2025 Planning Team

The Houston Energy & Climate Planning Team is 100% volunteer-led and executed. Allies in Energy is a Texas 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization formed to create a sustainable annual week for Houston. Teams lead the execution of the formal program, help hosts put on successful self-organized events, and engage with a wide range of stakeholders. We thank the individuals, companies, schools, institutions, media outlets, civil servants, and non-profit organizations that make this happen.

Would you like to volunteer, or have your organization join in? Learn more here.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Lindsay Roe
Director of Digital Innovation, Core Laboratories and President, Allies in Energy

Elizabeth (Liz) Franzen
Managing Director, KPMG and Treasurer, Allies in Energy

James Prince
Chief Compliance & Integrity Officer, ADM & Board Secretary, Allies in Energy

Katie Mehnert
Chief Executive Officer and Founder, ALLY Energy & Board Director, Allies in Energy

Juliana Garaizar
Founding Partner, Energy Tech Nexus & Board Director, Allies in Energy

Monica Krishnan
Business Fellow, Breakthrough Energy & Board Director, Allies in Energy

Kent Johnson
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, CLS Wind & Board Director, Allies in Energy

STEERING TEAM

Ingrid Velasco
Chair, 2025 Houston Energy and Climate Week

Brandy Brazell Obvintseva - Geothermal ...

Brandy Brazell Obvintseva
Principal, Gallant & Chair Communications

John Rowe
Co-founder, Houston AI and Chair, Innovation & AI

Peter Durand
Director, Alphachimp & Chair Arts and Culture

Jana Schey
Chair, Community Engagement

Tom Weirich

Head of Marketing & Stakeholder Relations

Chair - Renewable Energy

Monica Krishnan
Business Fellow, Breakthrough Energy & Chair - Food and Agriculture

Fernando Hernandez
Society for Low Carbon Technologies & Chair International

Jason Fischer

Director of Sustainability

Houston Methodist & Chair Health

Aline Pham

Senior Accountant, NRG Energy

Chair - Academia K-12 & Colleges

VACANT

Chair - Ecosystem Engagement

Umair Surani

Sr. Account Executive, McKinstry

Chair - Build Environment

Tony Diaz

Author

Chair - Environmental Justice

James Rees

Operations & Strategy, Noverram

Chair - Water

Raphael MacDonald

Vice President North America, Goal7

Chair - Volunteers

Katie Rosario
Marketing Manager, Octopus Energy and Chair, Hackathon

This year's 2025 theme is Unstoppable! Anchor events will include an executive dinner, opening ceremonies, a hack-a-thon, pilot-a-thon, career fair, and closing ceremonies.

2025 Planning Team