John D. Tran, Phd Email & Phone Number

San Francisco, CA, US

i invest in startups and partner with execution-focused founders to build scalable operations and long-term impact.

bod (incl.): gabriel kra (prelude), brian mayers (breakthrough), rajesh swaminathan (khosla)industrial heating accounts for 10-15% of global CO2 emissions—3-4 billion tons annually—due to excessive heat in manufacturing. with natural gas being cheap, a cost-effective way to store excess energy as heat is crucial for thermal storage to be viable. redoxblox.

bod (incl.): howard morgan (b capital), faye wattletonquantum computing will transform industries by solving complex problems too challenging for classical computers. eeroq is developing a unique approach using trapped-electron, spin-based technology. by leveraging electrons floating on superfluid helium, they build qubits with high connectivity and.

strategic partner (incl.): sheldon kimber (intersect power)the u.s. has over 1,000 utility-scale solar farms, but many still face inefficiencies due to solar energy’s intermittent nature. a 100 mw solar farm at 20% efficiency costs around $87.6 million over 25 years, with a levelized cost of energy of about $20 per mwh. when efficiency hits 100%, lcoe.

semiconductors fall short in quantum computing and high-power electronics due to limited qubit stability and poor thermal management. diamonds have long been a potential solution but were sidelined by high costs, complex fabrication, and the need for ultra-pure materials. great lakes crystal technologies is tackling these challenges by streamlining.

landfills underreport methane emissions by 10-30% due to incomplete gas measurement systems. a landfill claiming 100,000 metric tons could actually emit up to 130,000 metric tons. with methane having 25x the global warming potential of CO2, this gap results in an extra 2.75 to 3.25 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions annually. sniffer robotics'.

lead service lines are a major issue in the u.s., with 6 to 10 million still in use, posing health risks and high costs due to outdated, reactive approaches. blueconduit uses ai-driven predictive modeling to identify and prioritize lead pipe replacements. their system adapts to local conditions, updates with new data, and efficiently checks for lead.

loaded water, a $20b challenge in oil and gas, manufacturing, and municipal treatment, strains existing solutions with frequent clogs, high costs, and inefficiency. conventional filters and membranes have maintenance and energy issues, while sedimentation and chemical treatments struggle with complex contaminants. accelerated filtration offers a scalable.

SHAPE, funded by the National Science Foundation and driven by Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Resource Recycling Systems, Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), and other key partners, aims to make the Great Lakes Region a global leader in packaging circularity.

Mentor, and Venture Fellow (Cohort 13 - Scholarship Recipient).

Mentor for 2DAY VENTURE and Burgess New Venture Challenge

Mentor for Executive Certificate in Entrepreneurship

Fueling sustainable non-profits and schools for a greener future and lasting impact.

Reviewed early-stage energy R&D projects for ARPA-E’s $150M Vision OPEN 2024 initiative, led by Dr. Jenifer Shafer, Associate Director for Technology. Vision OPEN 2024 challenges the research community to develop groundbreaking technologies for a radically transformed energy future. Assessed concept papers driving these transformative innovations.

Recycling Innovations & Technology and Organic Waste

Research Topic: Utilizing data science and genetics to optimize the composition of lignin within plant secondary cell walls, thereby enhancing the biofuel-related.

Research Topic: Utilizing biochemistry and molecular biology techniques to investigate the regulatory mechanisms governing gene expression during the early stages of seed development. This exploration aims to unravel the processes involved in the production of crucial proteins and the synthesis of oils required for plant development.

Bs, Biochemistry And Molecular Biology

Activities and Societies: Ronald E. McNair Scholar, University Honors Program (UHP), and Biology Undergraduate Scholars Program-Honors.

Ph.D., Molecular Biology

Activities and Societies: University Distinguished Fellow, Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society (Inaugural Inductee), Future Academic.

Chemical Engineering/Material Science

Studying material science and chemical engineering through MIT’s open courses to deepen expertise in advanced materials for climate tech.