Advisory Board

Nicole Woolsey Biggart

Nicole Woolsey Biggart
Advisory Board Chairwoman
Dr. Biggart is a professor of Management and Sociology and the Jerome J. and Elsie Suran Chair in Technology Management at the University of California, Davis.  Dr. Biggart also holds the Chevron Chair in Energy Efficiency and directs the UC Davis Energy Efficiency Center. She received her Ph.D from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Biggart served as the dean of the UC Davis Graduate School of Management from July 2003 to June 2009.  She is an expert in organizational theory and management of innovation and has written many books, book-length reports and more than 30 articles.  Dr. Biggart has studied a variety of sectors, organizations and markets around the world.  She is active and deeply engaged in the Northern California business community and currently is on the editorial board of Comstock’s business magazine and the board of Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance.

Daniel Sperling

Daniel Sperling
Advisory Board Member
Dr. Sperling is a Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science and Policy, as well as founding director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis.  In February 2007, Governor Schwarzenegger appointed Dr. Sperling to the Board of the California Air Resources Board, often referred to as the most powerful air quality agency in the world. Dr. Sperling is recognized as a leading international expert on transportation technology assessment, energy and environmental aspects of transportation, and transportation policy.  He was honored as a lifetime National Associate of the National Academies and is author or editor of 200 technical articles and 11 books, including Two Billion Cars.  He earned his B.S. in Environmental Engineering and Urban Planning from Cornell University and his Ph.D. in Transportation Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley (with minors in Economics and Energy & Resources).

Bill Davis

Bill Davis
Advisory Board Member
Under Mr. Davis’ leadership, Ze-gen successfully raised $35 million through three equity rounds, demonstrated its proprietary technology, and recruited a world-class management team and advisory board. Prior to founding Ze-gen, Mr. Davis’ career in business has included launching numerous companies: Database Marketing Corporation in 1986, Holland Mark in 1997, and Cambridge Brand Analytics in 2003. Mr. Davis serves on the President’s Council for CERES, and an advisory panel to Clinton Global Initiative.

Wil Agatstein

Wil Agatstein
Advisory Board Member
Mr. Agatstein is an entrepreneurial executive with nearly 30 years of experience in product innovation, international development, manufacturing, support, marketing and sales.  Graduating Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s of science degree in material science from Rice University, Agatstein spent 27 years at Intel, where he established a proven track record of innovation of production products.  He was the creator and driving force behind the success of Intel’s Classmate PC, a small, rugged and personalized laptop for children in the developing world.  Mr. Agatstein is currently the Executive Director of the UC Davis Center for Entrepreneurship and Visiting Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Management.

Christine Gulbranson

Christine Gulbranson
Advisory Board Member
Named one of the “Top ‘Forty Under 40’ of Business Leaders in Silicon Valley,” Dr. Gulbranson earned five degrees, including an MBA, from the University of California, Davis, all by the age of 25.  She began her career as Director of Research Collaborations in the University of California’s Office of the President.  Combining her science and business background, Dr. Gulbranson spent two years as a partner at Global Catalyst Partners, a Bay Area venture capital firm that specializes in the high-tech sector.  She has launched two nanotechnology firms and a consulting practice. Dr. Gulbranson is a member of the UC Davis Graduate School of Management’s Dean’s Advisory Council.

Jim Wunderman

Jim Wunderman
Advisory Board Member
Mr. Wunderman serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bay Area Council, a business-packed public policy organization in the San Francisco-Oakland-Silicon Valley Bay Area.  Prior to the Bay Area Council, he held key positions in both the private and public sectors, which included Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Providian Financial Corporation and Chief of Staff to San Francisco Mayor Frank M. Jordan.  Wunderman is an active member of the community.  In addition to Sierra Energy’s Advisory Board, he serves on the board of California Pacific Medical Center, Bridge Housing Corporation, the Advisory Board of the Partnership for America’s Economic Success and many others.  Wunderman graduated with honors from San Francisco State University, majoring in Political Science.  In 2003, he was inducted into San Francisco State’s Alumni Hall of Fame.

Michael Child

Michael C. Child
Advisory Board Member
Mr. Child currently serves as a Managing Director for TA Associates, Inc., a private equity investment firm, where he is co-head of the Menlo Park office Technology Group, focusing on investments in technology and technology-based service businesses.  Prior to joining TA Associates, he was a Product Manager for ROLM Corporation, worked with Boston Consulting Group in strategic planning and was a Production Engineer for Hewlett-Packard. He received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Davis and earned his MBA from Stanford University.  Child serves as a member of the advisory board for Graduate School of Management at UC Davis and is the 2010 Aggie Service Award recipient in recognition of his recent dedication of time, energy, volunteerism and leadership in support of the alumni association and UC Davis.