All Sides of Energy Resilience – What professionals need to know

Originally aired June 22, 2021

What does energy resilience really mean — and how do you build it? This multidisciplinary panel brings together experts from enterprise resilience, electric vehicle policy, building decarbonization, electricity markets, renewable energy finance, and smart grid cybersecurity to examine how organizations and communities can reduce vulnerability and strengthen their capacity to weather disruption in a rapidly changing energy landscape.

Speakers

Joseph Fiksel

Author, Resilient by Design; Co-Founder, Center for Resilience, The Ohio State University

Joseph Fiksel is the author of Resilient by Design, the seminal book on enterprise resilience, and co-founder of the Center for Resilience at The Ohio State University. His work helps organizations design systems that can withstand disruption and recover rapidly from shocks — principles now urgently applied to energy infrastructure.

Jimmy Jia

Principal, The Jia Group

Jimmy Jia has spent over a decade creating energy strategies for corporations, governments, and non-profits that advance their mission and vision while reducing their planetary impacts. He specializes in using energy as an intermediary between financial goals and environmental outcomes, helping organizations translate sustainability ambition into market-ready action.

Julian Bentley

Expert, Federal Fleet Management and Energy Policy

Julian Bentley brings more than 20 years of experience helping the federal government address energy and environmental challenges. An expert in federal fleet management and energy policy, he has worked at the intersection of electric vehicle market development and government procurement, helping agencies navigate the transition to clean transportation.

Smita Chandra Thomas

Senior Green Building Consultant, IFC (World Bank); LEED AP; Certified Passive House Consultant

Smita Chandra Thomas is a senior green building consultant to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) at the World Bank. A LEED Accredited Professional and Certified Passive House Consultant, she advises on building decarbonization strategies across international markets, helping institutions reduce carbon footprints through high-performance building standards.

Venki Venkateshwara

Energy Consultant; Former McKinsey & Company, Charles River Associates, FTI Consulting

Venki Venkateshwara is a long-time energy consultant who has worked at the world’s leading management consulting firms, including McKinsey & Company, Charles River Associates, and FTI Consulting. He specializes in electricity market design, regulatory strategy, and the economic analysis of energy transitions.

Stratos Tavoulareas

Renewable Energy Finance Expert; International Finance Corporation

Stratos Tavoulareas has worked in 80 countries on energy projects for the International Finance Corporation and other organizations. He brings deep expertise in structuring renewable energy investments in emerging and developed markets, helping governments and developers mobilize private capital for the clean energy transition.

Payman Dehghanian

Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, George Washington University

Payman Dehghanian is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at George Washington University. His research focuses on smart energy systems, power system reliability, and electrical cybersecurity — developing tools and methodologies to protect critical infrastructure from both physical and cyber threats.