About Us
Climate change is a pervasive challenge in nearly every facet of our lives. From the food we eat to the buildings we live and work in to the vehicles we drive, the way we navigate the world impacts our environment, often in negative ways. But we are not powerless to act. Researchers at UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory are working to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and smooth our transition to a zero-carbon footprint. The challenge is to translate this work into scalable processes, products, and services.
Located at the Bakar ClimatEnginuity Hub, our programming will serve as a nexus for excellence in climate and energy innovation and entrepreneurship, lowering the barriers to the translation of impactful discoveries into companies that can create scalable solutions for societal problems. BCH will mirror the life-science focused Bakar BioEnginuity Hub, and will build on the success of QB3, a multicampus UC institute focused on scientific innovation and entrepreneurship.
Meet Our Team
Our mission is to support you in creating groundbreaking solutions for our planet. We are dedicated to fostering innovation that emphasizes sustainability, working alongside visionary thinkers to build a thriving future for everyone.
David Schaffer, Director, BBH, QB3, Bakar Labs
David Schaffer is the Hubbard Howe Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Bioengineering, and Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and he also serves as the Executive Director of QB3 and the Director of the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub, Bakar Labs, Bakar Fellows, and Bakar ClimatEnginuity Hub. He completed his B.S. in chemical engineering at Stanford University in 1993, his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at MIT in 1998, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in 1999 before joining Berkeley in 1999. There, he applies engineering principles to optimize gene and stem cell therapies, work that includes developing the concept of applying directed evolution to engineer targeted and efficient viral gene therapy vectors as well as new technologies to investigate and control stem cell function. He has published >250 papers, has advised >90 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, is an inventor on >50 issued patents, and developed technologies that are being used in 9 human clinical trials. In addition, he has co-founded eight companies, including 4D Molecular Therapeutics (NASDAQ FDMT), Ignite Immunotherapies (acquired by Pfizer) and Rewrite (acquired by Intellia). Finally, he has received recognitions including the National Academy of Inventors, Andreas Acrivos Professional Progress Award, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Award, the American Chemical Society Marvin Johnson Award, and the Biomedical Engineering Society Rita Shaffer Young Investigator Award.
Alexis Bell, Associate Director, Bakar ClimatEnginuity Hub
Alexis T. Bell serves as Associate Director of BCH and is the Dow Professor of Sustainable Chemistry in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in UC Berkeley’s College of Chemistry. At Berkeley, Bell became an internationally recognized leader in heterogeneous catalysis and chemical-reaction engineering who helped pioneer the development and application of spectroscopic methods to elucidate catalytic processes, as well as the application of experimental methods in combination with theoretical methods.
Kaspar Mossman, PhD, Managing Director, QB3, Marketing, Bakar Labs
Kaspar Mossman, managing director at QB3, plays a central role in QB3 strategy and manages its early-stage entrepreneurship support including the mentorship program, SBIR workshop, IP landscape program, and legal support. Together with QB3's grants coordinator, he leads QB3's collaborative research program. He also heads marketing & communications at QB3 and Bakar Labs. Previously, he worked on the media staff at Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and held an AAAS mass media fellowship at Scientific American. He earned a PhD in biophysics from UC Berkeley.
Jeremy Alberga, Chief Operating Officer, BBH, QB3, Bakar Labs
Previously, Jeremy was Director, Program Development and Strategy at the University of California San Francisco’s (UCSF) Institute for Global Health Sciences, where he focused on institutional strategy, fundraising, operations, and administration. Jeremy also served as Acting Director of the Center for Pandemic Preparedness and Response. He has 25 years of experience collaborating with the public, private and academic sectors, including over a decade working for Johns Hopkins University, the University of Washington, and UCSF. Jeremy has run not-for-profit organizations dedicated to scientific discovery in two dozen countries, including setting up research and public health programs in Cameroon and Botswana, and has been directly involved in the funding and execution of over $250 million in health, financing, and policy projects.
Jeremy has a Master’s degree in International Development from the George Washington University and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from McGill University.
Jeremy currently serves on the boards of the Bay Area Global Health Alliance and Congregation Beth El and is a keen runner, road cyclist and traveler.
Susan Jenkins, Managing Director, BBH, BCAPP Program Director
Susan Jenkins is the Managing Director of the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub, and oversees Campus Programs at BBH. In addition, Susan manages the BCAPP program. With extensive experience in academic research, management of interdisciplinary research institutes, and involvement with entrepreneurship programs, she’s involved with strategic planning and administration for BBH.
Katarina Klett, PhD, Innovation Discovery Program Manager, QB3
Katarina has spent over a decade working in bioengineering labs across the world in both academia and industry. Through these experiences, she built a strong understanding of engineering and biology. Most recently, Katarina completed her doctorate from Stanford University, where she worked at the crossroads of stem cell biology and engineering. During her doctoral work, Katarina joined a biotech venture team. While there, Katarina operated as a core team member, where she advised early-stage founders in the portfolio, landscaped market trends, and performed due diligence on potential investment opportunities. Katarina is deeply passionate about translating ongoing research to viable technologies that can make a major impact on patient lives and the planet.
Erica Yab, Program and Events, QB3, CEO Circle Program Director
Erica Yab is a Program and Events Specialist at QB3. She plans and ensures the execution of events and assists with administrative work. Erica graduated with honors from San Jose State University, where she majored in Communications and minored in Economics. Previously, Erica worked at Sarika Music School as an Event Planner in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. There, she helped to execute the soft opening event and various promotional events.
Recent Stories
November 12, 2024
September 10, 2024
June 10, 2024
Interns
The QWEST Internship Program provides UC Berkeley students with real-world experience.
Natalie Tussy, QWEST Intern
Natalie is a first year Full-Time MBA student at Haas School of Business. She is involved in several organizations at Haas, including the Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative (BERC), and is on the planning committee for the national MBA climate conference, ClimateCAP, which will take place at UC Berkeley in February 2025. Prior to business school, Natalie worked in corporate finance at Starbucks for five years and managed the partnership between Starbucks and the Climate Reality Project, a non-profit founded by Al Gore.
Nikki Matz, QWEST Intern
Nikki is a second year Full-Time MBA student at the Berkeley Haas School of Business. She has worked in renewable energy development, sustainable food, and ESG investing with the Berkeley Endowment. She sits in leadership with the Berkeley Energy Resource Collaborative (BERC) and Food at Haas clubs on campus. Prior to business school, Nikki worked in consulting supporting growth-stage SaaS companies through M&A and IPO transactions.
Sally Karstens, QWEST Intern
Sally Karstens is a fifth year Ph.D. candidate in Physical Chemistry at UC Berkeley advised by Prof. Jeffrey Long and Prof. Andrew Minor. She uses transmission electron microscopy to image metal–organic frameworks for gas capture and storage, establishing connections between material performance and structure. She has research experience with a range of materials including Li-ion batteries, polymer membranes, magnets, and radionuclides.