Founded in 2007, Starfire Energy had an initial focus on solar energy systems. Since 2016, the Company has been developing patented technology for the clean synthesis and use of ammonia. Early technology development was completed thanks to more than $3M in DOE and State grant monies. Following an influx of support from friends and family, Starfire closed on a Series A funding round in 2021.
The interest in Starfire Energy’s technologies continues to gain momentum with project requests from around the globe and a veritable who’s who of potential investors and strategic partners. Market segments range from distributed fertilizer generation to help farmers steady their crop costs, distributed fuel synthesis and power generation to stabilize utility grids, to centralized, large-scale facilities making ammonia for fuel use as well as export.
As the world adopts clean fuels, it is clear ammonia has a significant role to play. Starfire Energy is proud to be a catalyst for this positive change in our global ecosystem.
Our Leaders
Joe Beach
Joe is one of the founders of Starfire Energy. He switched its emphasis from solar energy to ammonia fuel in 2016 and leads the business and technology development. He is currently Starfire Energy’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of its Board of Directors.
Joe was a co-founder of PrimeStar Solar, which was funded and purchased by GE. PrimeStar Solar went on to set CdTe cell and module performance records, and the technology they developed can be seen in commercial CdTe solar panels today.
Joe received an M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Colorado School of Mines and a B.S. in both Physics and Physical Education from the University of Alaska – Fairbanks. While he lived in Fairbanks he also took up cross country skiing and hang gliding, and served as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician in Chena-Goldstream Fire and Rescue. He currently enjoys jogging, gardening, and making home-made wines.
Jennifer Beach
Jennifer co-founded Starfire Energy in 2007 with the goal that it would provide vertical integration for her co-founder’s start-up, Primestar Solar. Jennifer leveraged her Master of Science degree in Technology Management to set up the company’s administrative, sales, service, and installation processes establishing a strong supply chain and driving project installation improvements to increase the company profit margins. Jennifer built relationships with vendors, customers, and other installation companies that survive to this day. In 2012, Jennifer transitioned back into project consulting to expand her professional project manager skill set into organizational change management. She grew her communications skills and also her successful project portfolio while continuing to support Starfire Energy part time. Jennifer returned full time to Starfire Energy in 2018 to take on the growing administrative workload, begin business development activities, and assist with fund raising. The Chief Operating Officer role was an easy fit for Jennifer bringing her decades of bookkeeping, detailed project skills, and large-picture portfolio view of things to the position. Jennifer’s key to success has always been to set a strong visionand then focus on it. She instills in her team the need for quality, accuracy, and teamwork.
Jennifer’s enthusiasm for all things ammonia fuel won her a seat on the Ammonia Energy Association’s Board of Directors and executive team as Treasurer of the organization. She chairs the Public Perception Committee, Leads the History & Safety Working Group, and participates on the Standards Committee.
For fun, Jennifer enjoys making the company’s videos and conceptualizing infographics. Keeping 3D skills active, Jennifer makes silver jewelry, often with gemstones set in the pieces. Jennifer has done movie set design and acted in a short film that was nominated for awards so she now has her own IMDB page.
Rick Bernheim
Rick is a domestic and international business and technology senior executive with an accomplished track record of creating and delivering to market high-tech products that are sold in volume in numerous countries. His technical underpinnings include COO, CTO, EVP Engineering and Operations, and other senior roles in small and mid-cap, high-growth global companies. He has led offshoring activities to significantly reduce prototyping and volume manufacturing costs. Rick served as COO of SunTech Drive, a manufacturer of solar and grid hybrid power electronics and EVP of Engineering and Operations of Power Tagging, an energy technology firm serving the electric power industry. His Fortune 500 experience includes serving as VP of Engineering for the Microwave Communications Division of Harris Communication, the General Manager of the Cable Networks Division of JDS Uniphase and the CTO of JDSU’s CommTest division. Rick holds 17 granted US. patents (some international) across several technologies and markets. He has served on several international M&A teams evaluating viability of acquisitions and has led the integration of acquisitions, including a major division of a Chinese based company.
He previously served on the boards of ComStream Mexico and ComStream Israel, and two nonprofit organizations, Junior Achievement of Central Indiana and Bridges Between, an organization that strives to educate, embolden and empower women in Nepal. As Technology Advisor to Bridges Between, Rick designed an environmentally friendly passive cold storage system, reviewed the design for a solar greenhouse, and promoted the use of rocket stove heating and cooking systems to eliminate the use of open pit cooking and heating.
