Harvard grad who did thesis research in Rwanda on post-colonial theory and went on to become one of the youngest chief executives of a company larger than $400 million in size. Has been an advisor on energy and transparency to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines since 2010. Began career at Goldman Sachs, working in private-equity and natural resources investment banking. Is actively involved in multistakeholder discussions on U.S. natural gas, fracking, LNG exports, CNG and American energy independence for various organizations, including Bloomberg, Handelsblatt, the State Government Leadership Project, Women in Government, American Enterprise Institute and Deloitte’s Global Chemicals Think Tank.

Accomplishments: Founded Warwick Energy Group in 2010 with a focus on natural gas, and has grown the company to own more than 4,500 wells in 13 states with $500 million in committed capital. Grew technical team to include industry veterans from Chesapeake Energy, EOG Resources, Texaco, Devon Energy, Quicksilver Resources, Anadarko Petroleum and Mesa Petroleum.

“Our office is honest, intense and challenging. We’re really tough, and we work very hard. We demand a lot of ourselves and of one another, but we take good care of each other.” In 2013, was elected to the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders class for a five-year term.

On natural gas as a transportation fuel: “The U.S. is the Saudi Arabia of natural gas, yet only 3% of our natural gas is used for transportation. It’s shocking that, as part of national discourse, we’re not having more serious conversations about incentivizing advanced natural gas engine and tank technologies, the American Natural Gas Highway or the requisite infrastructure.”

Goals: “Our industry lacks the credible, honest, authentic thought leadership necessary to communicate with policymakers and the U.S. public at large about the scale of our unconventional hydrocarbon resources and the implications of impending North American energy independence and the impending U.S. manufacturing revolution.”