Agenda: Giga USA 24

Tuesday, June 11, 2024
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM	Registration Opens & Networking Breakfast
8:30 AM - 8:45 AM	Words of Welcome Giga Stage Simon Moores, CEO, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
8:45 AM - 9:25 AM	Strengthening the US Automotive Industry in the Era of EVs Giga Stage Outlining the tools needed to meet net-zero goals The importance of maintaining competitiveness in the global EV market Chris Smith, Chief Government Affairs Officer, Ford Andrew Miller, Chief Operating Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Omar Vargas, Vice President, Head of Global Public Policy, General Motors
9:25 AM - 9:45 AM	FIRESIDE: Building Battery Supply Resilience in the US Giga Stage Allan Swan, President, North America, Panasonic Energy John Bozzella, CEO, Alliance for Automotive Innovation
9:45 AM - 10:15 AM	Networking Break Sponsored by Panasonic
10:15 AM - 10:35 AM	Fireside Chat: Designing Policy and Building Global Alliances Around Critical Mineral Supply Chains Giga Stage Simon Moores, CEO, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Dominic Raab, MP, Sr. Strategic Advisor on Global Affairs, Appian
10:35 AM - 11:00 AM	Building Resilient Infrastructure to Meet Long-Term EV Demand Giga Stage Gabe Klein, Executive Director, Joint Office of Energy and Transportation Michael Maten, Director, EV Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Global Public Policy, General Motors Peter Stahley, Senior Vice President, Cassidy and Associates
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM	PANEL: An Electric Revolution in the USA: Policy and Industry Cooperation Giga Stage Alex Jacquez, Special Assistant to the President for Economic Development and Industrial Strategy, The White House Evan Belser, Policy Strategist and Managing Counsel, Ford Abigail Hunter, Executive Director, Center for Critical Mineral Strategy, SAFE Albert Gore, Executive Director, ZETA
11:30 AM - 12:25 PM	Bridging America's Raw Material Disconnect Giga Stage Understanding the importance of a resilient and integrated domestic supply chain Ash Lazenby, Head of Cobalt, North America, Glencore Catherine Hunt Ryan, President, Bechtel Manufacturing & Technology Caspar Rawles, Chief Data Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Ashish Patki, Director, Business Development and Market Intelligence, Arcadium Lithium
12:25 PM - 12:45 PM	FIRESIDE CHAT: The Impact of US Policy on Global Trade Dynamics and Investment Giga Stage Chris Berry, Founder & President, House Mountain Partners Frank Fannon, Founder, Fannon Global Advisors
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM	Networking Lunch
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM	Inclusion in the Energy Transition Lunch & Learn Future Supply Stage Emilie Bodoin, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Pure Lithium Corporation Sarah Colbourn, Senior Analyst, Benchmark Mineral intelligence Leilani Gonzalez, Policy Director, Zero Emissions Transportation Association Emily Hersh, CEO, Luna Lithium Abigail Hunter, Executive Director, Center for Critical Mineral Strategy, SAFE Vicki Mak-Romo, Senior Manager, Supply Chain and Energy Policy, Global Public Policy, General Motors Emma Bishop, Vice President, Venn Strategies
1:45 PM - 2:05 PM	Innovation in Battery Technology Giga Stage Bob Galyen, Owner, Galyen Energy LLC
1:45 PM - 2:20 PM	Future Supply Chains - Session One: Site Selection & Logistics Future Supply Stage Carl Quesinberry, Senior Director, Avison Young Consulting Scott Watkins, Sr. Vice President, Market Leader – Advanced Manufacturing, Clayco
2:05 PM - 2:20 PM	The Battery Revolution and the Impact on Critical Minerals Giga Stage Paolo Cerruti, Co-Founder, Northvolt
2:20 PM - 3:05 PM	Critical Mineral Diplomacy: Building Global Supply Chain Alliances Giga Stage Leveraging global partnerships to ensure supply chain resilience The role of industrial policy in supporting climate goals and supply chain security Deploying development assistance to support diversification of supply chains, beneficiation and enabling environments for investment Kristi Rogers, Managing Partner, Principal to Principal Jovita Neliupšienė, Ambassador, Delegation of the European Union to the United States Anna Shpitsberg, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Transformation, U.S. Department of State Ambassador Chibamba Kanyama, Embassy of the Republic of Zambia Craig Weichel, Section Head and Counsellor, Energy and Environment, Embassy of Canada
