This week's episode highlights how USC alumni are driving impact across national labs and industry.

We hear from:

• Drew Pereira, NREL – early-career researcher at the frontline of battery R&D

  
  

• Will Rigdon, Stanley Black & Decker – mid-career leader bridging engineering and real-world deployment

  
  

• Venkat Srinivasan, Argonne National Lab – late-career visionary shaping the national research agenda for energy storage

  
  

Key themes:

• How USC talent is contributing to global battery leadership

  
  

• Bridging academic research, government labs, and industry

  
  

• Alumni insights on scaling innovation in a fast-moving sector

CIBI

 University of South Carolina

In Episode 2 of our CIBI Series, we turn the spotlight on the University of South Carolina (USC) faculty driving battery and energy storage research forward.

This episode explores how researchers at different career stages — from early-career innovators to established leaders — are shaping the growth of the Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation (CIBI).

You’ll hear insights from:

• Goli Jalilvand – early-career researcher leading fresh approaches in energy storage innovation

  
  

• Xinyu Huang – mid-career faculty member advancing applied battery science and technology

  
  

• Ralph White & Adel Nasiri – late-career experts whose decades of research, mentorship, and leadership continue to influence global energy storage research

  
  

Key themes covered include:

• How diverse perspectives strengthen USC’s research community

  
  

• The role of faculty in connecting cutting-edge science with industry needs

  
  

• USC’s long-standing leadership in energy storage research and its central role in CIBI’s growth

  
  

This conversation highlights why the University of South Carolina remains a cornerstone of U.S. battery research and how faculty expertise is powering the future of clean energy innovation.

In this episode, we speak with the leaders of 6 companies driving innovation in battery technology and energy storage, and carefully selected for the NENY Charge Up Accelerator.

• Amel Energy – non-toxic solvents and PFAS-free binders for sustainable lithium-ion manufacturing

  
  

• Valgotech – developing lithium–sulfur batteries to diversify and secure supply chains

  
  

• FastLion Energy (FLE) – improving performance and efficiency of next-generation batteries

  
  

• vsNew – scaling solutions for U.S. battery manufacturing capacity

  
  

• Coulomb Technology – advancing smarter tools for battery monitoring and integration

  
  

• LiBAMA Power – innovating new approaches in energy storage and power systems

  
  

The NENY Charge Up Accelerator provides funding, lab access, mentorship, and ecosystem connections, supporting startups across four pillars: Innovation, Workforce Development, Equity & Justice, and Supply Chain.

This episode launches our special 7-part series on the Carolina Istitute for Battery Innovation (CIBI), founded in 2024 and adding to South Carolina’s long history in battery research dating back to the 1980s.

We’re joined by William Mustain, key leader from the University of South Carolina, to explore how CIBI is positioning itself as a hub for world-class battery innovation.

In this conversation, you’ll hear about:

• The origins of CIBI and its role in South Carolina’s clean energy ecosystem

  
  

• Plans for a 20,000 sq. ft. pilot-scale battery manufacturing facility

  
  

• New research labs and office space for 40+ researchers, opening in just 18 months

  
  

• Strategic partnerships with companies and national labs driving the initiative forward

  
  

• How USC is connecting decades of research expertise to shape CIBI’s growth

  
  

  
  

This series will also feature insights from Siemens, Phenogy, Stanley Black & Decker, SC Nexus, Argonne National Lab, NREL, and more — offering a rare look at how partnerships and infrastructure are accelerating the next chapter in battery research and energy storage innovation.

(3) Carolina Institute for Battery Innovation: Overview | LinkedIn(3) University of South Carolina: Overview | LinkedIn(3) William Mustain | LinkedIn

We’re joined by Moshiel Biton, CEO of Addionics, to explore a battery component that rarely gets attention but plays a crucial role in performance: current collectors.

Addionics is pioneering a new 3D current collector architecture that promises to dramatically improve energy density, safety, and charging speed — while being compatible with existing manufacturing processes.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• What current collectors are, and why they’re so critical to battery design.

