Mark Brostrom received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta in 1984 and worked in the private sector prior to joining the City of Edmonton in 1990. Since joining the City of Edmonton in 1990 Mark has worked in the area of environmental and energy policy and programs. Mark is currently leading the development of Edmonton’s Community Energy Transition Strategy that provides a framework for Edmonton to become a low carbon and energy resilient city.

In 2010, Mark received the FCM Sustainable Community Award of Excellence and in 2013 received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his long-standing commitment to advancing municipal sustainability.

Jeanine Vany Jeanine Vany is an APEGA registered professional geologist with a career spanning 20 years in the oil and gas and geothermal industries. Her experience ranges from reservoir characterization, drilling and operations to full field delineation strategies and acquisition. Ms. Vany has spent her career at foremost E&P companies such as EnCana, Devon, Total Energies and GLJ. Ms Vany is a co-founder of Eavor Technologies Inc (ETI) and the executive VP Geosciences. She serves on several boards; GeoConvention, holds the Energy Advocate Board seat for Geothermal Rising and is Board Chair for the Eavor Yukon subsidiary. She is an active participant in in the Geothermal community through volunteer roles such as the founder and Chair of the CSPG Geothermal division and serves as the Canadian Ambassador for Women in Geothermal (WING). Jeanine holds an Honours B.Sc degree in Geology and Environmental Studies from Saint Mary’s University and a Business Essentials Certificate from the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary. I spent one year as a fellow where I explored avenues for a geothermal initiative at the Lab. When I applied last year we had a deep drilling project taking place in AB. We have now moved that to the US and are porting SDTC funding from Canada to that project in the US. A time will come sooner than later for a project in AB that I would like to share with the lab and look for ways to leverage some of the community building aspects of the project for a EFL success story. I have also learned so much at the lab and think that by being an ambassador I can continue to learn and also share my knowledge on key energy issues.

Bryan Helfenbaum is the Executive Director of Advanced Hydrocarbons at Alberta Innovates, responsible for programs such as Recovery Technologies, Methane Emissions Reduction, Digital Innovation in Clean Energy, and Bitumen Beyond Combustion. Bryan also leads the new Hydrogen Centre of Excellence. In addition to his role at AI, Bryan is an Ambassador in the Energy Futures Lab wherein he works to accelerate an inclusive and equitable transition to a prosperous net-zero future. Prior to joining AI, he spent 20 years in a wide variety of technical, business, and innovation roles in the private sector. Bryan’s passion for innovation extends outside the office, where he has taught courses at the University of Calgary and has worked on innovative community residential development projects. Bryan has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Waterloo and a Master’s degree in Business Administration, with a specialization in Global Energy Management & Sustainability, from the University of Calgary.

Jamie has over fifteen years of experience in researching and engaging with companies on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. At NEI he oversees the implementation of the ESG program across the NEI portfolio, including NEI’s commitment to leverage its portfolio to achieve a net-zero future. This includes a focus on conducting direct, collaborative dialogues with companies and policy makers, and participation in multi-stakeholder collaborations that are driving towards systemic solutions. The EFL has been a natural fit for Jamie and he continues to be amazed at the incredible talent and knowledge represented in the lab.

Cole works on utility regulation issues such as utility investment and the pricing of utility services. He holds a Professional Engineer designation with APEGA, a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering (Coop Program) and an MBA at the University of Alberta. Previously involved in the Energy Futures Lab as a Fellow from 2017-2018, Cole is back and keen to advance initiatives such as future-fit hydrocarbons, community energy planning, and policy reform (among others) that will advance the energy transition. Cole is passionate about energy solutions that make sense for customers and believes utilities should be enablers of the changes required of future energy systems.

Olivia is the Governance and Social Impact Advisor at Modern West Advisory. Previously, she was Student Energy’s Senior Director of Programs, responsible for the oversight, development, and implementation of Student Energy’s program portfolio. At Student Energy, she co-founded the organization’s global Chapters program, co-designed and launched the organization’s Fellowship program, and oversaw the development of the suite of programs now offered under Student Energy’s Programs Ecosystem. Olivia is passionate about leadership development and creating opportunities for youth to shape their own energy futures. Olivia was an active Fellow from 2019 – to 2021, where she worked with the team to create more intergenerational collaboration and meaningful youth inclusion within the Lab and its initiatives. Olivia holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Non-Profit Management from Mount Royal University. When she’s not working, Olivia is happiest with her hands in the dirt, working on the farm she and her partner co-founded in 2021.

Laura has a passion for designing how we live in this juncture in Alberta’s history: A time when plentiful fossil fuels, the lifeblood of our economy, are creating both uneasiness and tremendous opportunities. Laura’s sense of co-responsibility draws her to tough conversations as we navigate the uncertain territory of energy transitions. Laura is a catalyst for the business unit to achieve big advances and micro-wins in efficiency and empowerment. She has over 20 years of experience in steel, construction, pipelines and IT and has lived in hubs of natural resources including Alberta, northern Ontario, and Oklahoma. She studied Environmental Resource Management, Mechanical Engineering and Engineering and Technology Management, but considers LIFE to be the ultimate teacher. Laura was a proud Fellow of the Energy Futures Lab from 2017 to 2021.

Liz believes in business as a force for good. A professional geologist and a rigorous optimist, Liz is on a mission to deliver positive social and environmental outcomes through resource development. As the CEO of Common Good Mining, Liz is leading a team of purpose-driven experts to deliver sustainable critical minerals to market in partnership with Indigenous communities. She combines systems thinking and a relationship-driven approach at the Battery Metals Association of Canada, an industry association Liz co-founded to strengthen and grow Canada’s battery ecosystem. She has worked with many partners across the energy system in the Energy Futures Lab, most notably on the development and growth of BMAC. She is also a Director of Decentralized Energy Canada and a former VP of E3 Lithium. Liz was honoured to receive a 2017 Young Women in Energy (YWE) Award for challenging the status quo in energy. When she’s not championing her favourite ideas, you’ll find Liz keeping up with her young family, or hiking in a nearby forest.

Marla Orenstein is Director of the Natural Resources Centre at the Canada West Foundation, a public policy think tank. She spends most of her time looking at how Canadian business can prosper as the world transitions to cleaner forms of energy, and the policy and regulatory contexts that support or hamper development, commercialization and success. Marla is also President of the International Association for Impact Assessment and a past Fellow of the Energy Futures Lab.