About Us

EcoBalance Global is a US based carbon reduction project developer, consultant, and carbon program manager. We utilize our relationships with the farmers and ranchers who produce agricultural products, and landowners to develop projects that biologically enhance their soil, sequester and store carbon, as well as increase vegetative production.

EcoBalance Global has developed a robust Soil Carbon Storage and Sequestration Framework (Framework) to assist the agriculture industry at large in lowering their carbon footprint. The Framework employs methodologies and procedures to address the diverse environmental requirements for farms and ranches around the world. Through the Framework, we can increase carbon removal and storage rates that we are able to certify through a third-party registry and use verified carbon insets in the Framework life cycle analysis process. We facilitate the use of carbon insets tied to products coming from the land such as beef, lamb, cereal grains, etc. The carbon reduced products enter the supply chain where they may be counted towards Science Based Target Initiatives (SBTi) goals resulting in a low or no carbon footprint product that can be directly tied back to the land it came from.

EcoBalance Global leverages advanced technology, satellite data in conjunction with physical measurements, and digital animal tracking to meet the rigorous requirements of the carbon registries. We then tie it all together with an end-to-end software platform and blockchain tracking, providing transparency and legitimacy to every step of the process. The design of the Framework avoids double counting, provides transparency, and involves stakeholders and key third-party verifiers to facilitate an open forum to address any claims that may be present in today’s market to proactively address legal, scientific, or procedural concerns. The result is a high value-added quality product that rewards the stewards of the resources for excellent management and provides distributors with a product that they can have complete confidence in.

Founders

Jim Arthaud

Director

Jim Arthaud has led a successful career in the oil and gas industry for more than 40 years and is known for his entrepreneurial spirit, leadership, and commitment to serving his friends and neighbors. Jim has been an early mover in energy development, in North Dakota and Wyoming, leasing prospective areas through sound geologic interpretation. In addition to his role as CEO of Wave Petroleum Operating LLC, Jim is also the CEO of MBI Oil & Gas, Stout Street, and ND Energy Services.
Jim serves on a number of industry/community boards, including, the North Dakota Petroleum Council Board of Directors; County Commissioner, Billings County (past Chairman); ND Association of Gas and Oil Producing Counties (Executive Committee); ND Coal Conversion Counties Association; Governor Jack Dalrymple 2012 Gubernatorial Election (Board of Directors); North Dakota Racing Commission (Chairman, 2007); North Dakota Clean Sustainable Energy Authority. In 2013, Jim was recognized as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Upper Midwest.

Tom Williams

Director

Tom Williams is the Co-founder of United Energy Trading. Tom has more than 35 years of extensive business development, origination, marketing, and executive management experience in natural gas, crude oil markets, refined products, and related business operations. He is responsible for all aspects of UET’s origination, trading, marketing, logistics, and financial activities, including the growth and operations of 20 offices comprising some 140 employees. Tom has held increasingly responsible positions at oil and gas production firms, pipeline companies, and midstream marketing companies.
Tom’s career spans the spectrum from scheduling natural gas transportation, contract analysis, marketing equity production, price risk management, structured deals, midstream asset development, and executive leadership. He is known throughout the industry as an innovative thinker, team builder, deal maker, strong entrepreneur, accomplished communicator, and true leader. Tom’s vision has always been that a successful business is one in which employees and staff have aligned interests and are motivated to provide win/win solutions for both customers and the company. This vision has led to UET growing from a humble start as a newcomer in the Rocky Mountain gas market to a top 20 domestic marketer of numerous commodities.

Bill Price

Director

Bill is a 4th generation native North Dakota rancher and farmer. He has been the managing partner of Price Cattle Ranch LLP and the managing partner of Missouri River Feeders LLP, a permitted feedyard and diversified farm, for many years. Bill is a board member of EcoBalance Global LLC and is a founding member and sits on the Board of Governors of Red Trail Energy, a 55-million-gallon ethanol plant located in Richardton, ND. Additionally, Bill is also one of the founding partners and Governors of North Dakota Sow Center which is a 10,000 head isowean facility. Bill has also served as Chairman for the North Dakota Feeder Council, is a member of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Bill was educated in Center, North Dakota and attended college at North Dakota State University. Bill resides in Price, ND with his family.

Management Team

Tellan Steffan

CEO

Tellan Steffan’s entire life has revolved around the agriculture industry, primarily in the beef and range management sector. Growing up he was involved with a commercial and registered cow-calf operation. Tellan continued his hands-on ranching education by working on various ranches in multiple states. He also has a decade of experience operating and managing a custom Artificial Insemination business based in southeast Montana. Tellan holds a B.S. Animal Science degree from North Dakota State University.

M. Brennan Pecha, Ph.D.

Chief Science & Sustainability Officer

Before joining EcoBalance, Brennan worked in the Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences Center as a computational and experimental scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He has more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, cited more than 1,500 times. He also holds multiple records of invention and a patent application for a novel concrete admixture. Brennan holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Washington State University and a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Dallas.

Kyle Eichman

COO

Kyle Eichman joined EcoBalance Global in November of 2021 as Vice President of Marketing and Media Relations and now serves as Chief Operating Officer. Prior to EBG, Kyle spent over 10 years in professional sports with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings in positions ranging from Director, Relationship Marketing to Vice President, CRM & Analytics. He also played a key role in both the construction and opening of Golden 1 Center, the Kings new state-of-the-art LEED Platinum Certified arena and the surrounding DoCo Entertainment District in downtown Sacramento.

Rick Silvestri

CFO

Rick is a registered CPA and has prior experience working in Accounting and Finance within both the public and private sectors. Rick began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York City, initially working in public accounting before transitioning to PWC’s Mergers & Acquisitions group specializing in financial due diligence. Rick has also served as CFO for a graphite exploration and mining company, based in Brazil, that has recently finalized a deal to become a portfolio company of a leading international mining PE Firm. He also has prior experience working within the solar and industrial mineral industries.

Technical Advisors

Jon Stika

Soil Scientist

Dennis Froemke

Certified Range Management Consultant

Kimberly Cornish

Sustainable Agriculture

Marc Estrada

Head of Technology

Mike Huggins

Carbon Trading & Markets Expert

Kris Nichols, Ph.D.

Soil Microbiologist

Tom Hengl, Ph.D.

Automated Soil Mapping

Ichsani Wheeler, Ph.D.

Soil Carbon Methodology Expert

Daniel Kunin

Board Advisor

Lealand Schoon

Grazing Management Specialist

Kristin Cushman

Climate & Sustainability Specialist