Agenda: Giga USA 25

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM
																Networking Breakfast
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
																Words of Welcome Simon Moores, Executive Chairman, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Professor M. Stanley Whittingham, Nobel Laureate Giga Stage
9:00 AM - 9:20 AM
																America First in the Battery Race: Leadership, Security, and Strategy A national security perspective on the critical mineral supply chain—underscoring the strategic imperative to reduce dependence on adversarial nations and reassert American leadership in mineral sourcing, processing, and manufacturing. Senator Tom Cotton, Senator for Arkansas, U.S. Senate Andrew Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Giga Stage
9:20 AM - 9:40 AM
																Advancing Battery Innovation and Strengthening America's Supply Chain As the automotive industry accelerates toward electrification, securing a stable and scalable supply of critical minerals has become a top priority. In this session, GM shares insights on sourcing strategies, upstream partnerships, and the role of automakers in reshaping the mineral supply chain. Kurt Kelty, Vice President, Battery, Propulsion, and Sustainability, General Motors Andrew Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Giga Stage
9:40 AM - 10:00 AM
																Price Transparency in Critical Minerals Jean-Luc Amos, Director, Oil Market Development, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) Caspar Rawles, Chief Operating Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Giga Stage
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM
																Networking Break

10:20 AM - 10:40 AM
																Unlocking America’s Potential: Building a Resilient Critical Mineral Strategy Senator John Hickenlooper, Senator for Colorado, U.S. Senate Bryan Bille, Prinicipal Analyst Government Policy, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
10:40 AM - 10:55 AM
																Bridging America’s Raw Material Disconnect Graham Kerr, Chief Executive Ofﬁcer and Managing Director, South32 Daisy Jennings-Gray, Head of Prices, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
10:55 AM - 11:10 AM
																The Turbulent but Certain Path Towards Electrification Bob Lee, CEO, North America, LG Energy Solutions Iola Hughes, Head of Research, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
11:10 AM - 11:35 AM
																Securing Copper for a Resilient Energy Future Copper demand growth for EVs, grid storage, and renewables Expanding US copper mining and refining capacity Addressing supply constraints and price volatility Daan De Jonge, Lead Analyst - Copper Demand & Prices, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Jonathan Absolon, VP of Commodity Strategy, Anglo American
11:35 AM - 11:50 AM
																U.S. Policy in 2025 and the Shifting Landscape of Trade and Investment Chris Berry, Founder and President, House Mountain Partners Frank Fannon, Managing Director, Fannon Global Advisors
11:50 AM - 12:05 PM
																Navigating Global Markets and Critical Mineral Trade Mehdi Lemsagued, Managing Director, Manatrade AG Andrew Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence

10:20 AM - 11:40 AM
																US Regional Spotlights State-level policy initiatives supporting production Leading states in critical mineral production and processing Economic benefits of localized supply chain investments Collaboration between state governments and private industry Brent Wilson, CEO, Galvanic Energy Noemi Gallardo, Commissioner, California Energy Commission Cristina Paredes, Executive Director of SC Nexus, South Carolina Department of Commerce
11:40 AM - 12:00 PM
																Building Project Resilience for a Stronger U.S. Supply Chain Fiorella Sist, Director Mining & Minerals, Hargrove Engineers & Constructors

