Team Spotlight: Gabe Gonzalez, Engagement Manager, Partnerships & Strategy

See how Gabe Gonzalez made the leap from a career in management consulting to advancing commercialization partnerships at Brimstone.

Gabe Gonzalez grew up in Nicaragua, a country that has suffered intensifying droughts and hurricanes due to the acceleration of climate change. These firsthand experiences led him to leave his career in management consulting to seek work that has a meaningful impact on mitigating climate change and advancing sustainable development. That path led him to Brimstone.

Over the past three years, Gabe has played a key role in advancing Brimstone’s commercialization strategy, including helping secure the company’s recent commercial agreement with Amazon. Partnerships like this demonstrate the growing market demand for low-carbon, on-spec materials—and underscore how Brimstone is uniquely positioned to meet it. Learn more about Gabe, his career journey, what motivates him, and how he spends his time outside of work below.

Where are you from? 

I’m from Managua, Nicaragua, now living in Los Angeles, CA. 

Tell us about your day-to-day responsibilities. 

My job entails two main objectives: developing our go-to-market strategy across our products and building the long-term commercial partnerships required to enable Brimstone to scale. A typical day for me may include meeting with a prospective customer to advance our partnership or writing a memo for our C-suite to help shape our commercialization strategy. 

Most recently, I have focused on closing a commercial agreement with Amazon for annual capacity from our first commercial plant. Getting to final signatures required a lengthy and exhaustive effort, driving the partnership through product testing, technical due diligence, negotiations, and contracting. Collaborating across Brimstone and Amazon’s teams has been an inspiring learning experience, but most of all, it has been rewarding to advance Brimstone’s mission through this partnership. This deal has validated market demand for Brimstone’s products through a commitment from one of the world's largest companies and demonstrated the quality of our products by meeting Amazon's rigorous testing requirements. 

Why did you decide to join Brimstone? 

Prior to joining Brimstone, I was a management consultant. While I was very appreciative of the learning and growth that came with that job, I yearned for more meaning behind my work.  

I am from Nicaragua, which is part of the Central American dry corridor—one of the regions of the world that is most exposed to the ill effects of climate change due to a combination of hurricanes, droughts, and vulnerable populations. Experiencing this firsthand turned the climate issue from theory into reality for me. Yet at the same time, Nicaragua must continue investing in its own development to lift people out of poverty and provide them with better access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunity. 

As I reflected on what I wanted from my next role, I realized that working for a company at the cutting edge of sustainable development was my best opportunity to align my skills and ambition with doing good for the world—and Brimstone fit the bill perfectly.  

Brimstone caught my attention because it focuses on solutions to the long-overlooked cement sector, which drives ~8% of global CO2 emissions and is indispensable for continued global development. Most importantly, Brimstone is tackling the problem with a pragmatic approach that is globally scalable and balances safety, cost, and sustainability. Within a couple of weeks on the job, I knew this was a place where I wanted to stay longer term. 

What's your favorite thing about working here? 

The people. I know it’s the cliché answer, but it is true. It has been a privilege working with so many bright, kind, and mission-driven people. I rarely leave a conversation with one of my teammates without learning something new and sharing a laugh while we’re at it. Many in Brimstone’s leadership have taken the time and energy to mentor me, roll up their sleeves alongside me when necessary, and care for me as a person. I am also very grateful for Brimstone’s generous policies (e.g., PTO, therapy reimbursements, company-wide retreats) since they create the conditions for us to thrive in all aspects of life and bring our best selves to work. I know that many of the people I have met through Brimstone will be lifelong friends and mentors. 

What are some of the biggest challenges you encounter in your work, and how do you push through them? 

When people think of Brimstone, they think of the scientists driving the deep technical innovation needed to solve such a massive industrial problem. While there is certainly a lot of scientific innovation, there is also plenty of innovation required on the commercial side to enable Brimstone’s path to scale. The construction industry is slow to change and not accustomed to innovation, but to scale the sustainable solutions of the future, they will have to make significant changes to their ways of working, including engaging in deeper value chain collaboration and accepting new commercial structures. 

Whenever I am frustrated with the slow pace of change or legacy processes that impede progress, I try to take a step back. I know that, given the merits of Brimstone’s solution and the urgency of advancing sustainable development, these are challenges that must and will be overcome. It will be a long journey, and there will be setbacks, but I know that over the long term, momentum will only continue to grow. I am confident that Brimstone will drive major contributions to the cause. 

How would you describe your work at Brimstone? 

High impact, rewarding, challenging, inspiring, intellectually stimulating, and fun. 

What is your favorite thing to do outside of work? 

Since joining Brimstone, I have had the opportunity to learn to surf. I have found that it is a beautiful combination of moving your body, meditating, and connecting with nature and friends. Learning to surf has also enabled me to appreciate the incredible waves in Nicaragua and Southern California, where I live today. While I will admit that the learning curve is punishing and progress is choppy, I have been really motivated by the challenge. The key is consistency—I have a weekly early morning hold on my calendar to make sure I get out to the water and get a little better each time!