Scientist / Entrepreneur / Engineer
I'm an experienced scientist and engineer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. When I'm not in the office, you'll find me hiking the East Bay hills or turning wood in the shop.
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I utilize my entrepreneurial and academic backgrounds to advance the deployment of clean technologies. Climate Change is the defining challenge of my generation, and I have devoted my career to advancing solutions to the climate crisis. I lead the diligence and financial structuring of first-commercial biomanufacturing facilities at Synonym, and use my experience to help technology companies assemble everything they need to attrat project capital and reach market faster.
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Moving from tech development to tech deployment? I can advise on all aspects needed for success, from technology validation requirements to project financing strategies to the good and bad of EPC vs EPCM. Seeking an expert to advance your project and maximize your bankability? I can help, or connect you to someone who can.
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I currently serve as the Chief Investment Officer of Synonym, where I utilize my entrepreneurial background and deep technical expertise to engage with project development and project finance at a foundational level. I work to enable the commercialization of novel technologies in the climate space by creating the required commercial structures that enable first-commercial project financing. Over my career I have had the unique opportunity to review over a thousand project proposals across a wide range of technologies, geographies, and personalities. Many promised transformative impacts; some broke laws of nature; every single one taught me something about what does (or doesn’t) get a project over the finish line. I work to utilize that insight to advance the technologies of tomorrow.
Prior to Synonym, I served in numerous executive roles at New Energy Risk (“NER”), a leading technology performance insurer, including chief science officer, chief commercial officer, and president. I'm incredibly proud of the impact we made: By the end of my tenure with NER, I had overseen the underwriting, structuring, and execution of every deal that New Energy Risk closed, representing over $2b in deployed insurance capital and $3b in total project capital.
In addition to NER, I have experience as an independent engineer, tackling projects in failure root-cause analysis, manufacturing quality control, validation test design, engineering design review, and technology R&D for clients including Shell, Microsoft, BP, General Motors, and Columbia Sportswear. My entrepreneurial endeavors include founding Swift Calcs, a web-based technical computing platform for faster and more reliable engineering calculations, as well as EnergyFolks, a nonprofit professional network connecting energy students and professionals in their area.
I received a Ph.D. from Stanford University in Mechanical Engineering, where I focused on solid fuel gasification and syngas utilization using solid-oxide fuel cell technology. I am the author of numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications, have presented at a variety of technical symposia, and have been honored as an NDSEG Fellow (2009-2012) and a Rohsenow Fellow (2007-2008). I hold Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.
When I'm not geeking out on the latest gasification kinetic models, you can find me outside, hiking the East Bay hills or lounging on the deck with my daughters.
B.R. Alexander, Electricity and hydrogen from solid fuels: a study of carbon fuel cell systems, Department of Mechanical Engineering - Ph.D. Thesis, Stanford University, Stanford, CA (2012), http://purl.stanford.edu/mq850cs2799
B.R. Alexander, R.E. Mitchell, T.M. Gür, Modeling of Experimental Results for Carbon Utilization in a Carbon Fuel Cell, Journal of Power Sources, 228 (2013) pp. 123-140
B.R. Alexander, R.E. Mitchell, T.M. Gür, Oxy-Combustion of Solid Fuels in a Carbon Fuel Cell, Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 34 (2013), pp. 3445-3452
B.R. Alexander, R.E. Mitchell, T.M. Gür, Viability of Coupled Steam-Carbon-Air Fuel Cell Concept for Spontaneous Co-production of Hydrogen and Electrical Power, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 159 B810 (2012)
B.R. Alexander, R.E. Mitchell, T.M. Gür, Experimental and Modeling Study of Biomass Conversion in a Solid Carbon Fuel Cell, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 159 B347 (2012)
B.R. Alexander, R.E. Mitchell, T.M. Gür, A New Steam-Carbon Fuel Cell Concept for Cogeneration of Hydrogen and Electrical Power, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 158(5) (2011) B505
Brentan R. Alexander and Evelyn N. Wang, Design of a Microbreather for Two-Phase Microchannel Heat Sinks, Nanoscale and Microscale Thermophysical Engineering, Volume 13, Issue 3 July 2009 , pages 151 - 164
B.R. Alexander, R.E. Mitchell, T.M. Gür, Model of Carbon Utilization in a Solid Carbon Fuel Cell, ECS Transactions, 41(12) (2012) pp 45-55
B.R. Alexander, R.E. Mitchell, T.M. Gür, Model of Integrated SCFC and Carbon-Steam Fuel Cell for CO-Free Hydrogen Production, ECS Transactions, 41(12) (2012) pp 68-80
B.R. Alexander, R.E. Mitchell, T.M. Gür, Biomass Conversion in a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, ECS Transactions, 35(1) (2011) pp 2685-2692
B.R. Alexander, A.C. Lee, R.E. Mitchell, T.M. Gür, Carbon-Free Hydrogen Production in a Steam-Carbon Electrochemical Cell, ECS Transactions, 28(26) 67-76 (2010).
Brentan R. Alexander and Evelyn N. Wang, Design of a Microscale Breather for Two-Phase Thermal Management Devices, ASME Paper IMECE2008-68898, in ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Boston, 2008
Brentan R. Alexander and Ahmed F. Ghoniem, Analysis and Optimization of the Coupled Parameters of the Graz Cycle, ASME Paper GT2008-50588, in ASME Turbo Expo, Berlin, 2008
B.R. Alexander, R.E. Mitchell, T.M. Gür, Oxy-Combustion of Solid Fuels in a Carbon Fuel Cell, 34th Internation Symposium on Combustion (Warsaw, August 2012)
B.R. Alexander, R.E. Mitchell, T.M. Gür, Model of Integrated SCFC and Carbon-Steam Fuel Cell for CO-Free Hydrogen Production, 220th ECS Meeting (Boston, Oct 2011)
B.R. Alexander, R.E. Mitchell, T.M. Gür, Model of Carbon Utilization in a Solid Carbon Fuel Cell, 220th ECS Meeting (Boston, Oct 2011)
B.R. Alexander, R.E. Mitchell, T.M. Gür, Biomass Conversion in a Fluidized Bed Direct Carbon Fuel Cell, 219th ECS Meeting (Montreal, May 2011)
B.R. Alexander, R.E. Mitchell, T.M. Gür, Efficient Hydrogen Production in a Steam-Carbon Electrochemical Cell, 217th ECS meeting (Vancouver, April 2010)
Brentan R. Alexander and Evelyn N. Wang, Design of a Microscale Breather for Two-Phase Thermal Management Devices, ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Boston, 2008
Brentan R. Alexander and Ahmed F. Ghoniem, Analysis and Optimization of the Coupled Parameters of the Graz Cycle, ASME Turbo Expo, Berlin, 2008
B.R. Alexander, Design of a microbreather for two-phase microchannel devices, Department of Mechanical Engineering - Master's Degree Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (2008), http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/44919
B.R. Alexander, Analysis and optimization of the Graz cycle: a coal fired power generation scheme with near-zero carbon dioxide emissions, Department of Mechanical Engineering - Bachelor's Degree Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (2007), http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/40309
U.S. Department of Defense National Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship
2009 ~ 2012
MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering
2007 ~ 2008
MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering
2007
MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering
2007
MIT History Department
2003
Phi Beta Kappa Society
Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society
Pi Tau Sigma, the mechanical engineering honor society
I'm always open to new inquiries and questions about energy, engineering, thermodynamics, and more. I've helped numerous clients big and small, from answering complex technical questions for BP, Microsoft, and Columbia Sportswear to advising startup technology companies design testing protocols and project financing strategies. Past projects include:
Whatever your need, reach out and let me know how I can help. If I'm not the right person to support you, I will be happy to connect you with someone who can.