  
  

• How Addionics’ 3D architecture enables more efficient ion transport and thermal management.

  
  

• The potential impact on battery lifespan, safety, and fast-charging capability.

  
  

• Why innovation at the materials level matters for scaling the next generation of EVs and energy storage systems.

  
  

• How companies like Addionics are balancing cutting-edge research with commercialisation pathways.

Moshiel Biton | LinkedInAddionics: Overview | LinkedIn

We sit down with Gary Ong, CEO of Celadyne Technologies, to hear the story of building a startup in one of the toughest markets — clean hydrogen and fuel cells.

We discuss:

• Founding Celadyne in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic

• Developing proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells with breakthrough durability and performance

• Securing early contracts in the defense sector and navigating government partnerships

• The challenges of scaling deep-tech innovation from lab to real-world deployment

• How fuel cells fit into the broader energy transition and hydrogen economy

  
  

Gary shares the highs, lows, and practical lessons from building a company at the cutting edge of clean energy.

Home | Celadyne(6) Gary Ong | LinkedIn

This episode kicks off our new Charge Up Series , following 6 start-ups in the NENY Charge Up Accelerator — a program created to strengthen domestic manufacturing and accelerate innovation in battery technology and clean energy.

The NENY Charge Up initiative is built around four key pillars:

• Innovation – supporting breakthrough ideas in energy storage

• Workforce Development – preparing talent for the clean energy economy

• Equity & Justice – ensuring opportunities are shared across communities

• Supply Chain – building resilience through local and domestic production

  
  

Founders and leaders share their journey so far — the challenges of scaling early-stage technology, securing investment, and bringing ideas from the lab to market.

In six months time, we’ll return to each of the seven companies to see how far they’ve come, what hurdles they’ve faced, and what success looks like in the next stage of their journey.

If you want an inside look at how the next generation of battery innovators are being built and supported, this series delivers both inspiration and practical lessons from the people at the forefront of the energy transition.

ChargeUp | New Energy New York(5) Bandhana Katoch, Esq., MBA, MS, RTTP | LinkedIn(5) Andy Simon | LinkedIn

This week we’re joined by Gabrielle Pierre (裴家佳), Executive Director of the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility (GNEM), to discuss how Georgia is becoming a hub for electric vehicles, battery supply chains, and clean mobility policy.

Gabrielle explains the state’s rapid EV growth, the importance of public-private partnerships, and how investment in electrification and battery manufacturing is positioning Georgia as a national leader in the energy transition.

Georgia Network for Electric Mobility

Gabrielle Pierre (裴家佳) | LinkedIn

In this episode, we speak with Nika Ptushkina of PDF Solutions about how data analytics is transforming battery manufacturing and why representation matters in clean energy.

We cover:

• How AI and predictive analytics are being applied to battery production lines

  
  

• Improving cell performance, yield, and quality control through smarter data use

  
  

• Nika’s career journey from physical science into data science

  
  

• Why more scientists are moving into AI and software roles as the industry evolves

  
  

• The importance of women in batteries and mentorship in energy careers

  
  

This episode combines technical insights with career perspectives, showing how digital tools and diverse talent are shaping the future of energy storage.

(2) Nika Ptushkina | LinkedIn(2) PDF Solutions: Overview | LinkedIn

In this episode, co-hosts Mike Norton and Jackson Lyons sit down with Emily Dickens, Chief Commercial Officer at Octet Scientific, to explore how her company is advancing energy storage through smart chemistry.

Emily discusses:

• Her journey from chemical engineering graduate to startup innovator at Octet Scientific

• The development of specialty electrolyte additives designed to improve rechargeability, efficiency, and longevity in zinc-based batteries

• Why zinc batteries—safer and more sustainable—could be key to grid-level storage if challenges like dendrite formation are overcome

• Early-stage R&D wins, including NSF funding and global testing partnerships

• How Octet’s approach combines organic chemistry and electrochemistry to make zinc-air battery technology commercially viable

Learn more here

Emily Dickens

Octet Scientific