of the world's top 100 young innovators for his role in the developing the field of commercial nanotechnology. He has been published in leading journals, including Science, Nature, and Physical Review Letters.
VJ Sahi
Partner
Mr. Sahi is Partner and Senior Vice President at Clark Street Associates. He is primarily responsible for Clark Street’s government relations within DOD, Department of Commerce and on Capitol Hill, assisting commercial companies in areas of advanced electronics, semiconductors, quantum computing and machine learning.
Mr. Sahi has developed commercial businesses in electronics, semiconductors, batteries, PV, solid state lighting and displays. His focus at Clark Street is expanding our clients’ commercial businesses by finding partners in the government for advanced technology development, demonstrations, sales, and manufacturing scale-up. He has spent more than 20 years working with top semiconductor and advanced electronics companies to help develop new and innovative technologies and products, working in collaboration with the federal government, to expand and strengthen the U.S. commercial and defense industrial bases. Mr. Sahi has a Masters degree in chemical engineering, from the University of Toronto.
John Hamma
Vice President | Advanced Electronics
Mr. Hamma is Vice President of Clark Street’s Advanced Electronics Practice. He is responsible for leading Clark Street Associates’ client engagements in areas such as digital ICs, RFICs and photonics, as well as packaging and heterogeneous integration.
Mr. Hamma has over 30 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, leading global sales and business development teams for Lam Research, SVTC, Novati and Skorpios Technologies. His experience throughout his career has been primarily working with emerging and established semiconductor companies, as well as leveraging semiconductor technologies in the defense, telecommunications and life science industries.
Corinne A. Chu, PhD
Director | Energy & Environment
Dr. Chu is responsible for Clark Street’s programs in clean energy, environment, energy efficiency, and carbon sequestration.
Dr. Chu has spent her career working with federal and state governments to transition advanced technologies from development stage into commercial manufacturing and market deployment. She was responsible for creating the ARPA-E SCALEUP program at the Department of Energy, while Chief of Staff to the Acting Director of ARPA-E. Before that, she was an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow in both the office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy and the Office of Technology Transitions at DOE. She also played an integral role in developing deep decarbonization strategies at NYSERDA. Corinne received her PhD in chemistry from the University of California San Diego.
Rex Sherry
Director | Business Development
Mr. Sherry is responsible for leading client projects in the transportation, data center, logistics, semiconductor and manufacturing site-selection sectors. In addition, he supports clients with strategic investor work, joint-ventures, alliances and partnerships, valuation analysis and strategic advisory services.
Prior to joining CSA, Mr. Sherry spent more than 25 years as an investment banker for the semiconductor and emerging technologies markets while at Montgomery Securities, Merrill Lynch and Bear Stearns. He has closed more than $130B in financings and M&A deals with both large established companies as well as leading start-up. Mr. Sherry has a B.S. in finance and economics from the University of Washington.
Joel Fetter
Director | Industrial Efficiency
Mr. Fetter is responsible for Clark Street’s programs in industrial decarbonization, energy efficiency, and carbon management.
Mr. Fetter has more than 15 years of experience developing managing programs for the federal government, with a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation to bring advanced energy technologies to market. Mr. Fetter led Booz Allen Hamilton’s climate technology innovation practice, which provided strategy and support to major government funding programs, such as ARPA-E and NYSERDA. He was responsible for the development of ARPA-E’s Technology-to-Market program, which integrates R&D with commercial strategy to transition new climate technologies from the lab to the market. He also developed ARPA-e’s advanced nuclear program. Mr. Fetter earned a B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Brandon Tinianov, PhD
Director | Energy Efficiency
Dr. Tinianov is Director of Energy Efficiency programs. He is primarily responsible for client activities in building envelop and other energy efficiency technologies. Dr. Tinianov has over 30 years of experience in developing and delivering innovative and disruptive building energy technologies. He was Vice President of Industry Strategy, and lead Government Affairs for View (electrochromic glazing) as well as CTO of Serious Energy. He has served the US Green Building Council for 15+ years in various capacities including the co-founder of the Silicon Valley Chapter. Dr. Tinianov received his PhD in Engineering Systems from the Colorado School of Mines and is, is a registered Professional Engineer and a LEED Accredited Professional.
Lieutenant Colonel Steve Harrison, PhD
Vice President | Defense & Intelligence
Lieutenant Colonel Steve Harrison is responsible for Clark Street’s Defense and Intelligence program.
Dr. Harrison focuses on radiation hardened electronics, satellite systems and ground communications. He has over 40 years’ experience in the military and intelligence communities. He served twice in the White House (Office of Science and Technology Policy and National Space Council) and managed programs at the National Reconnaissance Office and DARPA. He held senior positions at Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and BAE, directing advanced technology electronics programs. Lt. Colonel Harrison received his Masters’ and PhD degrees in nuclear engineering from Renesslaer Polytechnic Institute.
