Startup Director Scaling Sustainable Fuels & Decarbonization

Name: Elvis Ebikade (he/him)

PhD: Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware, 2021

What is your current job?

I am the Director for SAF startup (not yet publicly disclosed), and I work remotely.

I focus on commercial strategy, innovation, and partnerships.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I enjoy getting to work with multiple stakeholders to scale sustainable fuels and decarbonization.

What is the most important skill you developed or experience you had during your PhD that now helps you in your current position?

Sustainable fuels technical expertise

How did you build the skills necessary for your current role?

• Learning from previous work experiences: strategy and communication from Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

• Aviation industry knowledge and relationships from Southwest airlines

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

From my network

PhD graduate ➡️ BCG consultant ➡️ Southwest Airlines Senior Sustainable Fuels consultant ➡️ Director, Aviation at SAF startup

If someone is interested in a similar role, what would you recommend they start doing now to prepare?

• Find your passion.

• Be open to learning.

• Build your network.

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

Doesn’t fit my personality - I’m an impact driven, big picture person. Applied over theoretical. Extrovert with a gift for building relationships.

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

Find what you’re passionate about and stay curious. The path isn’t linear - just learn from each opportunity, good or bad. Have a growth mindset

And for those interested, what was your main area of research?

I developed technology for converting food and agricultural waste into sustainable fuels and chemicals.