Vanessa Z Chan

Vanessa Z Chan is currently serving as the Chief Commercialization Officer and Director of the Office of Technology Transitions at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In this role, they are responsible for driving private sector uptake of clean energy technology and ensuring that taxpayer-funded discoveries from DOE facilities make their way into the commercial marketplace.

Prior to their current position, Vanessa was a Professor of Practice in Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania, where they also held the role of Undergraduate Chair in Materials Science and Engineering. Vanessa Z was an Executive Committee Member and a member of the Entrepreneurial Advisory Council at the Delaware Innovation Space.

Vanessa has also held positions as an Independent Venture Board Director at Vanguard, a Member of the Board of Advisors at Percepta and ChargeItSpot, and a Partner at Robin Hood Ventures. Vanessa Z was a Founding Member of the Innovation and Business Development Council Advisory Board at United Technologies.

Additionally, Vanessa has served as a member of various oversight committees and advisory boards, including the Oversight Committee for the PA Pediatric Medical Device Consortia at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Before their work in academia and advisory roles, Vanessa was the Founder and Chief Designer at re.design, a design studio.

Vanessa Z Chan holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Vanessa Z also has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Prior to that, Vanessa completed their A Levels in Physics, Mathematics, Chemistry, and English Literature at Island School.