Perkins Coie Lunch Series: 2025-2026

Ben Straughan, Partner, Perkins Coie LLP

Ben advises high-growth technology, space, and consumer product companies in early-stage and venture financings, governance, mergers and acquisitions, and spinouts.

As co-chair of Perkins Coie’s NewSpace practice, Ben Straughan assists startups and early-stage companies in addressing the unique issues our clients face when doing business in the space economy. Ben understands corporate financial matters, routinely counseling clients on angel and venture capital transactions. His clients span industries in which intellectual property is a key component, including space, software and SaaS, consumer packaged goods; food and beverage; gaming, e-commerce, cloud migration, and artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML).

Ben is a regular speaker on emerging companies, financing, and M&A. Prior to law school, he worked as a certified public accountant. Ben is in the unusual position of having trained as a transactional tax lawyer at the beginning of his career. As a result, he particularly enjoys corporate transactions in which tax or financial matters play a key role.

Andy Baker, Owner and Project Manager, YourCleanEnergy

Andy is a registered professional engineer and owner of YourCleanEnergy consulting based in Seattle. He has significant experience in the financial evaluation and design of commercial sized CO2 heat pump systems which are integrated into existing and new facilities. He lived and worked for 18 years in Alaska and has been based in Seattle since 2018 where his work has expanded into the shaping of regulations and policy regarding heat pump refrigerants. Andy is a regular presenter and speaker on the topic of natural refrigerants and the long-term financial and environmental benefits they can provide to commercial and institutional clients for clean heating and cooling. Andy’s work focus since 2008 has been on design of heat pump systems for large facilities in the Pacific Northwest, and for ocean source district heating in coastal Alaska. His key natural refrigerant project is the design of a seawater source 80-ton trans-critical CO2 heat pump system with heat recovery to offset an existing 500 KW electric boiler used for space, domestic hot water, and outdoor slab heat. Additionally, Andy has partnered with ATMOsphere for the past three years to identify both opportunities and obstructions that exist in the US market for natural refrigerant heat pumps. He has also been working to build a coalition of businesses and organizations that are dedicated to growing the Natural Refrigerant heat pump market in Washington State and are committed to shaping common sense regulations and policy to advance this growth.

Dhileep Sivam, CEO, Aquagga

Dr. Dhileep Sivam has over 25 years of experience in early-stage technology development from hands-on R&D to interfacing with global thought-leaders to formulate worldwide technology deployment strategies. For the last 15 years, he has held leadership positions in clean and climate tech development at Intellectual Ventures, Gates Ventures, and Breakthrough Energy. Dhileep brings a blend of technical knowledge, commercialization experience, and a passion for building high-performing, high-trust, and collaborative workplace cultures.

James Seabrook, President, Vitalis