Pearu Põld
Manager
Mr. Põld is a Manager at Clark Street. He is responsible for supporting clients in areas of industrial decarbonization, sustainability, advanced manufacturing, transportation and manufacturing site-selection.
Mr. Põld has spent his career supporting companies with a focus on manufacturing, in areas of carbon sequestration, low-carbon construction materials, additive manufacturing, automated assembly, solar, EV components and PCB assembly. He is responsible for structuring client projects and driving strategy development and execution. Mr. Põld received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Lisa Pangilinan, PhD
Manager
Dr. Pangilinan is a Manager at Clark Street. She is responsible for executing project strategy in the areas of clean energy, industrial decarbonization, and semiconductors.
At Clark Street, Dr. Pangilinan creates technical analyses and value propositions. She uses this insight to identify government program opportunities relevant to client projects and develop project objectives. Dr. Pangilinan received her PhD in Chemistry from University of California, Los Angeles with a focus on the development and characterization of hard metal alloys.
Sahar Naghibi, PhD
Senior Analyst
Dr. Naghibi is a Senior Technology Analyst at Clark Street Associates. She specializes in advanced electronics including semiconductor and advanced packaging technologies.
Dr. Naghibi has a background in semiconductor related research and development of novel materials and processes. Prior to joining CSA she was a semiconductor engineer working on next-gen RF applications, including advanced packaging and device development. She has a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from UC Riverside.
Jonathan Weisberg
Senior Analyst
Mr. Weisberg is a Senior Technology Analyst at Clark Street. He is responsible for supporting client programs in areas of advanced computing, semiconductor technology and supply chain security, and low-carbon transportation.
Mr. Weisberg is a data scientist, with a deep background in machine learning, image analytics, quantum theory and computational chemistry. He received his Masters in Theoretical Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.
Max Bocheff
Senior Analyst
Mr. Bocheff is a Senior Technology Analyst at Clark Street. He drives project execution of Clark Street’s client in emerging compute architectures, advanced microelectronics, clean transportation, and industrial decarbonization.
Mr. Bocheff joined the firm after completing a fellowship modeling and analyzing the economic and environmental impacts of commercial-scale solar photovoltaic projects. Prior to this, Mr. Bocheff led metrology operations of epitaxial thin-films at UC Santa Barbara, where he received his Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering and Master’s in Material Science, with an emphasis in photonics and electronics.
Megan McEvoy
Analyst
Ms. McEvoy is a Technology Analyst at Clark Street Associates. She is responsible for supporting clients who work in areas of clean energy, industrial decarbonization, energy efficiency and semiconductor technology. Prior to joining Clark Street, she worked at an AI startup in Silicon Valley supporting companies in their manufacturing process during hardware development and worked as a consultant focused on risk and regulatory support for financial services. Ms. McEvoy received her Bachelor of Applied Sciences in Mechanical Engineering from Queen's University in Canada.
Varun Naik
Analyst
Mr. Naik is a Technical Analyst at Clark Street. He is responsible for supporting clients in areas of semiconductor technology, clean energy solutions, and aerospace.
Mr. Naik joined the firm after receiving his Master’s in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, with an emphasis on electronic and optical materials. There, he helped develop a smart thin film roofing material for all-season energy savings.
Alexandra Henriques, PhD
Analyst
Dr. Henriques is a Technology Analyst at Clark Street Associates. She supports clients in semiconductor technology, green chemistry, clean fuels, and industrial decarbonization.
Dr. Henriques is a materials scientist with a deep background in electronic materials for memory, sensors, energy harvesting, and energy storage applications. Dr. Henriques received her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from North Carolina State University.
Taylon Owens
Analyst
Mr. Owens is a Technology Analyst at Clark Street. He is responsible for supporting clients in industrial decarbonization, energy efficiency, and semiconductor technology. Mr. Owens joined the firm after earning Master's degrees in Environmental Change and Management and in Public Policy from the University of Oxford. There, he focused on improving energy security for underserved communities by working at the intersection of energy, climate change, and policy.
Kacey Costa
Human Resources
Kacey Costa is responsible for Human Resources at Clark Street. Ms. Costa has been in the human resource field for over 15 years. She has extensive experience in human resource management, operations administration and project management. At Clark Street, she handles recruiting, benefits, policy implementation, employee counseling and organizational development. Ms. Costa has a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Pepperdine University.
Elvira Felix
Finance Operations
Elvira Felix is responsible for Finance Operations at Clark Street. Ms. Felix has been in the accounting and finance field for over 30 years. Her experience in both private and public accounting includes tax preparation for both corporate and individual clients, all aspects of the accounting cycle function, and financial statement preparation. She has a Bachelor degree in Business from San Jose State University.
Lucy Hernandez
Executive Assistant
Lucy Hernandez is the Executive Assistant to the CEO at Clark Street. She is responsible for administration, scheduling, event planning and customer service. Ms. Hernandez speaks three languages.
