Team
Jason Cotrell, MBA, MSME
Founder/CEO
Jason Cotrell founded Sperra as RCAM Technologies in 2017, beginning a new chapter in a successful career in renewable energy that began in 1995 at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. At NREL’s National Wind Technology Center, Jason served in multiple engineering and management roles, ultimately leading the Innovation and Reliability Group for wind and water power technology, where his team developed advanced controls, simulation, reliability, and field testing for wind technologies.
Gabriel Falzone, PhD
Chief Operating Officer
Gabriel Falzone, PhD, leads day-to-day operations at Sperra. Gabriel has experience scaling up climate-tech innovations from laboratory to the field as the former VP of Technology at low-carbon concrete startup CarbonBuilt. Gabriel led the CarbonBuilt team through the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program and spearheaded the demonstration of the carbon utilization technology at an operating power plant, which won the team $7.5 million from the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE. Gabriel holds a PhD in Materials Engineering specializing in low-carbon concrete from UCLA.
Vahid Jafari Azad, PhD, PE
Chief Structural Engineer
Vahid Jafari Azad, PhD, PE, oversees, performs and manages structural engineering design and analysis for Sperra projects. Vahid has more than a decade of postdoctoral experience in numerical modeling, analysis and design, with a focus on marine structures. Vahid holds a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Tehran.
Mason Bell
Product Manager, Anchors
Mason Bell oversees product development of Sperra’s 3D concrete printed products, leveraging his expertise in civil engineering and 3D printing to advance innovative solutions for renewable energy. An FE-certified Civil Engineer, Mason holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado.
Jacob Blum
R&D Engineer, Materials
Jacob Blum has extensive experience researching inorganic and cementitious materials, and is passionate about developing printable concrete materials with lower carbon footprints. He holds a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from UCLA.
Taylor Marchment, PhD
Lead R&D Engineer
Taylor Marchment specializes in reinforcement design of 3D concrete printing. With more than 10 years of practical concrete construction experience, Taylor takes a pragmatic approach to problem solving and R&D in automated construction. Taylor earned a PhD in Civil Engineering from Swinburne University in Australia.
Evan Marquardt
Product manager, energy storage
Evan Marquardt leads the development of Sperra’s Marine Pumped Hydropower (MPH) product, applying years of experience in computational fluid dynamics, design optimization methodologies, and project management. Evan holds an MBA from the University of Southern California, an MSc in Race Car Aerodynamics from the University of Southampton, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington.
Charlotte Marston
Technical Writer and Proposal Manager
Charlotte Marston has more than five years’ experience as a technical and grant writer in the environmental sciences sector. Charlotte graduated with honors from UC Santa Barbara with a B.S. in Biopsychology and is also a published author.
Eduardo Rangel
Mechanical Engineer
Eduardo Rangel is an experienced computer-aided design modeler and has worked at NREL, analyzing offshore wind logistics. Eduardo holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Long Beach.
Sonoko Watanabe, PhD
Structural Engineer
Sonoko Watanabe, PhD, has extensive experience as both a structural engineer and material scientist, specifically for 3D concrete printing. Sonoko earned her PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from UC Davis and an MSc in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Ritsumeikan University in Japan.