The Team
Who We Are
Shawn Freitas
Founder & CEO
Shawn is the Founder of Habitat Energy, developing “energy habitats” that transform local manures into precision liquid fertilizers and clean energy to help boost farm efficiency and protect water resources. With 15+ years in clean energy and alternative fuels, he has led significant projects from oilfields to biorefineries to water treatment. He was a co-founder and executive at CleanBay Renewables and, most recently, a Senior Project Manager at the U.S. Department of Energy, where he managed significant investments targeting energy efficiency projects for the heavy industry. Shawn brings a proven record of scaling innovations that deliver both environmental and financial returns. He holds a PhD in Wood Science from Oregon State University and two MS degrees in project management and environmental engineering from the University of Alaska.
Heather Pedersen
Co-Founder/Business Operations Manager
Heather has over 20 years experience supporting complex organizations across the agriculture, wastewater management, education, legal, and human resources sectors. She brings a strong foundation in project coordination, organizational operations, and regulatory support, with a demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional priorities and improve operational efficiency.
Heather spent six years in the Legal Department at Clean Water Services, where she supported regulatory compliance, contract administration, and internal operations within a highly regulated public utility environment.
In addition to her professional experience, Heather is actively engaged in the agricultural and nonprofit sectors. She is a current member of Oregon Women for Agriculture and serves on multiple nonprofit boards, contributing leadership and strategic insight to initiatives focused on community development and natural resource stewardship.