JB Straubel is a celebrated engineer, entrepreneur, and pioneer in sustainable technology, best known as the Co-founder and former Chief Technology Officer of Tesla Inc. His career has been dedicated to accelerating the transition to clean energy through foundational innovations in electric vehicles and large-scale battery systems. He remains actively involved with Tesla as an Independent Board Director.
At Tesla, Straubel oversaw all technical and engineering design, playing a crucial role in developing the electric vehicle and battery technologies that became the industry standard. His responsibilities spanned new technology evaluation, R&D, and technical due diligence of key vendors. Prior to Tesla, he co-founded Volacom Inc., where he co-invented and patented a novel hydrogen-powered electric propulsion concept for specialized high-altitude aircraft, later licensed to Boeing. This experience established his expertise in energy conversion and hybrid systems.
Straubel is now dedicated to addressing the end-of-life challenge for lithium-ion batteries as the Founder and CEO of Redwood Materials. The company focuses on evolving large-scale recycling technologies to create a truly closed-loop, domestic supply chain for battery materials, a critical component of sustainable energy and electric vehicle adoption. This venture reflects his continued commitment to solving complex environmental challenges through engineering and business model innovation.
Educated at Stanford with both a B.S. and an M.S. in Energy Engineering, Straubel's technical rigor is evident in his personal history of building electric vehicles and his consulting work with top-tier venture capital firms like Kleiner Perkins on clean technologies. His presentations offer audiences deep insights into technical diligence, the future of electric vehicles and energy storage, and the strategic vision required to build necessary infrastructure for a sustainable world.
