Roxana Bekemohammadi is a distinguished leader in the hydrogen and fuel cell industry, known for her unique experience in policy advocacy, public service, and technology commercialization. She is regularly called upon to present on the current and future status of the U.S. hydrogen economy at conferences, legislatures, and in other political arenas. In 2020, she founded the Western States Hydrogen Alliance, championing hydrogen policies in the Western States. With the passing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act in 2021, the organization expanded to all 50 states, and is now known as the United States Hydrogen Alliance (USHA). The organization has blazed a pathway for the U.S. hydrogen economy by successfully passing sixteen hydrogen state bills across the United States since the United States Hydrogen Alliance inception in 2020.

Roxana led a lobbying firm focused on hydrogen policy in California prior to the United States Hydrogen Alliance. She also served as an advocate and technical expert in previous roles across multiple sectors including energy, zero emission vehicles, workforce development, technical education. Lastly, Roxana served as a public servant at the California Air Resources Board, an air quality regulatory state agency. 

Academically, Roxana holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Irvine and served as a student researcher at the National Fuel Cell Research Center. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her education combined with a diverse professional background further positions her as a leading voice in the clean energy industry.

Lexi Schnell holds a Masters in Science in Climate Change and Environmental Policy from the University of Leeds. She is also a graduate from Virginia Tech where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Resources Management with a triple minor in Climate & Society, Ecological Cities, and Forestry. She was also a member of the United States Hydrogen Alliance’s 2022 Class of Hydrogen Policy Fellows.

Zoe is a graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish with a concentration in Public Policy. As a member of the 2022 Class of Hydrogen Policy Fellows, she quickly discovered her keen interest in clean energy.

Emanuel Wagner is a seasoned hydrogen and fuel cell veteran. Currently, Emanuel is President of the clean energy consulting firm Palamedes Strategies, providing services for the hydrogen and fuel cell industries in the Mid-Atlantic, including building coalitions to nurture new clean-tech markets, developing project concepts, drafting applications for federal and state clean energy grant opportunities, and advising universities to pilot hydrogen technology.

Previously, Emanuel was the Lead for Strategy and Business Development for Hydrogen at Washington Gas Light Company (WGL), where he was tasked with developing hydrogen projects in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region to reduce GHG emissions and air pollution and create green jobs. At WGL, he supported the MidAtlantic Hydrogen Hub Application, pursued hydrogen demonstrations, and developed roadmaps for hydrogen deployment in the region.

Emanuel has been working for hydrogen associations since 2009 when he joined the National Hydrogen Association. He then served as Vice President at the Hydrogen Education Foundation, where he oversaw the $1M DOE H2 Refuel H-Prize and the annual hydrogen student design contest. He also served as the deputy director of the California Hydrogen Business Council for over a decade, helping grow the association and industry by developing advocacy, networking, business development, and education activities. Emanuel has a master’s degree in political science.