Call for Speakers is Open
Lead the CCUS Deployment Conversation
CCUS Xchange USA 2026 invites senior executives, project developers, industrial operators, infrastructure leaders, technology providers, investors, engineers, and policymakers to contribute to a focused, deployment-driven commercial program for scaling carbon capture, transport, storage, and utilization, with priority given to speakers who can share validated data, project experience, implementation lessons, and strategic insight.
Houston, TX · November 18, 2026
Meet Our Featured Speakers
Senior executives, technical leaders, and policymakers actively shaping the trajectory of North America’s battery value chain.
Grant Budge
CEO
PeroCycle
The Circular Carbon Advantage: On-Site Decarbonization for Foundation Industries
Grant Budge is the CEO of PeroCycle, a pioneering deep-tech venture utilizing closed-loop carbon recycling to deeply decarbonize the global steel industry. With three decades of executive experience, Grant has successfully led large-scale carbon capture, infrastructure, and industrial energy projects. A specialist in navigating complex public and private funding environments, he excels at driving breakthrough climate technologies from early-stage ambition to commercial execution. Today, he steers PeroCycle through its critical commercial scaling and pilot deployment.
Nick Borisow
VP Business Development
8 Rivers Capital
Scaling Up Next-Generation, Non-Toxic, Low-Cost Potassium Carbonate Carbon Capture Technology
Nick brings over 26 years of engineering and commercial leadership in specialty chemicals and capital equipment to his role as VP of Business Development at 8 Rivers. Having held pivotal positions at SUEZ, GE, and Veolia, he now drives the global commercialization of decarbonized power, hydrogen, and carbon capture technologies.
His extensive expertise spans the mining, steel, power generation, and oil and gas sectors. Nick holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Drexel University and an MBA from NC State University.
His extensive expertise spans the mining, steel, power generation, and oil and gas sectors. Nick holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Drexel University and an MBA from NC State University.
Amanda Duhon
Vice President & Regional Director
Energy Industries Council
US CCUS Market Update: Growth, Gaps and Realities, and the Road to Scale
Amanda Duhon is the Vice President & Regional Director for the Energy Industries Council (EIC), leading strategy and engagement across the Americas. With over 20 years of experience in international trade, energy policy, and market intelligence, she advises organizations navigating the evolving energy landscape.
Formerly a UK Vice Consul for Energy, she contributed to the National Petroleum Council’s CCUS report, serves on the Society for Low Carbon Technologies board, and actively mentors Houston’s energy community.
Formerly a UK Vice Consul for Energy, she contributed to the National Petroleum Council’s CCUS report, serves on the Society for Low Carbon Technologies board, and actively mentors Houston’s energy community.
Ajay Kashi
Senior Manager, Product Engineering
Twelve
Lessons from Commissioning the First Commercial CO₂-to-SAF Plant
Ajay Kashi is the Senior Manager of Product Engineering at Twelve, leading efforts to scale and deploy CO₂ electrolysis for commercial sustainable aviation fuel production. In this role, he directs the manufacturing strategy that translates subscale innovations into full-scale CO₂ electrolyzer stacks. An electrochemist by training and an early key team member at Twelve, Ajay brings over a decade of electrochemical R&D and product development experience, specializing in novel materials design and advanced device optimization.
Amanda De Jager
Senior Licensing Manager
Topsoe
Topsoe SynCOR Technology as an Enabler for Low-Carbon Decarbonization Processes
Amanda de Jager is a Senior Licensing Manager at Topsoe, leveraging extensive operational and process design expertise to drive the commercialization of syngas-based technologies. With nearly 20 years of experience in the petrochemical industry, including pivotal engineering roles at Sasol and Topsoe, she brings a practical perspective to process design, project execution, and team leadership.
A passionate advocate for industry innovation, Amanda is equally dedicated to inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in STEM.
A passionate advocate for industry innovation, Amanda is equally dedicated to inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in STEM.
Michael Hartmann
Manager, Carbon Capture & Utilization Process Development
Southwest Research Institute
From Lab to Pilot: Accelerating First-of-a-Kind Carbon Dioxide Utilization Technologies
Michael Hartmann is the Manager of the Carbon Capture and Utilization Process Development Section at Southwest Research Institute’s Chemical Engineering Department. He leads teams developing lab- to pilot-scale technologies for industrial decarbonization, specializing in carbon capture, CO₂ utilization, and novel process design.
With extensive experience in scaleup and pilot plant operations, his project history spans biomass conversion, heavy oil upgrading, and carbon sequestration. Mr. Hartmann holds engineering degrees from UT Austin and NC State, plus an MBA from UT San Antonio.
With extensive experience in scaleup and pilot plant operations, his project history spans biomass conversion, heavy oil upgrading, and carbon sequestration. Mr. Hartmann holds engineering degrees from UT Austin and NC State, plus an MBA from UT San Antonio.
Natasha Tyrina
Commodity Market Analysis and Modeling
Wood Mackenzie
Carbon Capture Project Economics: Recent Trends, Regional Differences, and Cost Pathways
Natasha Tyrina is a senior analyst on Wood Mackenzie’s CCUS research team, focusing on US project analysis, regional market trends, policy developments, and industry forecasts. She also supports valuation modeling for North American CCUS projects.
Previously, Natasha spent over ten years as a commodity market analyst in Wood Mackenzie’s Metals and Mining team, specializing in tradeflow modeling and price forecasting. She began her career as a modeling geologist building site-specific models for metals and coal deposits.
Previously, Natasha spent over ten years as a commodity market analyst in Wood Mackenzie’s Metals and Mining team, specializing in tradeflow modeling and price forecasting. She began her career as a modeling geologist building site-specific models for metals and coal deposits.