Andrew Filler
General Counsel
Mr. Filler is corporate counsel for Clark Street. He brings more than 25 years of corporate law and intellectual property expertise to support Clark Street and their disruptive innovation clients.
Mr. Filler has a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Cornell and graduated magna cum laude with a J.D. from the University of San Francisco Law School. He was named one of the top corporate IP attorneys in Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
Associated Team
(Counsel & Lobbying Support)
Jeff Denham
Dentons
Congressman Jeff Denham was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives where he served four terms, from 2010 to 2018. He was a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Agriculture Committee, Natural Resources Committee, and Veterans’ Affairs Committee. Congressman Godon supports Clark Street clients in areas of sustainability, defense and transportation and infrastructure. He received a Bachelor’s degree from California Polytechnic State University.
Secretary John McHugh
MLA
Secretary John McHugh is the second longest serving Secretary of the United States Army (2009-2015). Before that, he was a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives for more than 16 years. Secretary McHugh supports Clark Street clients in areas of defense, intelligence, and national security, with particular focus on transitioning innovative technologies into the hands of the warfighter. He has a master’s degree from the State University of New York (SUNY).
Representative Tom Davis
Holland and Knight
Mr. Davis served 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the 11th Congressional District of Virginia. He served as chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, as well as Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and served in that role from 1999 to 2002. When he joined Congress, Mr. Davis was the first freshman representative in 50 years to hold a subcommittee chairmanship, taking the gavel of the Subcommittee on the District of Columbia. Representative Davis received his BA from Amherst College and JD from the University of Virginia.
Tom Hawley
MLA
Tom Hawley served six years as Deputy Under Secretary of the Army (DUSA), reporting directly to successive Secretaries of the Army. As DUSA, he had oversight of Army’s test and evaluation programs. In addition, he spent 16 years on the Professional Staff on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), including as the minority Deputy Staff Director and staff lead of the HASC subcommittee with oversight of Research and Development funding. Mr. Hawley served on active duty as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for 25 years. He supports Clark Street clients in areas of defense technology demonstration and deployment and Defense budget procedures. He has a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University.
Anne LeMay
MLA
Anne LeMay served as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Army, with the equivalent rank of a three-star general. She was responsible for coordinating senior civilian and military staff to achieve critical objectives impacting the entire Army. Prior to that, she served 16 years on Capitol Hill in positions of increasing responsibility to include Director for Defense and Foreign Affairs for then-Congressman John McHugh and on the House Armed Services Committee staff. Ms. LeMay supports Clark Street clients in areas of defense technology development, demonstration, and deployment. She has a master’s degree from The George Washington University.
Beth Viola
Holland and Knight
Ms. Viola was a senior advisor to President Clinton on environmental and energy issues, concentrating on climate change, natural resources and smart growth. She was one of Vice President Al Gore's chief environmental advisors in the White House and later during his presidential campaign. She supports Clark Street clients in areas of energy, natural resources, GHG emissions reductions and the transition to a low carbon economy, including appropriations, tax and trade issues. Ms. Viola received her BA in political science from Providence College.
Dan Sennott
Holland and Knight
Mr. Sennott served as the minority staff director for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services (HASC), where he was responsible for the development, negotiation and passage of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Prior to that, he served in the U.S. Army for more than two decades as an armor officer and a judge advocate. He supports Clark Street clients in areas of national security, defense and intelligence. Mr. Sennott received his BS in Industrial Engineering from Marquette University and his JD from University of Illinois College of Law.
Dennis Potter
Holland and Knight
Dennis Potter is a lobbyist that focuses on a broad range of technology sectors, ranging from semiconductors to energy efficient technologies to security preparedness. He was the founding government affairs advisor to the USA Science & Engineering Festival, the nation’s largest effort to attract America’s youth to careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Mr. Potter has a B.A. in political science from Wake Forest University.
Daniel Ritter
Holland and Knight
Daniel Ritter has spent more than 25 years on Capitol Hill, first as a staff member in Congress and then as a lobbyist. He now runs the largest emerging technology lobbying team in Washington DC, within the firm with the third largest hydrogen manufacturing legal and regulatory practice in the country.
Paul Stimers
Holland and Knight
Paul Stimers is a lobbyist that focuses on emerging technologies, including quantum technology and commercial spaceflight. He founded and leads the Quantum Industry Coalition, a group of quantum computing, communications, and cryptography companies working to advance U.S. leadership in the field. Mr. Stimers has a J.D. from University of Washington and a law degree from Harvard Law School.
Greg Louer
Holland and Knight
Mr. Louer was a Senior Advisors to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee. He specializes at the interface between technology and government, supporting Clark Street clients in areas of semiconductors, transportation, vehicle electrification and autonomous vehicles. Mr. Louer received his BA in political science from University of North Carolina and his JD from the Columbus School of Law.
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