Erica Nemser, PhD

I am the CEO of Ardent, a venture-backed company in climate tech and energy transition (primarily industrial carbon capture). I combine large enterprise experience from McKinsey with start-up nimbleness to build a climate enterprise for the 21st century: driving industrial production to low-carbon modularity, anchored by partnerships across the industrial landscape for scale, utilizing new business models and capital stack to drive adoption, bringing tech to market, and developing a generation of leaders tooled for performance at the intersection of innovation and industrial scale.

For ten years I have been at the helm of this pioneering organization that delivers cost-effective and innovative solutions like point source carbon capture, transforming the material and energy landscape. Skilled at working with (and within) dozens of corporate and start-up cultures, including with dozens of senior executives across companies, with varying leadership styles.

My background as an economist and a former McKinsey leader helps me deliver disruptive innovation and operational excellence. I have successfully shifted Ardent from a research lab to a commercially-driven, profitable, and market-making company, with a portfolio of strategic partnerships, a robust manufacturing capability, a high-performance culture, and a set of great investors (Pangaea, Chevron, Solvay/Syensqo, Technip Energies, and GC Ventures.

As a Fellow at Unreasonable and a Board Member at DE Sustainable Chemistry Alliance, I support and collaborate with other entrepreneurs and stakeholders who are committed to solving the world's most pressing challenges in the areas of climate, energy, and chemistry. I firmly believe that hard things are hard but not impossible, that mindsets are key and developing talent that has the mindset to lead and change the world will return significant value, and that it is a great time to be looking at business models in such a dynamic ecosystem.