Chevron Technology Ventures

Karl Allen is a Change and Communications Advisor at Chevron with over 30 years of experience in technology innovation across startup, government, and enterprise sectors. During his 15-year tenure at Chevron, he has focused on digital transformation initiatives, including the deployment of advanced analytics, AI-enabled predictive maintenance, and Industrial IoT solutions, as well as technology portfolio management and strategic partnerships. His experience encompasses digital transformation leadership, strategic investment management, and collaborative ecosystem development across the energy sector.

Niaz Faruqui is a venture capital investor at Chevron focused on innovative and disruptive energy transition technologies and business models. He brings experience across the fuels value chain and broader energy ecosystem, with expertise in venture capital investment, value chain optimization, and business operations planning.

Nicholas Brumvele is a venture investor and corporate development professional with five years of experience as a Principal at Chevron Technology Ventures, where he managed the Energy Decentralization and Emerging Mobility verticals across Future Energy Funds I-III ($900M cumulative) and served as Board Observer for five portfolio companies. Prior to his venture role, he spent seven years in Chevron's trading, planning, and business development groups. He currently serves as a non-executive director at Dawson Technologies and architected the Rice AI Venture Accelerator in partnership with Rice University.

Barbara Burger is an independent director at Bloom Energy and holds advisory positions with multiple energy and sustainability-focused firms including Milestone Environmental Services, Revterra, and Energy Impact Partners. She previously served as Vice President of Innovation and President of Chevron Technology Ventures at Chevron, where she held management roles spanning international marketing, chemicals, and ventures. Burger holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of Rochester, a PhD in Chemistry from Caltech, and an MBA from UC Berkeley; she serves on the Board of Trustees at the University of Rochester and on advisory boards at Caltech's Resnick Sustainability Institute, and is immediate past Board President of the Houston Symphony.

JB Clavaud is a Personal Development Representative in Earth Science at Chevron, with experience in the oil and energy industry. He has professional expertise in oilfield technology.

Louisa Reid is a technology scout at Chevron Technology Ventures with over forty years of experience in the oil and energy industry, spanning operations, production engineering, and pyrotechnical applications. She specializes in identifying, trialing, and commercializing novel technologies for corporate applications. Her expertise includes business processes, oil and gas operations, production and reservoir engineering, and information technology.

Luca Rigo de Righi is an oil and gas consultant with over 35 years of industry experience. He previously served as Director of Global New Ventures for Chevron Upstream, where he identified corporate opportunities in conventional and unconventional exploration across Southeast Asia, North Africa, Europe, Africa, and South America. He holds a B.S. in Geology from Tulane University and advanced degrees in Geology from the University of South Carolina, and maintains professional memberships in the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Geological Society of America.

Michael Pickering is a Forward Deployed Engineer at Quartermaster AI and founder of Gco Tech. He spent four years as a core member of Chevron's Robotics and UAS team, developing drone technology for confined space inspections and digital twin applications, and has founded two startups focused on collaborative robotics for workplace safety. He holds an MIT Master's degree in geomechanics and reservoir simulation, maintains FAA Part 107 Commercial UAS certification, and has experience in corporate venture capital scouting and cross-functional project management across digital and hardware solutions.

Pawel Konzal is a Venture Executive at Chevron Technology Ventures with prior experience as CEO of a stock exchange-listed investment fund operating across Asia, Africa, and Europe. He has held senior positions in industry, government, and international organizations across the USA, Switzerland, UK, Poland, and Belgium, and has attended the World Economic Forum Annual Meetings from 2009 to 2025. Since May 2023, he has written a monthly column for Rzeczpospolita, Poland's leading daily newspaper, and was admitted to the Press Club of Poland in June 2025; he also founded an idea tank focused on nonprofit collaboration and previously established the first permanent Brussels representation for an energy company from the EU's new member states.

Ryan Owen is an Investment Manager at Chevron Technology Ventures with background in upstream and midstream energy consulting and engineering management. His experience spans strategy development, project management, and technology commercialization, with focus on innovative technology solutions in the energy sector. He is multilingual, speaking English, Italian, German, and basic Spanish, French, and Norwegian.