2:20 PM - 3:20 PM	Future Supply Chains - Session Two: Developing Battery Materials Future Supply Stage Vincent Ledoux-Pedailles, Chief Commercial Officer, CarbonScape Ltd. Chris York, Chief Executive Officer, ADVANO James Rodriguez de Castro, Founder and CEO, Mongolian Minerals Pte. Ltd. Danny Keating, President & CEO, Giyani Metals Corp. Shruti Kashyap, Product Director - Anode, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
3:05 PM - 4:05 PM	Cathodes, Anodes and Battery Innovation Giga Stage Building the mid-stream capacity and advanced battery cell design Mark Gresser, CEO, Wildcat Discovery Technologies Max Kushner-Lenhoff, Head of Commercial, Mitra Chem Robert Privette, Business Development Manager, North America, Umicore Dan Blondal, CEO, Director & Founder, Nano One
3:20 PM - 4:00 PM	PANEL: Permitting: A Barrier to Competitiveness in the Giga Economy Future Supply Stage Understanding the state of play of federal permitting in the U.S., and the prospects for the reforms needed to compete globally Peter Stahley, Senior Vice President, Cassidy and Associates Richard Russell, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs and Political Affairs, National Mining Association Frank Macchiarola, Chief Policy Officer, American Clean Power Association Joshua Lanning, Executive Director, CIBC Capital Markets
4:05 PM - 4:30 PM	Networking Break Sponsored by Panasonic
4:30 PM - 5:20 PM	PANEL: Optimizing the IRA: Government Policy, EVs and the Giga Challenge Giga Stage Outlining successes and challenges from IRA implementation Addressing FEOC guidelines and maintaining compliance Assessing projects and investments in infrastructure to encourage battery value chain development Donald Davidson, Senior Manager, Public Policy and Strategy, Volkswagen Group of America Jennifer Safavian, President and CEO, Autos Drive America Paul Dorsey, Associate General Counsel, Samsung SDI America Michael Parton, Supply Chain Group Manager of Battery Raw Materials, Lucid Motors Suzanne Swink, VP of Government Relations, KORE Power
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM	Future Supply Chains - Session Three: Direct Lithium Extraction Future Supply Stage Andrew Walker, Chief Commercial Officer, Evove Ltd Ashu Sharma, Project Development – Mining and EV Metals, Aquatech Raef Sully, CEO, Lilac Solutions Kerry McCallum, US Country Manager, Zelandez Limited
5:20 PM - 6:15 PM	Developing a Circular Domestic Battery Economy Giga Stage Outlining the importance of ESG management in building a sustainable battery supply chain Highlighting tools to effectively meet decarbonization goals Innovations in battery recycling technologies to effectively reduce waste disposal amounts Tina Jeffress, Group Manager, Sustainability & Energy, Panasonic Corporation of North America Chao Yan, Co-Founder and CEO, Princeton NuEnergy Pierre Bagnon, Executive Vice President and Head of Intelligent Industry Accelerator, Gigafactory and Battery, Capgemini Sarah Colbourn, Interim Head of Sustainability, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Shane Thompson, EVP of Business Development, Cirba Solutions
5:30 PM - 6:15 PM	Future Supply Chains - Session Four: Lithium Future Supply Stage Roshan Pujari, CEO, Stardust Power Inc Alex Hanly, CEO, Lithium Universe Limited Jamie Liang, President and CEO, TerraVolta Resources
6:15 PM	Networking Reception Sponsored by Bechtel
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
8:00 AM - 9:15 AM	Breakfast & Networking
9:15 AM - 9:30 AM	Words of Welcome Giga Stage
9:30 AM - 9:50 AM	Critical Minerals Keynote: American Leadership in the New Energy Economy Giga Stage United States Senator Joe Manchin, Chairman, U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
9:50 AM - 10:10 AM	Supporting a Domestic Supply Chain Through Public Partnerships Giga Stage Jigar Shah, Director, Loan Programs Office (LPO), U.S. Department of Energy Daniel Fletcher-Manuel, Director of Prices and Data, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
10:10 AM - 10:35 AM	FIRESIDE CHAT: Friendshoring vs. Onshoring Giga Stage Abigail Wulf, Head of the American Battery Materials Initiative, U.S. Department of Energy Tom Moerenhout, Professor; Critical Materials Lead, Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy Helaina Matza, Deputy Special Presidential Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment, U.S. Department of State
