Leadership Team

Liz Muller

Co-Founder & CEO

A serial entrepreneur at the forefront of nuclear energy and environmental innovation, Liz is the co-founder and CEO of Deep Fission. Previously, she co-founded and served as CEO of Deep Isolation, a pioneering nuclear waste disposal company, where she is now Board Chair. Liz also co-founded Berkeley Earth, a nonprofit providing critical data science on climate change.

A named inventor on multiple patents, Liz was recognized as a Clean Energy Rising Star by Business Insider in 2020. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a published author, backpacker, dance instructor, and proud mother of two, based in the Bay Area.

Liz holds a Bachelor of Mathematics from UC San Diego and an M.B.A. from ESCP Business School in Paris.

Rich Muller, Ph.D.

Co-Founder & CTO

Rich is co-founder and CTO of Deep Fission, and co-founder of Deep Isolation, a nuclear waste disposal company. He is also a Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of California, Berkeley. A prolific inventor with over 80 issued patents, Rich has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles, including key work on the safety of deeply buried nuclear waste.

His groundbreaking research has earned him numerous awards, including the MacArthur “Genius” Prize, the National Science Foundation’s Alan T. Waterman Award, and the Breakthrough Prize. He is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In addition to his research, Rich has received multiple teaching awards and written ten books, including Physics for Future Presidents and Energy for Future Presidents. He was recognized as one of Time’s  “People Who Mattered” in 2011.

Rich holds a B.A. in Physics from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Physics from UC Berkeley. He also served as a national security advisor to the U.S. government for over three decades.

Michael Brasel

Chief Operating Officer

Mike Brasel is a seasoned leader in the nuclear industry with nearly three decades of experience spanning nuclear, fossil, and renewable energy sectors. Before his role as Chief Operating Officer, Mike served as Vice President of Nuclear Programs and has already been instrumental in building Deep Fission’s engineering organization, advancing the company’s technology toward demonstration and eventual commercialization. A seasoned leader with nearly three decades of experience across the nuclear, fossil, and renewable energy sectors, he brings deep expertise in strategic planning, project management, regulatory compliance, and supply chain development.

Prior to joining Deep Fission, Mike held key leadership roles at NuScale Power, where he managed multi-billion-dollar nuclear projects, led supply chain development for first-of-a-kind nuclear technologies, and directed regulatory affairs. Most recently, he served as Senior Project Director for the Carbon Free Power Project, overseeing reactor pressure vessel manufacturing, licensing applications, and large-scale capital project planning.

Mike’s career also includes leadership positions at Dairyland Power Cooperative, where he served as Plant Manager of the La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor, directing decommissioning efforts and nuclear regulatory compliance. His background as a U.S. Navy Nuclear Plant Operator further solidifies his expertise in reactor operations and maintenance.

Beyond his corporate roles, Mike is actively involved in industry leadership, serving on multiple Boards of Directors, including Great River Energy and Lake Region Electric Cooperative. He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Old Dominion University, and has completed executive education at Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University.

Mark Schmitz

COO

With a proven track record of scaling growth-oriented companies and preparing them for public company reporting, Mark brings more than 40 years of global finance leadership experience across the energy technology, automotive, life safety, banking, and manufacturing sectors. He has served as CFO for leading companies, including Goodyear, Itron, Plug Power, and Alghanim Industries, and has held senior finance positions in China, Brazil, the U.K., and the Middle East.

Mark Pérès

VP of Engineering

Mark is dedicated to the advancement of nuclear energy as part of the global solution to improve human quality of life and reduce harm to the planet caused by pollution.

He has over forty years of experience in the nuclear industry including design, construction, commissioning, engineering, operations, cleanup, and decommissioning. Mark has held key engineering and project management leadership roles at Kairos Power, NuScale Power, Fluor, Los Alamos, and the US DOE’s Hanford K Basins Spent Nuclear Fuel and Liquid Waste Treatment facilities. Mark started his career as a Reactor Operator at the Fast Flux Test Facility, a 400 MWt sodium cooled fast spectrum reactor.

Mark received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Montana State University, a aster’s degree in mechanical engineering from Washington State University, and is a Ph.D. candidate (ABD) in nuclear engineering at the University of South Carolina, where he also serves as an adjunct professor. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Washington and a certified Project Management Professional.

Rani Franovich

VP of Regulatory Strategy

Rani Franovich is Deep Fission’s VP of Regulatory Affairs and a recognized expert in commercial reactor safety, licensing, and regulatory modernization. She leads engagement with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and shapes the licensing strategy for Deep Fission’s borehole reactors, while guiding broader policy and legislative efforts to support nuclear energy expansion.

During her 30 years at the NRC, Rani spent six years as a resident inspector at the Catawba Nuclear Station. She also held key leadership roles in licensing, oversight, and incident response, including service on the NRC’s response team for the Fukushima Daiichi accident. She is widely regarded for her expertise in risk-informed, performance-based regulatory approaches to regulation and regularly contributes to national regulatory dialogue on this and other topics.

Following her time at the NRC, Rani founded a consulting firm, advising clients and policymakers on nuclear regulation, energy policy, and legislative opportunities to modernize the U.S. regulatory framework.

She holds an M.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech and has completed executive programs at Harvard, Duke, and Rutgers.

Bryan Black

VP of Business Development

Bryan has held power trading roles at Black Hills Power, Tenaska, and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS).  At UAMPS, he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer and headed up strategic growth, transmission, and new developments, including the power marketing strategy for UAMPS’ 600 MW Small Modular Nuclear Reactor to be developed at the Idaho National Lab. After UAMPS, Black co-founded and was the CEO of Nodal Power, a landfill gas to energy development company.

He holds an undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree from Tulane University.

Chloe Frader

VP of Communications

Chloe leads strategic affairs at Deep Fission and is a seasoned strategist with 15 years of experience at the intersection of politics, finance, and tech. A trusted advisor to C-suite leaders and decision-makers from Capitol Hill to Wall Street and Silicon Valley, she has led communications at UNest and J.P. Morgan Asset Management and served on Capitol Hill for Senator Maria Cantwell. Previously, she founded CJX Media, where she helped companies craft compelling messaging and communications strategies.

Chloe holds a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University.

John Fehler

Electromechanical Engineer

John is a Texas native – born and raised in the Lone Star State! After acquiring his B.S. in MET/CIS, he found gainful employment in the form of mechanical engineering for petrol-based energy (31.3 31.1 Piping/ASME code work), advanced manufacturing, and robotic/automation engineering. Nine years ago, John started his own engineering and consulting company (NeuTorq Strategies) which has allowed him to experience a multifarious array of different engineering practices (including the Pele Project for the DOD/DOE).

Chris Weindorf

Principal Nuclear Component Design Engineer

Chris is passionate about promoting the advancement of nuclear power new build design and licensing. He has over 18 years of experience solving challenging engineering problems over various disciplines including power and process piping, pressure vessel design, thermal mechanical finite element analysis, and fluid structure interaction.

Chris started his career at Westinghouse Electric Company analyzing major components for the AP1000 pressurized water reactor with expertise in ASME Code analysis and Steam Generator internals flow induced vibration. He continued his career working at Nuclear Power Plants and Research Reactors in the United States and Europe, along with engineering positions in the process industry and consulting for Becht Engineering.

Chris received his undergraduate and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jason Pottorf

Principal I&C and Safety Analysis Engineer

Jason received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Kansas State University, both in Nuclear Engineering. His 25-year career has involved all aspects of ensuring the safety of commercial nuclear and nuclear-related industries, including system safety analysis, probabilistic risk assessment, and safety instrumentation and controls architecture design and licensing. His experience includes:

• NuScale Power safety analysis, plant I&C architecture design and licensing, and the Highly Integrated Protection System Topical Report.
• SHINE Technologies facility safety I&C architecture design.
• X-Energy Xe-100 preliminary safety I&C architecture design.
• Kairos Power HERMES preliminary safety I&C architecture design.
• Engineering Director at Paragon Energy Solutions.
• Nuclear Engineer at Wolf Creek Nuclear Generating Station.

John McClure

Principal Instrumentation and Controls Engineer

John McClure has nearly two decades of energy experience with a robust background spanning nuclear power, oil & gas, and renewables. He brings a wealth of knowledge in electronics design and power systems engineering.

