Our success is the result of the exceptional talent and unwavering dedication of our outstanding team.

With over 40 members, our diverse team includes industry-leading scientific researchers, exceptional process operators, and innovative leaders. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, our reach and impact extend globally.

LEADERSHIP

Dr. Francis Wang

Francis Wang is the Chief Executive Officer for NanoGraf Technologies, an advanced silicon-anode materials manufacturer at the forefront of the lithium-ion battery industry. Under his leadership, NanoGraf raised $65 million in venture funding in 2023, one of the year’s 10 largest battery venture capital rounds.

Francis has over 25 years of experience in energy storage and clean energy innovation, commercialization, and manufacturing. Francis’s work experience in energy storage spans a range of magnitudes from very small (uW-mW) forms of storage for portable electronics & medical applications to very large (kW-MW) for transportation and the grid. His achievements extend the energy storage value chain from upstream design of novel cathode & anode materials technologies to downstream development of commercial manufacturing facilities. He has held positions in some of the world’s largest battery, consumer products, and energy companies, including Duracell, Procter & Gamble, Gillette, and Boston Scientific. In addition to his work at NanoGraf, Francis is a board director for The Sunlight Group Energy Storage Systems. He holds over 50 U.S. and international patents, has authored over 20 scientific publications, was named to the Forbes Next 1000 in 2021 and is among Axios’s 2023 Power Players. Francis holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the State University of New York at Stony Brook where he studied under Professor Clare P. Grey.

Connor Hund

Connor leads operations and manufacturing at NanoGraf and manages organizational and financial strategy, including relationships with investors and other key stakeholders.

Connor brings experience developing and investing in clean energy and other technology projects and applications. Prior to joining NanoGraf, he managed development and financing of wind, solar, and energy storage projects. He also previously held positions in the origination and underwriting of investments in early and growth-stage energy and technology businesses. Connor holds an undergraduate business degree from the University of Illinois and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Jeff Helm

Jeff is the VP of Sales & Marketing for NanoGraf with the primary focus to increase revenue by developing and implementing an overall marketing and sales strategy for the company's products, including pricing and customer service.
Jeff brings 12 years of experience within the battery marketplace by previously held Business Development and Product Manager positions at A123 Systems, Saft Batteries, and Inventus Power. Across these various roles, Jeff has grown revenue by securing key development and production contracts, forming special relationships, and bringing a great deal of focus to creating solutions within the commercial, government, and military markets. Jeff holds a BS in Engineering from Michigan State University and an MBA from Walsh School of Business.

Tim Porcelli

As NanoGraf's Senior Director of Business Development, Tim brings experience in developing markets in the energy storage and advanced materials sectors, founded on a technical background in surface science and engineering.

Prior to joining NanoGraf, Tim managed business development activities at Forge Nano, where he specialized in cathode/anode materials and large capital equipment sales. His former roles include positions at SAES Group and at Keysight Technologies. Tim holds a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and an MBA from the University of Colorado.

Dr. Nigel Becknell

Nigel leads the Technology Development team, coordinating materials R&D to improve key performance metrics that translate to system level improvements for customers.

Nigel has over ten years experience in developing materials and electrochemical interfaces that solve challenges in a wide range of battery and fuel cell technologies. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Argonne National Laboratory where he synthesized novel materials for electrochemical systems and applied advanced characterization techniques. Nigel received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Kenneth Avery

Ken leads the Cell Development organization at NanoGraf.
Ken brings 15+ of experience ranging from bench-top materials characterization to productizing Li-ion cells for automotive customers. Prior to joining NanoGraf, Ken served as the VP of Product Development at Solid Power preceded by roles with ACC, Northvolt, A123 and Boston Power. Ken has a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT.

Jia (Chow) He

Jia is the VP of Manufacturing for NanoGraf, focusing on production strategies and process scale-up to achieve world-class commercial manufacturing.

Chow brings many years of experience in chemical manufacturing and scaling up new products with DuPont, Kuraray, and Zymergen. Throughout his various roles, Chow has demonstrated success leading operations teams and has attained skills in the areas of production, supply chain, process, projects, and quality management systems. Chow holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech.