Innovators

The West Gate Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program puts innovators first. West Gate embeds innovators at NLR and supports their evolution into successful entrepreneurs, helping them bring their advanced energy technologies to market.

Active Innovators

Meet West Gate innovators actively de-risking advanced energy technologies.

West Gate is stewarded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Technology Commercialization, with support for individual innvovators provided by these offices:

Alternative Fuel and Feedstock Office (AFFO)
Advanced Mining and Mineral Processing Technologies (AMMPT) Office
Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO)
Industrial Technologies Office (ITO)
Integrated Energy Systems Office
Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response
Office of Technology Commercialization.

Cohort 5 Innovators (2026–2028)

Ryan Brow – Ultralight Batteries

Learn how Ryan Brow is reducing costs by cutting inactive material mass with an ultralight battery solution.

Supported by the Office of Technology Commercialization

Boris Chubukov – Low-Cost Magnesium

See how Boris Chubokov is strengthening the U.S. supply of critical minerals with domestic magnesium production.

Supported by ITO and AMMPT

Roxanna Delima – Wastewater Into Chemicals

Find out how Roxanna Delima is producing high-purity chlorine and carbonated minerals from industrial emissions and waste heat.

Supported by ITO

Evan Flitz – Advanced Battery Materials

Discover how Evan Flitz is using artificial intelligence to develop next-generation battery materials from domestically sourced elements.

Supported by the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response

Ryan Herz-Thyhsen – Critical Mineral Recovery

Learn how Ryan Herz-Thyhsen is recovering critical minerals from mine waste.

Supported by AMMPT

Arzu Sandıkçı – Enzymes for Recycling

See how Arzu Sandıkçı is harnessing artificial intelligence-designed enzymes to transform waste into high-value feedstocks.

Supported by ITO and AFFO

Alexei Tcherniak – Affordable Hydrogen

Find out how Alexei Tcherniak is turning Earth's geology into reliable hydrogen energy.

Supported by AFFO

Cohort 4 Innovators (2025–2027)

James Clegern – Kinetic Energy Storage

See how James Clegern is advancing nonchemical battery storage technology by developing a low-cost flywheel design for longer-lasting, high-performance batteries.

Supported by AMMTO

Kian Lopez – Ultrapure Water

Learn how Kian Lopez is utilizing ultra-selective pressure-driven membrane systems to produce ultrapure water for advanced manufacturing and water treatment applications.

Supported by AMMTO and ITO

Ying Sun – Plant-Based Mining

Find out how Ying Sun is addressing the demand for rare-earth elements through phytomining, a technique that uses engineered plants to extract rare-earth elements from soil.

Supported by AMMTO

Ian Brownstein – Affordable Wind Energy

Learn how Ian Browstein is maximizing energy production and reducing costs with an affordable and reliable vertical-axis wind turbine.

Supported by the Integrated Energy Systems Office

Past Innovators

Read about past West Gate innovators, including the inaugural program cohort and the many projects developed and brought to market.

Four people smiling with buildings and mountains in the background.

Six people smile and pose for a photo while standing on a building patio.

Interested in Becoming a West Gate Innovator?

Find out if you are eligible to participate and learn how to apply to the West Gate program.

Want To Get Involved in Other Ways?

From partners and reviewers to sponsors and qualified applicant referrals, West Gate welcomes the support of technical, entrepreneurial, and commercialization experts and organizations.

Learn about all the ways to get involved with the West Gate program.