JUDGES: TIM LATIMER, COFOUNDER, FERVO ENERGY (UNDER 30 CLASS OF 2019); EMILY REICHERT, CEO, GREENTOWN LABS.CAROL BATTERSHELL, ENERGY CONSULTANT; LORD JOHN BROWNE, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, L1 ENERGY;ASHLEY ZUMWALT-FORBES WEARS A CHRISTIAN SIRIANO BURNOUT DRESS, A SOCIALITE ARMY FAUX FUR COAT AND GABRIEL & CO. GOLD-AND-DIAMOND EAR CLIMBERS.ENERGY
ASHLEY ZUMWALT-FORBES, 2 9
PRESIDENT, BLACK MOUNTAIN METALSAshley Zumwalt-Forbes is big on batteries. The
president of Black Mountain Metals—a divi-
sion of Fort Worth, Texas-based energy produc-
er Black Mountain—is on the hunt for ore like
nickel, a key ingredient of the lithium-ion batter-
ies that power electric cars like Teslas. In 2018 her
unit plowed $75 million into mining operations
in Western Australia. That same year, the Har-
vard M.B.A. ran a hostile takeover bid for Aus-
tralian miner Poseidon Nickel, acquiring a 20%
stake. Zumwalt-Forbes grew up near the oilfi elds
of Choctaw, Oklahoma, majored in petroleum
engineering at the University of Oklahoma and
worked as a drilling engineer at ExxonMobil. As
head of business development for Black Moun-
tain, her analysis of the evolving battery landscape
inspired the company’s jump into mining. “My
number one hurdle was overcoming im-
postor syndrome,” says Zumwalt-Forbes
(no relation to the magazine’s founding
family). “I rarely see another woman in
meetings, let alone one without a for-
mal mining background, but I know
I’ve earned my seat at the table.”
—Jeremy Bogaisky, Elisabeth
Brier, Chris HelmanMATTHEW AGUAYO, 29;
AASHAY ARORA, 28
Cofounders, EnKoat
SANDEEP AHUJA, 28
Cofounder, cove.tool
BENJAMIN BACKER, 22;
DANIELLE BUTCHER, 23
Cofounders, American
Conservation Coalition
MARIA BUITRON, 29
Investor, PIVA
KEVIN BUSH, 27
Cofounder, Swift Solar
CHARLES-HENRI CLERGET, 27;
LOUIS CRETEUR, 29;
ERIC ZHANG, 29
Cofounders, Acoustic Wells
VAITEA COWAN, 26;
JAN-JUSTUS SCHMIDT, 28
Cofounders, Enapter
DANE DEQUILETTES, 29;
ANURAG PANDA, 29
Team leads, GridEdge Solar
DON DEROSA, 29
Cofounder, Eonix
UGWEM ENEYO, 29;
COLE STITES-CLAYTON, 28
Cofounders, SHYFT Power Solutions
ALEXANDRA HARBOUR, 25
Investor, Powerhouse Ventures
ROHIT KALYANPUR, 22
Founder, Optivolt Labs
KENTARO KAWAMORI, 28
Partner, Rice Investment Group
JORDAN KEARNS, 27
Founder, Medley Thermal
ANA SOPHIA MIFSUD, 25
Senior associate,
Rocky Mountain Institute
ISABEL MOGSTAD, 29
Senior manager,
Environmental Defense Fund
GRACE PAULSEN, 29
Energy investments, Arena Investors
RYAN PEARSON, 27;
MATTHEW RYAN, 27
Cofounders, Cypris Materials
ALEXANDRA RASCH, 29
Founder, Caban Systems
TIM SHERSTYUK, 26
Cofounder, GBatt eries
APOORV SINHA, 29
Founder, Carbon Upcycling Technologies
ZACHARY SMITH, 29
Founder, Zauben
ABRAHAM STANWAY, 29
Cofounder, Amperon
ELISE STROBACH, 28;
KYLE WILKE, 29
Cofounders, AeroShield
NAMAN TRIVEDI, 25
Cofounder, Watt Buy
ERICA TSYPIN, 28
Cofounder, Steer
WHITNEY WICKES, 29
Cofounder, Rocking WW Minerals
TYLER WITTMAN, 27
Founder, Precision NDT
JONATHAN YAN, 29
Investor, Sparx
ASHLEY ZUMWALT-FORBES, 29
Cofounder, Black Mountain MetalsFORBES.COM DECEMBER 31, 20 19124