Our values

Mission First

We are laser-focused on our mission. We have chosen to take on the defining challenge of our time, and we don’t shy away from the hard decisions required to put our mission first, no matter how tough.The world needs our technology and it won’t happen any time soon if we don’t make it happen. We are a low-ego team, and we prioritize the mission over our self-interest. We think strategically with an eye to the long term, and we clearly separate what must be done well now, and what can be improved later, despite ambiguity.

Uncompromising Honesty

We are always honest with ourselves, our teammates, our customers, our investors, our suppliers, our communities, and all of our partners, especially about what’s not going well and what we don’t know. When we see issues, risks, or challenges, we speak up, and when we make mistakes, we admit them proactively and take full accountability. We challenge others directly when we disagree, even when it’s uncomfortable, and we seek this uncompromising honesty from others.

Burning Urgency

Our hard-core intensity and work ethic match the crisis we’re in. We have a strong bias toward action, and we execute with focus and speed. In the absence of guidance, we take charge, lead our teammates, and accomplish our goals. We aren’t afraid to change course when something isn’t working, and we find solutions even when it seems like there are none. We are cool under pressure, and our quiet determination and drive are unwavering. We relentlessly push ourselves and each other to improve. We don’t accept adequate performance. Excellence is the expectation. Many would say our standards are unreasonably high, and many would say our goals are unreasonably bold, but we are hungry to be exceptional. We will never give up, no matter what. If we get knocked down, we get back up, every time. We will not fail.

Joyful Curiosity

We love to learn, and we learn quickly. We explore the unknown with wonder and excitement. We reason from first principles. We generate original ideas with an open mind and test them quickly in the real world. We take risks and adapt as we discover more. We explore many ideas in parallel, and we don’t count on a silver bullet solution. We share our ideas freely with our teammates. We are skeptical about conventional wisdom, and we question every assumption and requirement. We are always looking for ways to simplify. We are rigorous and attentive to detail. We are eager to understand all aspects of our business and technology, and we contribute effectively outside our individual specialties. We never stop learning.

Treat People Exceptionally Well

We care intensely about everyone who is on this mission with us, and our standard is exceptional respect for our teammates, partners, and communities. Teammates who bring different perspectives and backgrounds are essential to our success, and we empower everyone to share their voice. We listen to truly understand. We constantly encourage and help our teammates, and inspire each other with our enthusiasm and optimism.

Executive Team

Paul Gross

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Read more

Paul is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Remora. In 2021, he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Before Remora, his work in progressive politics was funded by prominent leaders in the tech industry. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Statistics and Data Science from Yale University, where his research received the Porter Prize, the highest class-wide thesis prize.

Alexandra Frumar

Chief Legal and Policy Officer

Read more

Alexandra is the Chief Legal and Policy Officer at Remora. Before Remora she spent seven years as co-founder and Partner at FD Law representing technology companies of all growth stages. Prior to this role, she worked as Corporate Counsel at AppDirect, as an Associate at Silicon Legal Strategy, and as an extern at the Supreme Court of California. She holds a BA in Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a JD from Santa Clara School of Law.

Darius Harris

Vice President of People

Read more

Darius is the Vice President of People at Remora. Before Remora he worked for Meta on their People Strategy team where he primarily focused on M&A transactions where he led the integration of several acquired companies into Meta. The rest of his career has been spent in a variety of consulting, client facing HR, and non-client facing HR roles at PwC, Tesla, and GE. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Western Michigan University and has a Master of Human Resources and Labor Relations from Michigan State University.

Leah Monteith

Director of Operations

Read more

Leah leads the Supply Chain and Manufacturing team for Remora. Before Remora, she spent fifteen years working in various facets of Supply Chain Operations. Starting her career in Automotive then Defense, Aerospace, and Off-Highway Equipment. With a common theme of making things, and a passion for building teams by linking processes with people. She earned her Bachelor’s in Supply Chain Management from Michigan State University and her MBA from the University of Michigan Ross.

