Internship perspective: Battery supply chains
From June to September 2024, Benedict Chen, E-IPER MBA-MS ’25, worked at Mitra Chem through the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Summer Internship Program. Mitra Chem is a startup based in Mountain View that innovates in and develops iron-based cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
At Mitra Chem, I worked in the Commercial Team and took on supply chain and business development responsibilities. My role included regular interactions with the company’s chemical engineers and material scientists to learn about the technical requirements of the different chemical materials that we used in production. I also engaged with external suppliers to understand their plans and offerings. Working with my teammates, I then developed comprehensive decision matrices that evaluated potential vendors based on technical, economic, and policy considerations. Similarly, I met with customers to understand their needs and how Mitra Chem could partner with them to enable mass electrification in transportation and energy storage.
The experience at Mitra Chem provided fascinating insights into the world of battery supply chains. Engaging with partners across the industry gave me a better understanding of what it would take to expand battery production to drive the energy transition, both in the U.S. and around the world. In confronting these challenges daily, the internship brought to life concepts that I had learned in the classroom on electrochemistry in energy storage, decarbonization policies, and business strategy.
I had come to Stanford wanting to focus on building sustainable energy systems, and my time at Mitra Chem reinforced this interest, particularly in the battery space. It showed me the immense challenges of scaling up battery production while also highlighting the thrilling potential that can be achieved when breakthrough technologies, innovative business models, and supportive policies come together. I’m excited to continue learning about and contributing to efforts to accelerate the energy transition globally.
Explore More
-
Matthew Siegfried, a postdoctoral researcher working with Dustin Schroeder in the Stanford Radio Glaciology Group, co-authored a study showing oscillations of water temperature in the tropical Pacific Ocean can induce rapid melting of Antarctic ice shelves.
-
Jane Willenbring co-authored an op-ed outlining a twenty-point anti-racism plan that organizations can implement to build an inclusive, equitable and accessible geoscience community.
-
Stanford Earth transitioned the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) into its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative in 2020. As part of an effort to celebrate and discuss identity, four Stanford Earth community members talk about how disability, neurodivergence, and chronic illness have informed and impacted their careers.
