SPE Members in Transition Seminar #13

Speaker#1 Name: Maryanne Maldonado

Speaker #1 Title: Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Speaker #1 Company: Houston Technology Center (HTC)

Speaker #1 Bio: Maryanne Maldonado is VP and CEO at HTC, where she oversees the client services, marketing, offsite campus, and general event operations of the organization and leads the team to provide strategic, tactical, and operational guidance, as well as investment-related advice, to early stage companies developing innovative technologies with applications in the Energy, Information Technology, Life Sciences, Nanotechnology and Aerospace. Prior to joining HTC, Mrs. Maldonado was Head of Trade and Investment and Head of the International Energy Team for UK Trade and Investment with the British Consulate General.  Maldonado holds MBA and BS degrees from LeTourneau University.

Event Description/Presentation Abstract:  Houston Technology Center and the SPE-GCS Ideas Launch Pad

The Houston Technology Center is a Houston based technology business accelerator and the largest technology business incubator in Texas. SPE-GCS is partnering with HTC on the Ideas Launch Pad (ILP).  The SPE-GCS is looking for members to submit new technology ideas to via the ILP initiative, and our objective is to help assess technology that has the potential to be launched as a commercial venture and to help you kick-start your dream.

Speaker#2 Name: Nick Tillmann

Speaker #2 Title: Director Energy Acceleration

Speaker #2 Company: Houston Technology Center

Speaker #2 Bio: Nick Tillmann is Director of Client Acceleration for the Energy Sector, and has served as Energy & IT Advisor for HTC since 2009.  Mr. Tillmann is a seasoned energy executive whose experience includes more than 25 years with ConocoPhillips.  He managed the company's $500 MM global petroleum coke business, led strategy management for European businesses and started the company's operations in Poland. Nick has served as Chairman of the Biofuels Taskforce for the Great Houston Partnership, and is a Director with Silver Fox Advisors. Nick has an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management MBA, and a BA from University of Illinois at Chicago.

Speaker #3 Name: Pedro Santos

Speaker #3 Title: Director and Founder

Speaker #3 Company:  Hicor Technologies Inc.

Speaker #3 Bio: Pedro is a serial energy technology entrepreneur. He conceived Hicor’s near-isothermal multiphase compression technology and has pioneered the additional technological developments in CNG for bulk transport. He currently holds 4 issued patents and >19 pending applications.  Pedro has received numerous technical awards including the Goradia Innovation Prize and was named by Forbes as one of its  “30 under 30” award in the field of energy in 2011. Pedro holds a bachelor of science degree in engineering from Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, a BS in International Business from Rochester Institute of Technology and an MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

Event Description/Presentation Abstract: Blue Ocean Technological Entrepreneurship in Energy

The North American oil and gas industry has been turned upside down by the impact of technologies developed >40yrs ago. How do you start, fund, and develop a technology company in the energy sector as a young professional, creating a blue ocean opportunity in an otherwise mature field.

Speaker #4 Name: Eric R. Calderon

Speaker #4 Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

Speaker #4 Company: LK Industries              

Speaker #4 Bio: Eric R. Calderon serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of LK Industries. Founded in 1930, LK Industries is a niche manufacturer of oil testing equipment. The firm was acquired in 2015 through Mr. Calderon’s search fund, TXE Capital.   Born in Houston, Texas, Mr. Calderon previously worked as an engineer for Concho Resources in the Permian Basin. In 2012, Mr. Calderon had the privilege of working for House Speaker John Boehner on energy policy and legislation. Mr. Calderon earned his BS in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Harvard University.

Event Description/Presentation Abstract: Entrepreneurship in Oilfield Manufacturing: In 2013, Mr. Eric Calderon, after working as a petroleum engineer, fulfilled his entrepreneurial dream and purchased a small business in the Oil and Gas Industry. As an SPE panelist, he will discuss his decision to pursue an MBA and his desire to become a business owner. He’ll explain how he raised the necessary capital, and examine the dramatic differences between working as an engineer for a large company and operating his own small business. Finally, he’ll share lessons about survival in a downward market, and will conclude with advice for those considering an entrepreneurial path in the future.