Erich Chmiel was one of the CRIN-supported participants who pitched their innovative business solutions to experts during the Avatar Ignite Shark Tank event in May. He was a member of the Interstitial Energy team in the Hydrogen stream. The group pitched a safe, compact, and long-duration energy storage medium to charge with hydrogen and dispatch energy to offset electrical loads. Chmiel is now one of five CRIN-supported participants in technology accelerator Avatar Studio, which launched in mid-June and concludes with Demo Day in early November. He talked to CRIN about his experience in the 14-week leadership development program Avatar Ignite and his professional goals.

About Erich Chmiel:

I work for Teck Resources (Base Metals side of the business) in the Strategy & Innovation team. I focus primarily on technology innovation, deployment, and operational improvement initiatives at our autonomous haulage sites. I have a background in Mineral Resource Engineering which I earned from Dalhousie University. I am keen on advancing our autonomous technologies to improve safety and net asset utilization. I also have a strong interest in exploring decarbonization initiatives and how we can apply them in the mining industry, which led me to get connected with the Avatar Innovations program through a good friend of mine.

What was the Ignite experience like?

The Ignite experience was a rush. An action-packed three months where our team spent countless hours scoping out problems and developing a solution leveraging hydrogen. It was a lot of work, but an invaluable experience in understanding how hydrogen will support the energy transition. The highlight of the program was the many connections I made, both with my own team and other like-minded professionals in the industry (also taking home gold for our energy stream’s pitch was a great success).

What was the most unique aspect of the business solution your team pitched to the Sharks?

The most unique aspect of our solution is the core tech; it is a novel material (composed of base metals) which we will characterize for our specific use case.

What are the next steps for you?

I want to see this business opportunity through. Our team is committed to a successful Demo Day at the end of the Avatar Studio phase. It’s been an eye-opening experience, and I will continue seeking opportunities to develop my skillset in clean energy technologies and policies while expanding my network of connected professionals. Feel free to reach out. I love a good flat white.