Judges, Criteria, Process

Deeana Ahmed

Deeana Ahmed leads Strategy and Government Relations at ONE. Through ONE’s energy storage technology, Dr. Ahmed aims to help build a foundation for the widespread adoption and accessibility to alternative energy sources. In addition to assessing market needs and how to scale renewable energy, Dr. Ahmed helped ONE secure funding from major investors, including BMW i Ventures and Breakthrough Energy Ventures. She has spearheaded ONE’s search for its first North American battery factory and has facilitated partnerships with a variety of businesses and nonprofits across the country.

Dr. Ahmed holds a PhD in neuroscience and nutrition from Columbia University, an MSc and MPH in policy from Tufts University, and a BS from the University of Michigan. She is a published researcher and policy analyst who has conducted large policy evaluations for the NYC Department of Education, managed grants for a Silicon Valley nonprofit, and owns and operates a start-up education technology
firm. She is an alumnus of the University of Michigan Solar Car Team, where she led the development of the nationally and globally ranked solar car, InfiniUM’s battery pack.

Kate Gasparro

As the Director of Land Development and Sustainability at Bedrock Detroit, Kate is responsible for planning and implementing the company’s sustainability and district infrastructure strategies, lowering the carbon footprint of the built environment in Detroit and Cleveland. This work continues her career of building communities that connect people with their built environments.

Kate earned a BS in Civil Engineering from Clemson University. She then went on to earn an MA in International Policy and PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University. Before joining the team at Bedrock, Kate led the infrastructure development for mixed-use neighborhoods in Northern California. Through her ongoing research, Kate has also established Building Better Cities, where she continues to write on challenges that cities face every day.

Ann O’Hara

Ann O’Hara is President and leads the $1.6b fiber, paper and plastics packaging business of Huhtamaki in North America. This business serves the retail, foodservice and consumer goods markets from 17 sites with 4,000 employees.

Ann has a wealth of experience in both the packaging industry and beyond, having worked for many years with leading international CPG companies in seven countries. She has an impressive record of leading both businesses and people.  She is also the Managing Director of Four Provinces Investments LLC, an angel investing business focused on technology, services and manufacturing. Prior to these experiences, she held business and functional leadership roles at Intertek Group in the UK; Amcor Ltd. in Australia and the U.S.; General Electric in the U.S. and Sweden; McKinsey & Company in the U.S. and Germany, and Procter & Gamble in the U.S., Argentina and China.

Ann earned a MBA from Harvard Business School and a BSE in Chemical Engineering from University of Pennsylvania. She is a Trustee of the The Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, CT and is married with two daughters.

Dan Vermeer

Dan Vermeer, PhD, is Associate Professor of the Practice at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and is also Executive Director, Center for Energy, Development, and the Global Environment (EDGE) at Duke University.

Dan has spent three decades working on the world’s “grand challenges”, including water scarcity, climate change, and ocean sustainability through diverse roles in academia and business. Through teaching, research, and coalition-building, Dan seeks creative ways to make business a force for good in the world. His areas of expertise include sustainable development, business innovation, climate change, water management, and food systems.  His latest research focuses on energy transition, sustainable ocean use, and climate change in business education.

Prior to Duke, Dan led Coca-Cola’s water sustainability initiative, where he initiated over 150 public-private partnerships on water access, watershed protection, and agriculture in fifty countries. As a recognized leader in sustainability, Dan has worked with leading companies and organizations including Google, Walmart, GE, Tesla, World Wildlife Fund, and the UN Global Compact.