1. Tell me about yourself! What’s your background like?
NS: My background is very interdisciplinary. In college, I was a History/Geography dual major with minors in Computer Science, Meteorology, and Geographic Information Systems. I decided to pursue Atmospheric Science for graduate school because I loved investigating climate events and their impacts on human actions. One of my first research projects was investigating El-Niño impacts on the fishing industry off the coast of Peru — and the rest is history. Fast forward to my dissertation work and I became even more interested in the FEW nexus (Food, Energy, and Water). A lot of my research involved doing observational data analysis, instrumentation development, and big geocomputation on atmospheric and energy-related data. I got into blockchain after realizing its potential to democratize and decentralize energy systems — literally putting power production and ownership back into the hands of everyday people.
2. How did you end up joining MOBI? What can you tell me about your role?
After finishing grad school I was working in utilities but had a strong interest in startups. I worked on a few in my spare time, but as a solopreneur, progress is slow and resources are limited. I learned about MOBI while researching microgrid integration and mobility — which is where one of my startup ideas was heading. I thought it would be a great opportunity to utilize my knowledge of microgrids by working with MOBI. As a Research Fellow, I bulk up the organization’s knowledge on new battery-related policies, standards, and potentially disruptive technologies to come in the future. I will also be supporting the Electric Vehicle Grid Integration II Working Group and developing a way for MOBI to certify battery manufacturers’ products abroad.
3. How does your background in Geography apply to your work at MOBI?
Geography is very interdisciplinary. Space is entirely made up of the resources, people, and cultures that inhabit it. Examining those influences is crucial for building superior logistical processes and understanding how to better interact with our Earth. Geography provides an understanding of spatial interactions and with MOBI everything is essentially about space. Where you charge your EV, where you drive your car, where you acquire resources from — all of these things are inherently spatial and are problems that MOBI is working on.
4. What does the New Economy of Movement mean to you?
The New Economy of Movement means that individuals can leverage mobility anywhere and at any time. It means being able to turn all mobile resources into a superpower held in the palm of your hand. If you want back up power provided by an electric vehicle, MOBI can help with that. If you want superior tracking of emissions on the road, MOBI can help with that. If you want to utilize someone else’s vehicle to deliver a pizza to your house, MOBI can help with that — all in a decentralized, secure, and anonymous way.