John’s career began in the U.S. Navy’s nuclear propulsion program, where he developed a strong foundation in high-reliability power and instrumentation systems and nuclear operations. He then spent a decade in the oil and gas sector, designing down-hole electronics for extreme environments and running an R&D department, ultimately serving as Vice President of Engineering for an oilfield services company.

He pivoted to become Chief Engineer of a solar energy startup, with a role spanning business development, operations, and electrical power system design.

John earned a BSET from the University of Houston and an M.B.A. from Sam Houston State University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (Electrical) registered in Texas, California, and Hawaii.

Adam Rose

Principal Nuclear Operations Engineer

Adam Rose is a multidisciplinary leader with over two decades of experience spanning nuclear operations, green power generation, systems engineering, quality assurance, and defense technology.  With a track record of technical excellence and operational leadership, Adam brings deep insight and steady execution to the forefront of nuclear engineering innovation.

Prior to joining Deep Fission, Adam was the operations manager for Element Materials Technology, where he managed a team executing millions of dollars in qualification, testing, and supply for domestic and international nuclear power plants and manufacturers.  Including the construction of a one-of-a-kind testing facility for SMR testing.  

Adam is a licensed Senior Reactor Operator and holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Varun Suri

Principal Mechanical Engineer

Varun is the Principal Mechanical Engineer at Deep Fission, leading the piping, structural, and mechanical systems design for the DBR program. With over 15 years of experience in nuclear and aerospace industries, he focuses on developing integrated solutions where design, fabrication, and testing come together to deliver reliable, manufacturable, and inspectable systems.

Earlier in his career, Varun worked on nuclear systems at Holtec International, Structural Integrity Associates, and Entergy Nuclear, where he specialized in ASME Section III and VIII code compliance, piping and pressure vessel design, flaw tolerance evaluations, and equipment qualification. He later expanded his expertise at The Boeing Company, applying these principles to advanced fabrication techniques and weld procedure development. There, he also led structural testing and component qualification in collaboration with NASA and the FAA—sharpening his ability to deliver robust designs under demanding performance and safety requirements.

Varun holds a M.S. degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and a BE degree from Bharati Vidyapeeth University in India, both in Mechanical Engineering.

Brett Siebert

Senior Thermal Hydraulics Engineer

With over thirty years of engineering leadership in nuclear reactor analysis and multi-physics simulation, Brett brings his submarine-nuclear power expertise to Deep Fission’s subsurface reactors.

He pioneered advanced thermal-hydraulics methods—deploying boiling-flow CFD codes and extending TRACE’s transient modeling capabilities to advanced reactor concepts—and wove together nuclear physics, thermal-hydraulics, structural mechanics, and materials performance into practical design tools.

Brett holds an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Penn State University and a B.S. from Boston University.

Anya Scuderi

Strategic Finance

Anya brings over 10 years of experience in capital markets, specializing in raising debt and equity, including tax equity, for transformative infrastructure projects in the energy sector. With a proven ability to structure complex financial agreements and develop detailed financial models, Anya has played a key role in fostering strategic finance partnerships that enhance business growth. Her expertise encompasses crafting innovative corporate finance models that drive value for stakeholders. Anya has raised financing and contributed to high-impact projects at leading energy companies, including SunPower Corporation, NRG Energy, Clearway Energy, LanzaTech, and NuScale Power, across both US and EU markets.

Anya holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of San Francisco.

Supna Zadi

Legal

Supna Zaidi brings over two decades of experience in law, policy, risk management, and consulting across both the private and nonprofit sectors. Supna holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Theory and History from the University of California, San Diego, and a J.D. from New York Law School.

Jen Stakich

Operations Manager

With 20 years of experience in hospitality and event management, Jen has developed exceptional problem-solving skills and a strong ability to execute complex projects. After running her own company in San Francisco, California, she brings grit and perseverance to her role at Deep Fission.

Previously, as founder of Fuddhism Consulting, Jen successfully partnered with elite organizations, managing substantial budgets and leading cross-functional teams to create unforgettable event experiences. Now, at Deep Fission, she leverages her expertise to navigate the intricacies of a nuclear technology startup.

Jen has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of South Florida and resides in Lake Tahoe, California, with her husband and their three incredibly active boys.