10:35 AM - 10:55 AM	Networking Break Sponsored by Canada Nickel
10:55 AM - 11:35 AM	Financing the Energy Transition Giga Stage From Billions to Trillions: How much is needed for net zero? Outlining government incentives and funding opportunities Identifying roadblocks between capital and battery industry projects Highlighting the need for government and private sector cooperation in activating finance for energy transition projects Asogan Moodaly, Global Sector Lead: Automotive, Electronics and Machinery \| Senior IO, International Finance Corporation (World Bank) Ashley Zumwalt-Forbes, Deputy Director, Batteries and Critical Minerals, Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, U.S. Department of Energy Mateo Goldman, Acting Vice President, Office of Equity and Investment Funds, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation Chris Berry, Founder & President, House Mountain Partners Chelsea Sexton, ATVM Program Officer, Loan Programs Office (LPO), U.S. Department of Energy
11:35 AM - 12:05 PM	Designing Critical Mineral Policy to Protect National Security Giga Stage Addressing national security risks and vulnerabilities in the critical mineral supply chain Mobilizing DoD investment to accelerate domestic battery production Matthew Zolnowski, Global Fellow and President, The Wilson Center and Greyfriars LLC Joseph Sopcisak, Technical Director, MCEIP OASD for Industrial Base Policy, Department of Defense Gracelin Baskaran, Founding Director, Project on Critical Minerals Security, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Joe Bryan, Principal, Muswell Orange
12:05 PM - 1:05 PM	Next Generation of US Mining and Refining Giga Stage Building the Future US Supply Chain Outlining the role of innovation and strategic partnerships in accelerating domestic production Highlighting major domestic projects and the role these play in securing future supply Rod Colwell, CEO, Controlled Thermal Resources Robert Mintak, CEO & Director, Standard Lithium Pat Risner, President, Hermosa Project, South 32
1:05 PM - 2:00 PM	Networking Lunch
2:00 PM - 2:20 PM	FIRESIDE CHAT: Implications of 45X Future Supply Stage Sarah Bianchi, Senior Managing Director, Chief Strategist of International Political Affairs and Public Policy, Evercore Todd Malan, Chief External Affairs Officer & Head of Climate Strategy, Talon Metals Annie Gayman, Senior Vice President, Lot Sixteen
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM	Critical Mineral Spotlights: Graphite Giga Stage Understanding the critical mineral price environment The importance of promoting market diversification Outlining the need for market integration Shruti Kashyap, Product Director - Anode, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Brent Nykoliation, Executive Vice President, NextSource Materials Inc
2:20 PM - 3:40 PM	Future Supply Chains - Session Five: Battery Technology & Innovation Future Supply Stage James Trevey, CTO, ForgeNano Emilie Bodoin, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Pure Lithium Corporation Vick Singh, SVP of Technology, Dragonfly Energy Abdelghani EL KACIMI, Chief Technology Officer, INNOVX
2:30 PM - 3:10 PM	Critical Mineral Spotlights: Lithium Giga Stage Understanding the critical mineral price environment The importance of promoting market diversification Outlining the need for market integration Bruce Richardson, CEO, Anson Resources Nicholas Lugansky, Head of Mining, SLB Roland Chavasse, Secretary General, International Lithium Association (ILiA)
3:10 PM - 3:30 PM	The Importance of Circular Economy Policy in the Battery Supply Chain Giga Stage Kunal Sinha, Global Head of Recycling, Glencore
3:40 PM - 4:20 PM	Critical Mineral Spotlights: Cobalt & Nickel & Manganese Giga Stage Understanding the critical mineral price environment The importance of promoting market diversification Outlining the need for market integration Parvin Adeli, Manager, Batteries, Nickel Institute Sarah Schneider, Policy and Communications Manager, Cobalt Institute Mark Selby, Chairman & CEO, Canada Nickel Robert Seguin, Product Manager, Vale KaLeigh Long, Founder & CEO, Westwin Elements	Critical Mineral Spotlights: Energy Transition Minerals and Beyond Future Supply Stage Understanding the critical mineral price environment The importance of promoting market diversification Outlining the need for market integration David Abraham, Director, Three Legged Capital Melvin Hill, Vice President, Rare Earths, GE Chaplin Elisa Alonso, Assistant Chief for the Minerals Intelligence Research Section, U.S. Geological Survey Noah Lehrman, Senior Vice President, Hudson Metal & Alloy LLC