Michael Gisin
Michael is a well-seasoned senior finance executive adept at solving problems and a proven leader for the finance and accounting organization. Prior to joining Starfire Energy, Michael served as CFO at an energy company for over six years in which the company grew to over 1,300 employees and $1.5 billion in annual revenue. Michael has also served as Vice President of Corporate Accounting and Reporting and Assistant Controller for a large publicly traded energy company with revenues of $8 billion. Michael has extensive experience and knowledge in the areas of Treasury, Financial Planning and Analysis, debt capital raise, M&A integrations, internal controls, and technical accounting. Michael began his career with PriceWaterhouseCoopers where he served as Audit Manager and practiced as a Certified Public Accountant in Virginia.
Our Board
Joe Beach
Joe is one of the founders of Starfire Energy. He switched its emphasis from solar energy to ammonia fuel in 2016 and leads the business and technology development. He is currently Starfire Energy’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of its Board of Directors.
Joe was a co-founder of PrimeStar Solar, which was funded and purchased by GE. PrimeStar Solar went on to set CdTe cell and module performance records, and the technology they developed can be seen in commercial CdTe solar panels today.
Joe received an M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Colorado School of Mines and a B.S. in both Physics and Physical Education from the University of Alaska – Fairbanks. While he lived in Fairbanks he also took up cross country skiing and hang gliding, and served as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician in Chena-Goldstream Fire and Rescue. He currently enjoys jogging, gardening, and making home-made wines.
Rick Bernheim
Rick is a domestic and international business and technology senior executive with an accomplished track record of creating and delivering to market high-tech products that are sold in volume in numerous countries. His technical underpinnings include COO, CTO, EVP Engineering and Operations, and other senior roles in small and mid-cap, high-growth global companies. He has led offshoring activities to significantly reduce prototyping and volume manufacturing costs. Rick served as COO of SunTech Drive, a manufacturer of solar and grid hybrid power electronics and EVP of Engineering and Operations of Power Tagging, an energy technology firm serving the electric power industry. His Fortune 500 experience includes serving as VP of Engineering for the Microwave Communications Division of Harris Communication, the General Manager of the Cable Networks Division of JDS Uniphase and the CTO of JDSU’s CommTest division. Rick holds 17 granted US. patents (some international) across several technologies and markets. He has served on several international M&A teams evaluating viability of acquisitions and has led the integration of acquisitions, including a major division of a Chinese based company.
He previously served on the boards of ComStream Mexico and ComStream Israel, and two nonprofit organizations, Junior Achievement of Central Indiana and Bridges Between, an organization that strives to educate, embolden and empower women in Nepal. As Technology Advisor to Bridges Between, Rick designed an environmentally friendly passive cold storage system, reviewed the design for a solar greenhouse, and promoted the use of rocket stove heating and cooking systems to eliminate the use of open pit cooking and heating.
Liam Ahn
Liam brings more than a decade of diverse experience across venture capital, startup business development, and large corporate roles. Liam joined Samsung Ventures in 2017 to invest in climate tech and deep tech startups in North America. Previously, Liam worked at MindMeld, a
Conversational AI startup which was acquired by Cisco Systems for $125 million, and subsequently worked on business development for Cisco’s Cognitive Collaboration group. Prior to joining MindMeld, Liam held business development roles at Samsung Electronics in South Korea.
Liam holds a bachelor degree in business administration from Seoul National University, and an MBA from UC Berkeley Haas.
Michelle Robson
Michelle has extensive experience in early stage investment and business development, commercial strategy creation and implementation and new and innovative deep tech and digital technologies.
Prior to AP Ventures, Michelle held a number of group and commercial strategy roles within Anglo American including establishing and leading Anglo American’s first digital and innovation function. Before this, Michelle was a Manager with boutique management consulting firm L.E.K. Consulting advising clients in Europe and Australia.
Michelle received her first-class honours degree in Industrial Chemistry (Engineering) from the University of New South Wales (Australia).
Outside of the office, Michelle enjoys running, yoga and exploring the great outdoors with her young family.
Lisa G. Henneberry
Lisa Henneberry joined Crowell & Moring as a partner in its Energy practice, bringing more than three decades of experience helping clients navigate and mitigate risk in the global energy sector. These include handling all aspects of power generation, renewable technology, pipeline, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, and related commodity arrangements, across numerous countries and different legal systems. She also has more than fifteen years’ experience in the negotiation and arbitration of natural gas and LNG price disputes, with emphasis on technical, commercial, and industry factors.
Lisa earned her Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) from Bryn Mawr College (Pennsylvania), where she studied Romance Languages and Economics and played Varsity soccer. She earned her Juris Doctor from the George Washington University Law School, and served as Notes and Projects Editor on the George Washington Law Review. She is a native speaker of English and French and fluent in Spanish.