Phil Wratchford

Vice President of Engineering

Leadership

Dan Dau

Controller

Read more

Dan is the Controller at Remora. An accomplished executive with experience working in accounting, science, technology and construction project management, Dan’s demonstrated strengths include applying Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), developing systems and processes, integrating technology and analyzing data. Having been a founding board member of a non-profit whose purpose is to refurbish computers for low-income households to bridge the digital divide and decrease electronic landfill waste, he is excited to be a part of Remora and take on climate change. Dan holds a MBA in Technology Management and is a Certified Public Accountant, CPA.

John Ustick

System Integration Lead

Read more

John is a lead embedded controls engineer at Remora. He has extensive experience developing embedded systems for a variety of automotive applications from concept to reality. Prior to Remora, John led controls teams to create multiple electric, fuel cell, and hybrid vehicles ranging from passenger cars to class 8 trucks. He also helped develop efficiency technologies for trucks and an active suspension demonstrator for DARPA. He graduated from the University of Michigan with his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering.

Nauman Sohani

Supervisory Controls Technical Leader

Read more

Nauman is a lead control systems engineer. Prior to joining Remora, he researched, developed, and co-invented patented algorithms for electrified vehicle motion control and estimation at General Motors. Nauman holds an MSE from the University of Michigan — where he focused on combining machine learning and game theory to evaluate the safety and performance of autonomous controllers — and a BASc from the University of Toronto.

Steve Kuznicki

Research Fellow

Read more

Former Research Fellow and Manager of New Ventures for Engelhard Corp., now part of BASF. Professor Emeritus for the Engineering Faculty of the University of Alberta. Consultant to many companies and governments. Holder of 60+ patents issued and pending impacting the water purification, air separation, natural gas purification, nuclear detection and decontamination and other industries.

Tim Savage

Power Distribution Technical Leader

Read more

Tim is a lead electronics and controls engineer at Remora. He has thirty years of experience in engineering and product development of automotive and military power distribution systems. Prior to joining Remora, he spent five years with Pratt & Miller leading the electrical engineering team in hydrogen fuel cell and BEV applications for Class 8 trucks. Prior to this role, he spent 20 years at AM General as Chief Engineer/Director of Powertrain/Chassis and Electrical Engineering for the HMMWV light tactical vehicle program. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan – Dearborn in Electrical Engineering and holds a MBA from the same school.

Upendra Patel

Thermal Systems Engineer III

Read more

Upendra is a Thermal Systems Engineer at Remora. Prior to joining Remora, he worked at Ford where he designed, developed, & deployed automotive HVAC components, systems, and features. That experience included working A/C compressors, heat exchangers, air handling units, cooling fans, & fuel operated heaters on fuel cell, electric, & engine based vehicles. He also designed the Auto Air Refresh and Digital Scent features for wellness in the cabin space and authored various patents. He earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan. He finds it very cool to transition from cabin climate to capturing carbon for our collective climate!

Yeabsera Kebede

Data Acquisition Technical Leader

Read more

Yeabsera is a passionate software engineer with a background in embedded systems. During his academic career, he was the controls software team lead for a formula hybrid racing team. He also contributed to research focused on protecting power grids from cyber attacks using distributed smart sensors. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in computer engineering, Yeabsera started his professional career developing software for Qualcomm, leading company in the smartphone chipset industry. In his spare time, he enjoys staying active through playing sports, hiking and backpacking.