1:00 PM - 1:20 PM
																Cathode & Battery Innovation Chirranjeevi Gopal, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Mitra Chem Daisy Jennings-Gray, Head of Prices, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
1:20 PM - 1:40 PM
																What It Takes to Build Mineral Supply Chains for Energy Security Kunal Sinha, SVP Marketing and Global Head, Recycling, Glencore Beatrice Browning, Battery Recycling Technology Lead, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
1:40 PM - 2:15 PM
																Navigating Tax Credits, Trade Policy, and U.S. Manufacturing Goals Donald Davidson, Head of Federal Affairs and Political Strategy, Volkswagen Group of America Jennifer Safavian, President and CEO, Autos Drive America Dan Anziska, Partner, Troutman Pepper Phillip Sherman, Senior Manager, International and Industry Affairs, Mercedes-Benz Samm Gillard, Executive Director, BATT Coalition
2:15 PM - 2:30 PM
																The Smackover Formation: Unlocking Lithium’s Strategic Value for Texas and Beyond Congressman Nathanial Moran, U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman from Texas Ken Biberaj, Executive Managing Director, Savills
2:30 PM - 2:50 PM
																Building a Sustainable Supply Chain Enhancing transparency and accountability across the supply chain The importance of bipartisan support in creating a sustainable domestic supply chain Alexis Georgeson, Vice President, Government Relations, Communications, and Consumer Recycling Programs, Redwood Materials Albert Gore, Executive Director, ZETA Abigail Hunter, Executive Director, Center for Critical Mineral Strategy, SAFE Tina Jeffress, Group Manager for Energy and Sustainability, Panasonic Corporation of North America Stefan Debruyne, Director of External Affairs, SQM
3:05 PM - 3:30 PM
																Powering the Future: Chile’s Lithium Strategy and the Path Forward Beatriz Herrera, Investment Commissioner, InvestChile Juan Gabriel Valdes S, Ambassador of Chile to the United States of America, Embassy of Chile

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM
																Finance Spotlights Anticipating battery value chain bankability issues early on to best position a project for financing Different pools of investors at different stages Timeline and sequencing Chloe Tacconi, Director - Battery, Mining and Industries, Societe Generale Tim Van Pelt, Global Lead Batteries & Charging, Sustainable Value Chains, ING Will Talbot, Research Manager, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM
																Addressing the Permitting Barrier Addressing permitting pain points for gigafactories and mineral facilities Finding efficiencies and utilizing tools like FAST-41 to accelerate the permitting process to meet urgency and scale The limits of executive orders and need for Congressional action Understanding state and federal dynamics Learning from recent success stories (and cautionary tales) in the U.S. and abroad Peter Stahley, Senior Vice President, Cassidy and Associates Thomas Hochman, Director of Infrastructure Policy, Foundation for American Innovation Rebecca Konolige, Director of Federal Affairs, ZETA Manisha Patel, Acting Executive Director, Permitting Council
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
																Supply Chain Innovations Hear from energy transition innovators on new projects and technologies to build a strong battery supply chain Paramita Das, Senior Advisor to the CEO and Chief Strategy Officer, Stardust Power Inc Julian Dunn, Vice President, Sudeep Advacned Materials Steve Cotton, Chief Executive Officer, President and Director, Aqua Metals John Busbee, CEO & Founder, Xerion Advanced Battery Ian Rodger, CEO, Jindalee Lithium Erez Ichilov, Founder, Cedrus Arbor LLC

3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
																Networking Break
3:45 PM - 4:15 PM
																Deep Sea Mining: Unlocking New Frontiers for Critical Minerals Exploring the potential of deep sea resources to meet growing demand for critical metals like nickel and cobalt Addressing environmental, regulatory, and technological challenges to responsible seabed extraction Industry perspectives on project readiness, innovation, and the path to commercial viability David Anonychuk, Global VP Metallurgy & Consulting, SGS Oliver Gunasekara, CEO & Co-Founder, Impossible Metals Craig Shesky, Chief Financial Officer, The Metals Company Ernest Scheyder, Reporter, Reuters News Giga Stage
4:15 PM - 4:25 PM
																From Battery Scrap to Battery Grade - How the Recycling Industry is Evolving Beatrice Browning, Battery Recycling Technology Lead, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Giga Stage
4:25 PM - 5:05 PM
																The Business and Policy Case for Battery Recycling The role of battery recycling in building a circular economy The Importance of policy and regulatory support for scaling up battery material recovery Beatrice Browning, Battery Recycling Technology Lead, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Emma Bishop, Vice President, Venn Strategies David Fauvre, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Blue Whale Materials Shane Thompson, EVP Strategy & Business Development, Cirba Solutions Chao Yan, CEO, Princeton NuEnergy Giga Stage
5:05 PM - 5:15 PM
																US Battery Storage in a Shifting Policy Landscape Iola Hughes, Head of Research, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Giga Stage
5:15 PM - 6:00 PM
																Scaling Storage for a Resilient Energy Future Scaling up domestic production of grid-scale energy storage solutions Overcoming cost and efficiency challenges in large-scale deployment Paul Dorsey, Associate General Counsel - Regulatory and External Affairs, Samsung SDI America Vikash Venkataramana, President - US Sales & Business Development, REPT. Suzanne Leta, VP, Policy and Advocacy, Americas, Fluence Iola Hughes, Head of Research, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Katie Clasen, Principal, Prelude Ventures Giga Stage
6:00 PM
																Networking Reception