Keith Martin
Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright
Navigating Section 45Q Tax Credits: Market Dynamics and Policy Outlook
Keith Martin is a tax lawyer in the Washington office of Norton Rose Fulbright, where he has helped lead the project finance group for over 25 years, driving more than $300 billion in financings.
Advising over 200 companies annually on major transactions, he also lobbies the U.S. Treasury and Congress on key policy issues. A former Senate counsel and legislative assistant, Martin holds the sole “star” ranking among U.S. renewable energy lawyers in the prestigious Chambers directory.
Advising over 200 companies annually on major transactions, he also lobbies the U.S. Treasury and Congress on key policy issues. A former Senate counsel and legislative assistant, Martin holds the sole “star” ranking among U.S. renewable energy lawyers in the prestigious Chambers directory.
Jesse Hipps, Sr.
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Aegis BioScience
Pathways to Commercial-Scale CCUS: Deployment Strategies, Risk Allocation, and Market Readiness
Jesse Hipps, Sr., CEO and Co-Founder of Aegis BioScience, Inc., leverages 40 years of expertise in industrial chemistry and materials science to convert CO₂ into high-value bioproducts. An inventor on ten U.S. patents, his career spans technical and leadership roles at industry giants including Monsanto and DuPont, complemented by extensive entrepreneurial experience.
Today, Jesse directs Aegis’s corporate strategy, commercialization, and strategic partnerships, driving algae-based carbon utilization technologies from research to commercial deployment.
Today, Jesse directs Aegis’s corporate strategy, commercialization, and strategic partnerships, driving algae-based carbon utilization technologies from research to commercial deployment.
Jaykiran Kamichetty
Researcher & Process Engineer
SLB Capturi
Building Robust Simulation Models for a Water-Lean Solvent-Based Carbon Capture Process
Jaykiran (Jay) Kamichetty is a Senior Process Engineer at SLB Capturi, leveraging over 12 years of expertise in process simulation, model development, and process engineering to advance carbon capture technologies. Recognized as a subject matter expert in simulation frameworks, he optimizes system performance to drive the deployment of scalable decarbonization solutions.
Jaykiran applies advanced digital engineering tools to accelerate technology development, helping transform innovative concepts into impactful, successfully executed industrial projects.
Jaykiran applies advanced digital engineering tools to accelerate technology development, helping transform innovative concepts into impactful, successfully executed industrial projects.
Danny Kingham
Principal Hydrogeologist
GSI Environmental
Pathways to Commercial-Scale CCUS: Deployment Strategies, Risk Allocation, and Market Readiness
Danny Kingham is a Principal Hydrogeologist at GSI Environmental Inc. and a licensed Professional Geoscientist in Texas, Louisiana, and New York. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in UIC Class I through VI injection wells, oil and gas, critical minerals, and data centers.
Serving on the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists and the ASBOG Council of Examiners, she provides expert guidance on regulatory compliance, permitting, operations, litigation support, and environmental risk assessment.
Serving on the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists and the ASBOG Council of Examiners, she provides expert guidance on regulatory compliance, permitting, operations, litigation support, and environmental risk assessment.
David Edwards
Hydrogen Energy Fellow
Air Liquide
Pathways to Commercial-Scale CCUS: Deployment Strategies, Risk Allocation, and Market Readiness
Dave serves as a Hydrogen Energy Fellow at Air Liquide, where he drives internal and external partnerships across industry, academia, and government to advance hydrogen technologies, policy, and market opportunities.
Drawing on over 25 years of experience with the company, Dave brings deep expertise across a broad spectrum of clean energy initiatives, specializing in hydrogen systems, carbon capture, and gas separations to accelerate sustainable energy transitions nationwide.
Drawing on over 25 years of experience with the company, Dave brings deep expertise across a broad spectrum of clean energy initiatives, specializing in hydrogen systems, carbon capture, and gas separations to accelerate sustainable energy transitions nationwide.
Linal Perera
Director, Global Business and Project Development
Svante
Pathways to Commercial-Scale CCUS: Deployment Strategies, Risk Allocation, and Market Readiness
Linal Perera is Director of Global Business and Project Development at Svante, where he leads commercial carbon capture projects to help industrial organizations navigate decarbonization.
With over a decade of clean energy, refining, and petrochemical experience at Svante, Shell, and Haldor Topsoe, he bridges complex engineering challenges with strategic business growth. Linal holds a chemical engineering degree from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from Rice University, driving scalable technologies that achieve meaningful emissions reductions.
With over a decade of clean energy, refining, and petrochemical experience at Svante, Shell, and Haldor Topsoe, he bridges complex engineering challenges with strategic business growth. Linal holds a chemical engineering degree from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from Rice University, driving scalable technologies that achieve meaningful emissions reductions.
Why Speak at CCUS Xchange USA 2026?
- Position yourself as a recognized authority in CCUS commercialization and infrastructure deployment
- Engage directly with industrial emitters, energy companies, project developers, investors, engineers, policymakers, and carbon market stakeholders
- Share practical lessons on capture performance, industrial integration, project finance, transport and storage, MMV, and utilization market development
- Gain editorial visibility across the Thought Xchange Network platform
- Build strategic partnerships with technology buyers, infrastructure leaders, capital providers, industrial operators, and commercial collaborators
What We Are Looking For
We prioritize speakers who bring real-world deployment experience, technical depth, investment perspective, policy understanding, operational data, market insight, or cross-sector CCUS expertise. Topics of interest include:
Submission Guidelines
Please include your name, title, organization, a brief bio, and your proposed topic or area of expertise.
Submit a Speaking Proposal