Russ Conser is a mechanical engineer (Iowa State ’83) and energy systems leader with 30+ years of experience spanning oil and gas, broader energy systems, and agricultural innovation. He began his career at Shell, working across exploration and production to develop a deep technical foundation in how energy is found, quantified, and extracted from the subsurface. He later helped lead global innovation efforts, including Shell Technology Ventures and GameChanger, advancing new energy technologies and business models at scale.

Today, his work centers on what he sees as the next energy transition: from extracting stored carbon in the deep earth to managing real-time energy flows in living, biological systems. As co-founder of Standard Soil and CTO of Pergena Systems, he works at the intersection of agriculture, energy, and nutrient cycling—designing systems that convert waste into renewable energy and soil-regenerating products.

Grounded in systems thinking, his “synthetic savanna” concept integrates livestock, energy, and soil regeneration into a unified platform where energy flows and nutrients are cycled rather than depleted. His work combines anaerobic digestion, renewable energy, nutrient recovery, and low-carbon fuels, with economic viability as the foundation for environmental outcomes.

Russ brings a pragmatic, physics-informed perspective on carbon intensity, infrastructure, and market alignment, focused on solutions that integrate performance, returns, and ecological health through better system design.