Career Power-Up

To the untrained eye, the vat of black sludge in the center of a ring of attentive scientists is, at best, waste. But for Khagendra Deore (MEM '25), it is a goopy piece of the future of sustainable energy.

This summer, Deore will step into the world of what he calls "green alchemy" as a technical program management intern at Redwood Materials, a company transforming spent lithium-ion batteries into fresh supplies of critical elements such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt.

“It's like turning yesterday's smartphone or EV battery into tomorrow’s electric car or grid-storage solution,” Deore said. “All the while, we’re closing the loop on mining and landfills."

Created by Tesla co-founder JB Straubel, Redwood is at the forefront of creating that circular supply chain for battery materials.

Deore’s journey there began with an electrification project for municipal fleets.

“I saw firsthand how end-of-life batteries became a bottleneck in scaling EV adoption,” Deore said. “The lifecycle assessments showed how much upstream emissions could be cut by recycling black mass instead of mining virgin materials.”

This realization sparked a passion for battery circularity that led Deore to Northwestern's Master of Engineering Management (MEM) program. He saw MEM as a way to transition into project management, particularly in sectors driving sustainable innovation.

The MEM program has equipped Deore with a robust toolkit for his internship. Courses like Engineering Management Fundamentals and Business Process Change Management helped hone his abilities to guide stakeholders through process improvements, he said.

“My MEM coursework taught me to approach complex systems holistically,” Deore said. “Breaking down processes into manageable work streams directly supports creating and maintaining detailed project plans at Redwood.”

There, Deore will dive into the intricate world of battery recycling and circular supply chains. His role will involve aligning stakeholders, managing project timelines, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to hit milestones.

He will also be responsible for tracking deliverables, processing change requests, and creating communication plans to keep Redwood staff informed.

The internship aligns well with Deore's professional aspirations. After graduating, he wants to transition into a project management role in the energy, hi-tech, or fintech sectors. The hands-on experience at Redwood will provide invaluable insights into end-to-end project execution and cross-functional collaboration.

What excites Deore most about the internship is the opportunity to contribute to a mission-driven company at the forefront of clean-energy solutions. He sees Redwood’s work as crucial for addressing the environmental and social risks associated with battery material mining.

“I'm fascinated by how circularity turns waste into a strategic resource,” Deore said. “Recovering critical metals from spent batteries not only reduces environmental impact but also strengthens supply-chain resilience.”

The importance of this work isn’t lost on Deore. Creating a circular supply chain for lithium-ion batteries is crucial for several reasons, he said. It reduces reliance on finite materials with environmental and social risks from mining, uses less energy than new extraction, and prevents hazardous battery components from ending up in landfills.

From his initial curiosity about battery circularity to his imminent role in turning what looks like black goo into the future of sustainable energy, Deore sees his internship at Redwood as a crucial step in his career.

“I'm excited to join Redwood at such a pivotal growth stage,” he said. “This hands-on experience will be instrumental in advancing my journey toward becoming a technical project manager in the clean energy sector.”