4 minutes with…Rebecca Boudreaux, President, Oberon Fuels

Tell us about your organization and it’s role in the advanced bioeconomy.

Oberon Fuels is launching DME (dimethyl ether) in North America as a clean-burning, alternative to diesel. Using various, domestic feedstocks such as food and green waste and natural gas, Oberon has developed a modular, small-scale process that cost-effectively converts a variety of methane and carbon dioxide sources to DME.

Tell us about your role and what you are focused on in the next 12 months.

Over the next 12 months, Oberon is focused on:
1) additional project development (stayed tuned for upcoming announcements!) which will monetize biogas and industrial waste streams,
2) establishment of additional regulatory framework for DME as a transportation fuel (following the 2014 publication of the ASTM specification of DME as a transportation fuel and EPA’s approval of biogas-based DME as eligible for RINS), and
3) additional DME-powered engine demonstrations in on-road and off-road applications.

What do you feel are the most important milestones the industry must achieve in the next 5 years?

Over the next 5 years, the industry must show:
1) continued growth in capital investment, gallons produced, jobs created, and positive impact on society and the environment,
2) increased cohesiveness among the industry players, and
3) learning to communicate the incredible accomplishments of this industry to those outside the industry.

If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about the Advanced Bioeconomy, what would you change?

If I could change one thing, I would find a low stress, low carbon way to magically transport everyone to business meetings. While technology helps bridge the gap, nothing replaces the face-to-face meeting. Then again, if everyone attends ABLC Next, we can all take a break from traveling for a few months!

Of all the reasons that influenced you to join the Advanced Bioeconomy industry, what single reason stands out for you as still being compelling and important to you?

In all my work – previously in the biotech sector and currently in the energy and non-profit sectors, my goal is to solve deep-rooted, complicated problems which have widespread, positive implications for the world if resolved.

Where are you from? 

I was born in New Orleans and grew up in the heart of Cajun Country – Lafayette, LA (in case you couldn’t guess by my last name).

What was your undergraduate major in college, and where did you attend? Why did you choose that school and that pathway? 

I majored in Polymer Science at the University of Southern Mississippi. My parents encouraged education but didn’t have the means to pay for my advanced education. Southern Miss offered me a scholarship. My summer research internships at Princeton and MIT led me to pursue a Ph.D. at UMass rather than attending medical school as originally planned.

Who do you consider your mentors. What have you learned from them?

Numerous people have had a positive influence on my life. To name a few:
My parents, Rudy and Becky Boudreaux, who taught me the importance of education, hard work, and treating everyone equally and with respect,
Dr. Maureen Ryan, Southern Miss English Professor, who helped me dream bigger about what I wanted to pursue in life,
Rhonda Rhyne, CEO of Prevencio, who gave me the tools to recognize opportunities and define my personal brand,
Dr. Shehan Dissanayake, Sr. Managing Director at Tavistock Group, who taught me the power of effective communication and challenges me to take risks personally and professionally,
Dr. Anita Sands, Board Director at Symantec, who encourages me to continuously define my personal and professional path and determine what really matters to me,
Dr. Bruce Main, Founder of UrbanPromise, whose life works demonstrates the incredible power of social entrepreneurship, persistence, and love and their ability to change communities around the world.

What’s the biggest lesson you ever learned during a period of adversity?

Adversity precedes and prepares you for enormous opportunities and brings clarity on the people and projects in which you should invest your time.

What hobbies do you pursue, away from your work in the industry? 

Running marathons, traveling off-the-beaten path, and cooking Paleo cuisine. Supporting social entrepreneurs is also an important aspect of my life. I work with UrbanPromise International to break the poverty cycle with children through education (right now we are fundraising to build a girls dorm in Malawi Africa to house 60 girls!).

What 3 books would you take to read, if stranded on a desert island?

Daniel Yergin’s The Quest (I would finally finish it!)
The Bible (to keep my world centered, also provide tips from Noah on building an ark in case I wanted to escape)
Fishing for Dummies (because a woman has to eat!)

What books or articles are on your reading list right now, or you just completed and really enjoyed?

I recently completed “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” by William Kamkwamba. It is an amazing story of a Malawian boy whose ingenuity enabled him to create a wind turbine from scraps and to bring electricity and hope to his rural village during a time of incredible suffering in East Africa.

What’s your favorite city or place to visit, for a holiday?

San Diego – while this is officially where I live, I spend the majority of my time on the road, and miss SD and my neighborhood Little Italy. Next choice – Positano on the Amalfi Coast. I went to cooking school there several years ago and fell in love with the town. I am lucky enough to be heading there for my honeymoon in the summer!