Meet the team behind the big energy ideas
Our Symposium Team 2026
Ashish Sharma
Executive Director of the Symposium
Ashish is a graduate student at Columbia University and works in project finance at Oppenheimer Energy, a nuclear energy project developer. He previously spent seven years in roles across investment banking, private equity, and private credit. Focused on mobilizing capital to help drive the energy transition, Ashish plans to continue his career in the clean energy sector following graduation. He received a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Nicolette Slusser
Career Fair Director
Nicolette is pursuing a master's degree in business administration at Columbia Business School. She worked at Goldman Sachs as an analyst and associate in energy equity research, covering the US Majors, US Refiners and Canadian Oils. She then worked at Magellan Value Partners as an investment analyst focused on industrial real estate. Nicolette graduated from Emory University with a bachelor's degree in business administration.
Jordan Vesey
Director of Marketing and Sponsorship Sales
Jordan left a decade of award-winning journalism to chase a harder story: how to actually build the clean energy future, not just report on it. Now a master's student at Columbia SIPA, she spends her days as a Geothermal Development Intern at Hexagon Energy — navigating discretionary permits and winning over communities one stakeholder at a time — and her evenings co-authoring geothermal policy recommendations for the Hawaii State Energy Office. She trades in the currency of the energy transition: bankable frameworks, stubborn optimism, and the firm belief that the best stories are the ones that change something.
Vandana Gollarhalli
GridTech Hackathon Co-Director
Vandana is pursuing her MS in Sustainability Management from Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies. She also works at S&P Global on their Climate & Sustainability Services team. Her role is focused on guiding non-financial corporates on their sustainability journey through regulatory compliance, GHG accounting, climate and nature risk analysis and decarbonization strategy. At Columbia University, she has honed in on her passion for the intersection of climate and finance with special interests in energy markets and sustainable value creation. Outside of school and work, Vandana enjoys playing volleyball, trying new restaurants with friends and reading.
Adela Korcova
Director of Programming
Adela is a graduate student at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where she focuses on climate, energy, and the environment. Her interests center on energy project finance, power markets, and the development of renewable and zero-carbon technologies. She has experience evaluating large-scale energy infrastructure projects through financial modeling, market analysis, and project underwriting, with exposure to technologies including solar, battery storage, geothermal, and nuclear energy. She is particularly interested in how financing structures, energy-market dynamics, policy, and technological change interact to determine whether energy projects are economically viable.
Jacob Marre
GridTech Hackathon Co-Director
Jacob is pursuing his Master’s in Sustainability Management at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies. He also works in data analytics and operations at Just Capital, an independent nonprofit that uses data to help businesses do right by their many stakeholders while achieving superior business outcomes. His coursework at Columbia has sharpened his interest in the energy transition, particularly how demand-side solutions — like virtual power plants (VPPs) — can make energy cleaner and more affordable. Outside of work, Jacob runs, cooks, and explores New York’s breweries.
Christophe Strunc
Director of Sponsorships
Christophe Strunc attended Kenyon College and the University of South Carolina for his undergraduate studies. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the US Navy, where he served six years as a SEAL operator. He is currently an MBA Candidate at Columbia Business School, focussing on macroeconomics and finance. Upon graduation he will join J.P. Morgan’s energy origination team, working on financial and physical natural gas and power transactions.
Suhela Ranawana
Director of Logistics
Suhela brings multidisciplinary experience across environmental economics, sustainability strategy, and climate resilience, with a growing focus on the energy transition. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and politics from the London School of Economics and most recently worked with the UNDP in Sri Lanka, contributing to economic analysis and environmental policy. Her experience includes ecosystem valuation, marine spatial planning and innovative financing for development. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration in Development Practice at Columbia SIPA, focusing on the intersection of energy transition and inclusive development.
Samuel Struhsaker
Energy & Infrastructure Club Rep
Sam is a first-year MBA student at Columbia Business School focused on clean energy. Prior to business school, he worked in equity research covering aerospace, defense, and space technology, which also included commercial nuclear and SMRs. He’s particularly interested in how business can leverage policy frameworks to address constraints on the energy transition. Outside of the classroom, Sam is a PADI Divemaster and avid traveler who also enjoys skiing and backpacking.
Robert Guterl
Energy & Infrastructure Club Rep
Robert Guterl is a Master of Public Administration candidate at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, studying Environmental Science and Policy. He graduated from Brown University with a degree in Economics and Environmental Studies and worked in the university’s Finance Division on its net-zero 2040 commitment. At Columbia, he is a Research Associate with the Columbia Climate Fund and a representative for his graduate program in SIPASA. His coursework includes Energy System Fundamentals, International Energy Project Finance, and Business and Climate Change. He is interested in energy infrastructure, climate finance, and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Maxx Goldstein
GridTech Hackathon Co-Director
Maxx Goldstein Maxx spent 5 years growing products at Google before pivoting to decarbonization. Now, by day Maxx is a GTM Engineer at Watershed, building internal products to help more companies cut carbon. By night he is a Columbia SUMA student nerding out on DERs and energy economics. Between it all, Maxx loves to get outside to surf and hike!
Travis Bradford, Faculty Advisor
Travis Bradford is a Senior Lecturer in Energy Systems and Innovation at Columbia University, where he has taught at SIPA and the School of Professional Studies since 2012. He is the founder and president of the Prometheus Institute for Sustainable Development, a nonprofit that has built and incubated clean-energy research and data ventures since 2003, and the author of Solar Revolution (MIT Press, 2006) and The Energy System (MIT Press, 2018). He has thirty-five years of experience in entrepreneurship, banking, and private equity, and remains an active investor and advisor in energy and carbontech.