The proven power of nuclear,
from nuclear's proven team.

For over 40 years, Bill Stokes has shaped the U.S. nuclear industry, leading advanced fast reactor development, major DOE initiatives, and commercial deployment strategies. His relentless focus on efficiency, reliability, and waste reduction is the foundation of First American Nuclear Co.

With a background that spans everything from reactor construction to advanced reactor designs, Bill has earned the reputation of being a Titan of Nuclear.

Mike has a wealth of business and executive leadership knowledge gained through a background in a diverse mix of industries. He began his career in the energy industry working for Shell Energy North America and has experience in transactional sales of energy, load management of generation, and grid maintenance. Taking this experience, Mike went on to serve in executive positions focusing on building brands in several different industries. Mike has most recently led the development and commercialization of a proprietary electrochemical battery cell as CEO of Renuvi Energy.

Nicholas Burnett is an experienced attorney and executive specializing in structured finance, M&A, and renewable energy project development. He has worked for top global law firms representing leading private equity firm clients, and later led financing efforts for several clean energy ventures. He holds a J.D. and B.A. from the University of Florida and an MBA from the University of Washington.

A successful entrepreneur and investor, Gianluca Cicogna has financed and built businesses across technology, telecoms and agriculture. His career started in M&A and telecom development in Asia, after which he co-founded Zanett Funds in NYC, investing in 30+ mostly technology companies.

With his extensive global network and long track record in cross-border transactions and investments, Gianluca brings relationships and knowhow to raising the capital required to drive FANCO’s success.

Dr. Eric McFarland is a renowned expert in nuclear technologies and chemical engineering. A Berkeley and MIT-trained nuclear engineer, he has authored over 200 publications and holds over 30 patents.

With over 30 years of experience in energy and fuels technology, Eric has founded several energy-related startups and participated in research at the nation’s premier universities.

Dr. Alan Waltar is a global authority on fast reactors, nuclear safety, and commercialization. As author of Fast Breeder Reactors and former Director of Nuclear Energy at PNNL, his influence spans national and international nuclear policy. Alan is considered one of the world’s experts in fast reactor designs.

Aside from a successful academic research and government leadership career, Alan has over 20 years working at Westinghouse where he held several leadership positions including the operation of the Fast Flux Test Facility.

Dr. James Conca is a leading expert in nuclear waste management and environmental remediation, with over 35 years of experience. His work on Yucca Mountain and WIPP has shaped critical nuclear waste solutions.

With leadership roles at NASA, Los Alamos, and PNNL, and as a Forbes contributor, James drives FANCO’s mission to redefine waste control for next-generation nuclear energy.


Philip Jensen is a nuclear fuels specialist with deep experience in advanced reactor design and testing. Over the course of his career, he has developed new fuel cycle projects at AtkinsRéalis, led an advanced reactor fuel design team at GE Hitachi, and managed multidisciplinary programs at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Tom has over 20 years experience in technical manufacturing and engineering processes in taking designs from concept to commercialization.

Coming from a background in Fortune 100 companies, Tom has brought his talents to several startups including Renuvi Energy where he was instrumental in the development of a novel electrochemical battery cell.

Dr. Andrew Caldwell is a specialist in molten metals and high temperature thermochemistry. He has built and overseen multi-year-long testing programs for materials under extreme process conditions and has extensive experience in applied research for rapid technology development, particularly for chemical processes in molten media and materials compatibility. Andrew holds a Ph.D. from MIT.

Steve has over 45 years of experience in liquid-metal fast reactor operations and engineering. A Mechanical Engineering graduate of Washington State University, he spent more than three decades at the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) in roles ranging from Reactor Operator to leading all fuel handling and core refueling operations.

He later served as Engineering Manager for FFTF’s fuel handling systems before transitioning to consultancy, where he supported advanced liquid-metal reactor projects with a focus on fuel handling system design and operations.

Dr. Kevin Schwinkendorf has over 25 years of experience in the DOE nuclear weapons complex, with roles at Hanford, the Nevada Test Site, and Los Alamos. An expert in reactor core physics and advanced modeling and simulation, he has supported criticality safety, fast-reactor analysis, and complex nuclear systems design. Kevin holds nuclear engineering degrees from Oregon State University (BS, MS) and the University of Washington (PhD).

Peter brings 30+ years of experience in advanced nuclear systems, specializing in liquid-metal fast reactors and remote fuel-handling technologies. He has led DOE waste-retrieval programs across multiple national labs, contributed to international IAEA standards, and served as a chief engineer in isotope-production systems. A U.S. Navy veteran, he served aboard a fast-attack nuclear submarine. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California.

Al is a nuclear engineer with deep expertise in liquid metal cooled fast-reactor systems, serving as a key contributor to FFTF’s operational history. His work includes co-authoring foundational DOE analyses on FFTF performance and contributing materials science and operations analysis to many GenIV reactor designs today.

Bill has forty years of experience in management, design, construction and operation of nuclear and chemical plants in both commercial and government environments. Bill served as the Plant Engineering Manager at the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF). A nationally recognized expertise in nuclear (reactor and non-reactor) facility management, project management, transportation of nuclear materials, and robotic applications in hostile environments.

Thurman Cooper is a nationally recognized specialist in nuclear-materials chemistry and actinide processing, with more than 40 years of experience developing major U.S. plutonium-processing capabilities and leading groundbreaking studies on isotopic migration and heavy-metal behavior in liquid-metal and molten-salt reactor environments.

Dr. Sam Shaner is a proven technical leader who has driven the development of advanced nuclear and chemical systems from first principles through commercial-scale pilots, including major process, modeling, and reactor-design programs. He earned his PhD and MS in Nuclear Science and Engineering from MIT and has authored multiple publications and patents across high-impact energy technologies.

Julie has spent her entire career focused on nuclear energy and nuclear safety, beginning with participating in our nation’s response to the Chernobyl disaster.

For over 30 years now, she has interfaced with the highest levels of government on nuclear safety including serving the President of the United States as the Director of Strategic Capabilities Policy for the National Security Staff.

Bentz holds a PhD and master of science in nuclear engineering from the University of Missouri, a master of science in national security strategy from the National Defense University, and a bachelor of arts in radiological health from Oregon State University.

Laura has built a dynamic career at the intersection of economic development and politics.

A graduate of the prestigious Lugar Series, Laura has played a pivotal role in both state and federal political campaigns while fostering sustainable growth and strengthening public-private partnerships.

Mark is a former County Commissioner with deep involvement in regional energy planning, working closely with various utilities across the country, his work has centered on preparing county infrastructure and economic-development priorities for future energy needs.

JJ has over 15 years of experience as a founder and advisor, building and scaling ventures across energy, infrastructure, finance, and real estate.

His strategic ability to develop relationships is foundational in empowering teams to expand their vision and overall development both domestically and globally.