4:20 PM - 4:40 PM	Networking Break Sponsored by Canada Nickel
4:40 PM - 5:10 PM	Critical Mineral Spotlights: Copper Giga Stage Understanding the critical mineral price environment The importance of promoting market diversification Outlining the need for market integration Paul Gait, Group Head of Strategy, Anglo American
5:10 PM - 5:50 PM	Developing Next Generation Technologies for Raw Materials Giga Stage Outlining the drivers of raw materials and which battery chemistries will see gains Understanding R&D developments within mineral exploration processes Utilizing new technologies like AI to increase efficiency within the entire battery supply chain Darcy McPhee, Program Manager, Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, Mineral Resources Program, U.S. Geological Survey Erez Ichilov, Founder & Manager, Cedrus Arbor LLC Vivek Furtado, Head of Battery Vertical, US Digital Industries, Siemens Othon Monteiro, Technology to Market Advisor to ARPA-E, US Department of Energy
5:50 PM	Networking Reception Sponsored by Cirba Solutions
Thursday, June 13, 2024
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM	Breakfast & Networking
8:45 AM - 9:00 AM	Words of Welcome Giga Stage Andrew Miller, Chief Operating Officer, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM	Fireside Chat Ken Brinsden, CEO, President & Director, Patriot Battery Metals
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM	Lithium Industry Keynote: Success Through Partnerships Giga Stage Jonathan Evans, Director, President, and CEO, Lithium Americas
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM	Global Lithium Congress Giga Stage Lithium diplomacy: Friendshoring and building global alliances through policy, trade and investment Localising lithium supply chains: Mining permitting reform and measures to onshore refining capacity Lithium Commoditization: Market strategies to unlock finance and build trade Opening new lithium frontiers: Exploring new deposit types and applying innovation to unlock resource Anthony Tse, Founder, NEO Capital Bart Thanhauser, Deputy Assistant USTR for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM	Networking Break
10:45 AM - 11:05 AM	Highlight Keynote: American Leadership in a New Energy Economy Giga Stage Congressman Bruce Westerman, Chairman,, U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources
11:05 AM - 11:25 AM	Highlight Keynote Giga Stage Hon Dr Kevin Rudd, Ambassador, Embassy of Australia to the United States
11:25 AM - 12:15 PM	North America Lithium Congress Giga Stage Lithium diplomacy: Friendshoring and building global alliances through policy, trade and investment Localising lithium supply chains: Mining permitting reform and measures to onshore refining capacity Lithium Commoditization: Market strategies to unlock finance and build trade Opening new lithium frontiers: Exploring new deposit types and applying innovation to unlock resource Roland Chavasse, Secretary General, International Lithium Association (ILiA) Shane Khoury, Secretary, Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment Sarah Bianchi, Senior Managing Director, Chief Strategist of International Political Affairs and Public Policy, Evercore David Klanecky, CEO, Cirba Solutions John Barnwell, Natural Resources Officer, Environment and Energy Section, Embassy of Canada Jesus Eduardo Escobar, Supervisor, District #1, Imperial County Board of Supervisors
12:15 PM - 12:30 PM	South America Lithium Keynotes Rómulo Mucho Mamani, Minister of Energy and Mines, Government of Peru Juan Gabriel Valdes S, Ambassador of Chile to the United States of America, Embassy of Chile
12:30 PM - 1:10 PM	South America Lithium Congress Giga Stage Lithium diplomacy: Friendshoring and building global alliances through policy, trade and investment Localising lithium supply chains: Mining permitting reform and measures to onshore refining capacity Lithium Commoditization: Market strategies to unlock finance and build trade Opening new lithium frontiers: Exploring new deposit types and applying innovation to unlock resource Beatriz Herrera, Investment Commissioner, InvestChile Diego von Vacano, Professor, Texas A&M University Simon Clarke, CEO & Director, American Lithium Corp Emily Hersh, CEO, Luna Lithium
1:10 PM	Lunch and Close of Conference