8:00 AM - 8:45 AM
																Networking Breakfast
8:45 AM - 9:10 AM
																Words of Welcome Adam Panayi, Chief Research Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Giga Stage
9:10 AM - 9:30 AM
																Powering the Nation: Critical Minerals and U.S. Competitiveness Senator Lisa Murkowski, Senator for Alaska, U.S. Senate Simon Moores, Executive Chairman, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Giga Stage
9:30 AM - 9:50 AM
																Building a Vertically Integrated Lithium Ecosystem Bari Bean, Deputy CEO of Natural Resources, County of Imperial Jesus Eduardo Escobar, Supervisor, Imperial County Ryan Kelley, Supervisor, Imperial County Congressman Raul Ruiz, U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman for California Giga Stage
9:50 AM - 10:30 AM
																How U.S. Policy and Global Tensions Are Redrawing Trade Lines Addressing the impact of geopolitical tensions on supply chain stability Sarah Bianchi, Senior Managing Director, Chief Strategist of International Political Affairs and Public Policy, Evercore Gracelin Baskaran, Director, Critical Minerals Security, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Chris Berry, Founder and President, House Mountain Partners David Abraham, Director, Three Legged Capital LLC Jeff Gaulin, Vice President of Corporate Affairs & Communications, Vale Base Metals Giga Stage
10:30 AM - 10:50 AM
																Building a Secure Lithium Supply Chain in North America Eric Norris, EVP and Chief Commercial Officer, Albermarle Andrew Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Giga Stage
10:50 AM - 11:05 AM
																Networking Break

11:05 AM - 11:30 AM
																The Defense Case for Critical Mineral Security This session offers a defense community perspective on how critical minerals directly enable advanced military systems, and the operational risks posed by supply disruptions—highlighting the need for coordinated procurement, stockpiling, and industrial base planning. Eric Shields, Senior Battery Advisor - Policy, Analysis, & Transition OASD, Industrial Base Policy, OUSD for Acquisition & Sustainment, U.S. Department of Defense Rodrik Cave, Publisher, CTO Countertrade & Offset Joe Bryan, Principal, Muswell Orange
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
																Mobilizing Federal Investment for Energy Independence Mahnaz Khan, Vice President of Policy for Critical Supply Chains, Silverado Policy Accelerator Pat Risner, President, Hermosa, South32 Adam Burstein, Technical Director for Strategic and Critical Materials, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, U.S. Department of Defense
12:00 PM - 12:10 PM
																Powering American Industry Through Innovation and Mineral Security Carolyn Schnyder, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy
12:10 PM - 1:00 PM
																Next Generation of US Mining and Refining Innovations in extraction and refining processes for critical minerals Advancing US-based refining to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers Sharad Dubey, Global Business Development Manager, SLB Jesse Edmondson, Director of Government Relations, Standard Lithium Venkee Sharma, Executive Chairman, Aquatech Jason Muller, Head of Public Policy, Equinor Daisy Jennings-Gray, Head of Prices, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence

11:30 AM - 11:50 AM
																Navigating Tariffs The impact of tariffs on raw material costs and supply chain resilience Navigating global trade dynamics while securing reliable supply sources Strategies for mitigating tariff-related risks in battery manufacturing Zhiwei Chen, Counsel, Crowell Iola Hughes, Head of Research, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
11:50 AM - 12:20 PM
																Minerals in Focus: Nickel Parvin Adeli, Manager, Batteries, Nickel Institute Robert Seguin, Market Development, Vale Canada Limited
12:20 PM - 12:40 PM
																Evaporation Reinvented: From Doubling Pond Output to Halving DLE Energy Use Sean Zheng, Chief Executive Officer, Princeton Critical Minerals
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM
																Preserving 45X for Critical Minerals: What Stakeholders Need to Know KaLeigh Long, CEO, Westwin Elements

1:50 PM - 2:00 PM
																Minerals in Focus: Cathode & Anode Raw Materials Will Talbot, Research Manager, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM
																Lithium in the Lead: Supply, Innovation, and the Global Race for Scale Ken Brinsden, Chief Executive Officer, Patriot Battery Metals Roland Chavasse, Secretary General & co-founder, International Lithium Association (ILiA) Rock Hoffman, Equity Research Analyst, Bank of America Leigh Clarke, VP, Government and Regulatory, E3 Lithium Ashish Patki, Director, Business Development and Market Intelligence, Rio Tinto
2:45 PM - 3:00 PM
																Expanding US Government Advocacy in Critical Minerals Hiro Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Advocacy Center, U.S. Department of Commerce
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
																The DRC's Role in Critical Mineral Production Michael Blakeney, Head of Government and Public Affairs, Cobalt Institute Marie-Chantal Kaninda, President of Glencore DRC, Glencore

1:50 PM - 3:10 PM
																Rare Earths and the Race for Resource Security Securing domestic rare earth mining and refining capabilities Reducing US dependence on Chinese rare earth supply chains Applications of rare earths in defense, EVs, and electronics Ramon Barua, CEO, Aclara Resources Christine Burow, Chief Marketing Officer, Torngat Metals David Petitjean, Director, Sales Critical Minerals, Rio Tinto Zac Komur, Non-Executive Director & Chair of the Project Delivery and Technical Committee, Lindian Resources Daan De Jonge, Lead Analyst - Copper Demand & Prices, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
																North American Lithium Supply in a Global Context Opportunities and Pressures Across the Value Chain

3:45 PM - 4:00 PM
																Inside the EV Supply Chain - What it takes to build at scale Tara Berrie, Director of Battery Cell Materials & Rare Earth Sourcing, Rivian Caspar Rawles, Chief Operating Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Giga Stage
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
																Financing the Future: Aligning Public and Private Capital for Mineral Projects Understanding the US public funding structures for international projects Learning from international successes; what role have sovereign wealth funds played? Optimizing the relationship between public and private sectors to secure funding for critical mineral projects Kristi Rogers, PRISM, Co-Founder & President Rierens Loupatty, VP of Investments, INA Tom Haslett, Director for Energy and Critical Minerals Policy, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation Andrew Jory, Minister Counsellor, Embassy of Australia Giga Stage
4:30 PM - 5:10 PM
																The Role of Geopolitics in the Global Critical Mineral Supply Chain Understanding how to strengthen domestic supply chains through international partnerships Addressing growing global demand for lithium and how to meet this Navigating policy and investment risks Septian Hario Seto, Member of National Economic Council, Republic of Indonesia Diego von Vacano, Professor, Texas A&M University Bryan Bille, Prinicipal Analyst Government Policy, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Maria Fernanda Avila, Congresswoman, Congress of Argentina Johanna Kruger, Counsellor and Head of Section, Environment and Energy, Embassy of Canada to the US Michael Blakeney, Head of Government and Public Affairs, Cobalt Institute Giga Stage
6:00 PM
																Close of Conference and Networking