Team

Adam Tessman

Facilities Manager

Al Thompson

Purchasing Analyst

Akhil Reddy Sabhapathi

Mechanical Engineer II

Anna Akhtar

Human Resources Business Partner

Chris Murray

Director of Engineering Support Services

Chris Walling

Supply Chain Lead

David Mahawili

Electronics Technical Leader

Faisal Askar

IT Lead

Grace Hankes

Mechanical Engineer I

Iral Emanuel Acosta Amado

Mechanical Engineer I

Jack Beugin

Maintenance Technician

Jacob Cieply

Test Engineer II

Jake Siegel

Test Technician

Jared Thompson

Electronics, Controls, and Integration Manager

Jim Heintz

Test Technician

Joan Coll-Puigdemont

Assembler

Julia Stuart

Mechanical Engineer II

Juliette Shaheen

Controls Engineer I

Marcos Cavallin

Controls Engineer II

Mary Capella

Mechanical Engineer II

Max Lee

Mechanical Engineer II

Megan Nimerosky

Executive Assistant

Merrick Steele

Electrical Engineer I

Michael Carmon

Senior Technical Recruiter

Mike Zaleski

Warehouse Associate

Rahath Qureshi

Dyno Engineer III

Ryan Glen

Metal Fabricator

Vijay Gunasekaran

Reliability Engineer

Yatri Cavazos

Project Manager

Zachary Hunter

Lead Engineer

Advisors

Clay Dumas

Founding Partner at Lowercarbon Capital

Read more

Clay is a founding partner at Lowercarbon Capital and, as the team’s most active investor, he identifies and supports the preposterously ambitious companies working to undo global warming. He also advises climate nonprofits who are working to avert dangerous climate tipping points. Clay previously spent a decade working in the federal government and presidential campaigns. He was the Chief of Staff for the White House Office of Digital Strategy, a team tasked by President Obama with connecting people with purpose. At the start of President Obama’s second term, he served as an aide in the Chief of Staff’s office. Before joining the White House, Clay worked on President Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns. He graduated from Harvard in 2011.

Jonathan Shulkin

Partner and Co-President of Valor Equity Partners

Read more

Jon is a Partner and Co-President of Valor and the Fund Manager for Valor Siren Ventures (VSV). He serves as a member of all Valor Investment Committees. Jon has over 20 years of experience in private equity investing. Jon’s responsibilities include fund management for VSV I and II, as well as investment prospect generation, due diligence of potential investments, investment structuring and execution, and capital raising for Valor’s growth funds and VSV. Jon oversees Valor’s Operations, Finance, and People Teams.

Over the years, Jon has focused on investment opportunities in the food and retail technology sectors. Jon began this focus with Valor’s 2006 acquisition of Sizzling Platter. Currently, Jon is a Director of several Valor growth fund and VSV portfolio companies, including Gopuff, Misfits Market, Fooda, Wow Bao, and Atmosphere.

Prior to Valor, Jon was part of MG Capital’s Investment and Portfolio Team. During his tenure at MG Capital, Jon worked on acquisition teams focused on executing transactions in the electronic connector industry. Jon served in operational roles at MG Capital’s portfolio companies, including Chief Operating Officer of Connector Service Corporation’s Plating Division, where he managed the business through 100% growth over a 12-month period. Jon also served as President of Electronic Plating Service and Chief Operating Officer for Amax Plating, Electronic Plating Service, and Associated Plating Company. Prior to joining MG Capital, Jon worked with Bain & Company as an Associate Consultant. At Bain, he worked on assignments for various Fortune 500 clients in Texas and Australia.

Jon has served on the Boards of Directors of several charitable organizations, including the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, the Chicago Children’s Museum, and he most recently co-founded Prosper Chicago. He is the former Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Lycée Français de Chicago.

Jon holds a B.B.A. in Accounting (with honors) from the University of Texas at Austin.

Steve Zadesky

Advisor

Read more

Steve is former Vice President of Special Projects at Apple where he led an effort to explore a new product space for the company. Before that, he spent over 15 years defining and leading engineering efforts for the iPhone, iPod and hundreds of other Apple products. While at Apple Steve was responsible for wide range of large engineering organizations including Product Design, Material Science, EE, Project Management, Acoustics, Firmware, etc. Prior to joining Apple, he worked at Ford Motor Company in their Executive Training Program where he worked in a number of areas inside the company ranging from Product Marketing to Vehicle Dynamics. Steve received his Masters in Engineering from Stanford University and his undergraduate degree in Engineering from University of California Berkeley. Steve holds over 150 patents and is on the Advisory Board of the Mechanical Engineering Department of UC Berkeley.

