Rob Hanson is the co‑founder and chief executive officer of Nebraska‑based Monolith, where he leads the development of next‑generation technology to produce domestic, low‑cost, low‑emission carbon black – a critical material for the transportation sector and broader manufacturing economy, used extensively in tires, rubber products, and plastics that support everyday mobility and industrial activity.

Prior to co‑founding Monolith, Hanson served as Global Director of Product Management for AREVA Solar, the solar division of what was then the world’s largest nuclear energy company, where he worked on advanced energy technologies at commercial scale.

Hanson holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University and has been a guest lecturer at Stanford, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Foothill College, and the University of Saskatchewan, speaking on topics ranging from thermodynamics and advanced manufacturing to entrepreneurship.