Ishan Sharma

Ishan directs the Chimaera Fund, a Renaissance Philanthropy fund focused on rapidly and responsibly scaling geologic hydrogen: the first new primary energy resource discovered in 80 years with an estimated potential 60x more than known natural gas reserves that can be delivered at a fraction of the cost of producing clean hydrogen today.

He also supports Renaissance's broader frontier mitigation team, a growing India and Japan innovation portfolio, and U.S. federal policy nexus. Outside Renaissance, he advises family offices, venture firms, foundations, and nonprofits on AI and energy impact opportunities, with a particular emphasis on next-generation geothermal.

Previously, Ishan served as the principal director of industrial innovation at the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, where he helped create and lead a team of 15 world-class scientists focused on bridging and unlocking the commercialization of critical & emerging technologies semiconductors, biotechnology, and energy industries. As part of that role, he delivered several major Presidential initiatives, including drafting and executing the most ambitious geothermal executive order in history and coordinating a $5 billion multi-agency program investing in more than 140 U.S. innovation clusters.

He's a proud member of the Policy Entrepreneurs Network, the Emergent Ventures community, as well as the U.S.–India Climate Fellows group. He holds a B.S. from Cornell University.