Albert Wenger

Managing Partner at Union Square Ventures

Read more

Albert Wenger is a managing partner at Union Square Ventures. Before joining USV, Albert was the president of del.icio.us through the company’s sale to Yahoo and an angel investor (Etsy, Tumblr). He previously founded or co-founded several companies, including a management consulting firm and an early hosted data analytics company. Albert graduated from Harvard College in economics and computer science and holds a Ph.D. in Information Technology from MIT. Photo Credit: Sebastian Weinmann

Ali Partovi

CEO at Neo, Co-Founder at Code.org

Read more

Ali Partovi heads Neo, a diverse mentorship community and VC fund that identifies America’s most promising CS students and helps them become tomorrow’s tech leaders. Ali invests in people smarter than himself and has backed Airbnb, Dropbox, Facebook, & Uber. He grew up in Tehran during the Iran-Iraq war, attended Harvard, and sold his first startup, LinkExchange, in 1998. He co-founded Code.org (Hour of Code) to bring Computer Science to classrooms. He’s passionate about education, diversity in tech, and sustainable food; and loves climbing, guitar, puzzles, and family.

Bill Trenchard

Partner at First Round Capital

Read more

Bill Trenchard is a partner at First Round Capital, a leading early-stage venture capital firm that has invested in startups like Uber, Square, Notion and Roblox. He’s passionate about working with founders who take unconventional approaches to solving the world’s most important problems. This mindset has cultivated an interest in the climate tech space, where Bill has made investments in startups like Flexport, Last Energy and Remora. Before joining First Round, Bill was an angel investor, operator, advisor and founder.

Clea Kolster

Partner and Head of Science at Lowercarbon Capital

Read more

Clea is a Partner and the Head of Science at Lowercarbon Capital, where, in addition to investing in and working with unreasonably ambitious founders that are providing critical solutions to the climate crisis, she leads the firm’s technical research, diligence, and scientific strategy efforts. Clea has focused her career on solving the climate emergency through innovation in technology, business models, and policy. Prior to joining Lowercarbon, Clea worked in energy consulting at E3, designing decarbonization plans for state agencies and energy companies across North America. Clea also founded a company working on financing and distribution solutions for clean cooking fuel access in West Africa. Clea holds an MEng and PhD in chemical engineering and environmental policy from Imperial College London where she focused her thesis on the techno economics and process optimization of carbon capture and storage systems.

Gustaf Alstromer

Group Partner at Y Combinator

Read more

Gustaf Alstromer is a Group Partner at Y Combinator which he joined in 2017. Y Combinator is a startup program in Mountain View, California. Every year they fund and work closely with several hundred new startups. In the past, Y Combinator funded Airbnb, Doordash, Stripe, Cruise and many others. Prior to joining Y Combinator, Gustaf was a Product Lead at Airbnb from 2012 to 2017. As one of its first product managers, he was a founding member of Airbnb’s growth team. Gustaf lives in San Francisco and is an active angel investor with Decarbonization and ClimateTech as his primary focus.

Sarah Sclarsic

Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Voyager

Read more

Sarah Sclarsic is an investor and former founder and executive with high-growth technology companies. She is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Voyager, a venture firm investing in early stage companies focused on decarbonization. Ms. Sclarsic serves on the Board of Directors of XL Fleet (NYSE:XL), North America’s leading provider of fleet electrification solutions. Previously, she co-founded Getaround, a pioneering peer-to-peer carsharing marketplace, and was an early employee at Modern Meadow, the world’s first company making biofabricated leather. She holds a B.A. from Harvard and a M.S. from MIT, where she researched atmospheric carbon removal. Ms. Sclarsic lives in New York City.

Sierra Peterson

Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Voyager

Read more

Sierra Peterson is an investor and former policymaker and climate technology company executive. She is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Voyager, a venture firm investing in early-stage companies focused on decarbonization. Prior to venture investing, Sierra created and led corporate development teams for financial technology companies responsible for more than $3 billion in sustainability investment. Sierra has worked in market-driven climate protection since 2005, serving with the International Energy and the Obama White House Office of Energy and Climate Change. She is a graduate of Stanford and Harvard.