Team

RAVIKANT BAROT - Chairman, CEO, Founder

Prior to founding OxiCool, Ravi was Chief Financial Officer for Ford Motor Company's auto finance operations in India. Previously, Ravi has worked in various finance positions at the Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn Michigan that included Product Development at Ford's European Headquarters in Cologne, Germany. Prior to this, Ravi was the Sr. VP of Project Development and Legal Affairs for Gulf and Orient Steamship Lines. Ravi is a former ship Captain who has substantial maritime career spanning over 65 countries over a decade (80's & 90's). He has sailed on Oil Tankers, Refrigerated ships, Car Carriers, Self Unloading Bulk Carriers, Specialized Oil/Ore/Bulk Carriers, and many other types of ships. Ravi is a hands-on versatile leader with strong experience motivating multidisciplinary teams, designing and implementing growth plans, and setting and achieving goals.

Ravi holds an MBA in Finance, Marketing and Operations from Wharton and a Master Mariner license.

Board of Directors

John P. Engels - Director

John Engels is Co-Founder of AxoGen, a venture backed medical device company based in Alachua, Florida. He provides operational and financial leadership for AxoGen, currently managing AxoGen's business development negotiations and corporate partnerships, including its Fortune 500 distribution partner. Mr. Engels has extensive experience in entrepreneurial finance and product development, both raising and managing venture capital for emerging companies and as a consultant to private equity firms and the University of Florida's technology licensing office. He started his career working in boutique investment banking firm CACM pioneering, a multi-billion dollar emissions trading market and helped launch Power Navigator, a high-speed electricity transmission exchange.

Mr. Engels holds an MBA in Management and Operations from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from the University of Chicago.

Advisory Board

JONATHAN KAUFMAN, Ph.D. - Chief Scientific Advisor.

Dr. Kaufman is the Defense Threat Reduction Agency - Chemical Biological Directorate (DTRA-CB) Agent Characterization and Simulant Development Thrust Area Manager, a senior research physiologist for the U.S. Navy, a Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Fellow, and Adjunct Associate Professor, Dept of Textile Engineering, Chemistry & Science, North Carolina State University. He has over 23 years experience leading research efforts in thermal and respiratory physiology, individual protective equipment (IPE), personal cooling systems, bio-instrumentation, and combustion toxicology for various governmental agencies. Dr. Kaufman serves as the official US Navy representative in various bilateral agreements and multilateral organizations involving data exchange and collaboration related to environmental physiology research (including microclimate cooling systems) involving Australia, Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. He has published 4 book chapters and over 100 publications and presentations and has been awarded 2 patents with 1 patent pending and 4 additional invention disclosures under review.

Dr. Kaufman holds a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Drexel University, and a B.Ch.E. in Chemical Engineering from Cleveland State University.

JAMES KLETT, Ph.D. - Technology Advisor

James Klett is a Senior Research Staff Member at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He is an expert in the application of carbon-based structures in a wide range of fields, from biomedical implants to aerospace heat shields to nuclear reactor materials. James is successful at commercializing basic research technologies, as demonstrated by two recent examples. The first, a patented low-cost fabrication method for carbon/carbon composites that has been licensed to a major brake manufacturer. The second, the worlds first flexible heat pipe, licensed to a company to produce cooling for soldiers - several hundred units were deployed to Iraq for preliminary testing. Recently, the discovery of a process to produce high thermal conductivity graphite foam has led to a focus on thermal management solutions. James has spent over 5 years developing cooling systems for the NAVY and the ARMY and has developed man wearable systems tested by the NAVY for helicopter pilots. His present research involves using novel methods and materials for thermal management of computers, aerospace heat exchangers, automobiles and heavy trucks, personal cooling, and weapons. Currently, he holds more than 25 US patents on carbon materials, and more than 40 foreign patents. James has more than 20 publications in journals as the lead author, and more than 40 in other journals and proceedings.

James holds a B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University.

ERIK CHUANG - Project Management Advisor

Mr. Chuang has an extensive background in new business development in the corporate environment, encompassing everything from initial strategy, hiring, incentive plans, sales management to full rollout and implementation. With McKinsey & Company, Erik helped a major financial services provider identify where and how to enter the health insurance and retirement plan markets for small businesses, a $65 million opportunity. At Chase, he has helped build and restructure several divisions from end-to-end, including a 40-person Retail Sales Wholesalers team and a 200-person Workplace Financial Services group. He also lead a newly formed team responsible for launching new Chase branches. Key functions included hiring and staffing, incentive payouts, grand opening launches and sales management. Today, he manages the United Nations business for Chase Business Banking, a $500 million portfolio.

Mr. Chuang holds an MBA in Marketing, Finance and Operations from Wharton, a BA in Economics and Mathematics at Harvard, and is a former Chartered Financial Analyst.

STEVE HANSEN - Engineering and Product Development Advisor.

Steve Hansen has worked for Ford Motor Company where he spent more than 25 years in engineering, product development, program management, and marketing positions. Steve has extensive experience in vehicle engineering and the management of product development programs from concept to launch and manufacturing. His expertise in thermo-science related fields is diverse and includes engine combustion, powertrain cooling, and battery management for electric vehicles. Steve was the Chief Program Engineer for many of Ford electric vehicles that were developed and sold between 1995 and 2002. Before Ford, Steve was with GM Locomotive Division and was responsible for developing engine and traction motor improvements. Steve also has spent recent years as an adjunct instructor of mathematics. He has patents and patent applications in the fields of engine combustion and electric vehicle technologies.

Mr. Hansen holds an MBA from the University of Michigan in corporate strategy and marketing, a Masters of Science from MIT in mechanical engineering, thermo-sciences, and engine combustion, and a Bachelors of Science from General Motors Institute in electrical engineering.