About ReSpark
Meet the Team
Rick Sugden
CEO • CP-2
With over a decade of experience as a Pipeline Integrity Engineer, Rick Sugden has successfully managed Integrity Management Programs for both small and large operators, overseeing regulated and unregulated gas and liquid assets. He has contributed to the development of API Standards and Recommended Practices in Pipeline Integrity and remains an active participant in GPA Midstream initiatives.
As a consultant to the industry, Rick has presented at major conferences and conducted regulatory and integrity studies for both operators and regulators. His consulting work has broadened his professional network and expertise, extending into distribution and process facilities.
ReSpark Innovations was co-founded by Rick Sugden and Dr. Ying Huang after recognizing a persistent gap between research and commercialization within the industry. As Founder and CEO, Rick leads ReSpark’s business development, operations, and consulting activities. The company’s mission is to bridge the divide between innovation and implementation—patenting, licensing, and producing technologies that enhance pipeline integrity and performance across the energy sector.
In addition to running ReSpark, Rick is a devoted husband and father who enjoys hunting, camping, fishing, traveling, and volunteering for his church and community.
Dr. Ying Huang
CTO • PHD
Dr. Ying Huang has served as Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on more than 18 federally and locally funded research projects supported by organizations such as the NSF, USDOT, and NASA, with total funding exceeding $13 million. She has authored over 200 peer-reviewed journal papers and 60 peer-reviewed conference publications, along with 11 research reports and 4 approved or pending patents. Her work has been cited nearly 3,000 times, earning her an i-10 index of 64 and recognition as one of the top 2% of researchers worldwide.
A sought-after thought leader in her field, Dr. Huang has delivered more than 30 invited lectures and keynote presentations and participated in 46 international, national, and regional conferences. Her research focuses on advancing sensing technologies, materials science, and structural health monitoring, driving innovation across the infrastructure and energy sectors.
As co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of ReSpark Innovations, Dr. Huang leads all research, testing, and product development efforts. Her technical expertise and visionary leadership ensure that the company’s technologies are grounded in rigorous science while accelerating the transition from laboratory discovery to real-world application.
Beyond the lab, Ying is loving mom of two daughters who finds joy in nature, simple moments, and making beautiful family memories together.
Ryan Sikes
CCO
Ryan Sikes builds commercial engines around technically differentiated infrastructure technologies. With more than a decade of experience in pipeline integrity, in-line inspection (ILI), and complex operating environments, he is known for translating engineering depth into scalable market adoption.
He has led product launches, expanded strategic accounts, and executed go-to-market strategies across established inspection providers and emerging ventures. Ryan specializes in identifying high-impact applications, aligning cross-functional teams, and accelerating adoption in conservative, risk-sensitive industries. He works effectively across executive leadership, operational teams, and investor stakeholders, supporting private equity discussions, structuring strategic partnerships, and guiding advanced diagnostic technologies from concept through validation and revenue scale.
As Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer of ReSpark Innovations, Ryan leads corporate strategy, market development, and investor engagement, scaling breakthrough research into measurable enterprise value across the energy infrastructure sector and building durable, defensible competitive positioning.
Outside of work, Ryan is a husband and father who prioritizes resilience, integrity, faith, and community; values that guide how he leads and how he lives.
ReSpark Innovations History
ReSpark finds stalled research, de-risks it, and launches companies. Chemi-Sense Systems is the product company for our field chemistry tests, with the same team and ownership. Commercialization of Chemi-Sense products sits with Chemi-Sense.
April 2025
ReSpark Founded
Rick forges ReSpark.
November 2025
Launch of First Field Test
ReSpark brings the Chemi-Sense amine residual field test into operator hands. Test commercialization later moves to Chemi-Sense Systems. Learn more at chemi-sense.com.
December 2025
Dissolved Fe(II) Enters Field Trials
The dissolved Fe(II) (ferrous iron) test fuels the Chemi-Sense expansion.
January 2026
March 2026
Chemi-Sense Systems Accepted into gBeta Accelerator by gener8tor
gener8tor accepts Chemi-Sense Systems into its gBeta Accelerator program, propelling its growth.
May 2026
Chemi-Sense Systems Accepted into gener8tor
gener8tor accepts Chemi-Sense Systems into gener8tor, propelling its growth.
May 2026
Chemi-Sense Systems Spin-Out
Chemi-Sense Systems Corporation is stood up as the product company for the field tests, with the same ownership and management as ReSpark. ReSpark stays research, grants, and new spins. Chemi-Sense manufactures and sells the tests.
Our Core
Values
Integrity
First
Do the right thing. Uphold the highest professional and ethical standards in everything we do. We move fast to get promising innovations into real operator trials and real-world feedback, but never at the expense of safety, accuracy, or trust. Keeping products in the pipe and protecting people and the environment remains non-negotiable.
Prioritize
People
People come before process. Protect the communities we serve, invest in our team, and lead with compassion and respect in every interaction. We encourage employees to volunteer their time and expertise in industry associations and local community efforts – giving back builds stronger people, stronger relationships, and a stronger industry.
Disciplined
Stewardship
Respect and responsibly manage what’s entrusted to us. Care for the environment, conserve resources, and steward capital, time, and talent wisely. We build with a long-term view that is practical, sustainable, and accountable, balancing rapid progress with deliberate and thoughtful restraint to protect what matters most for today and tomorrow.
Collaborative
Leadership
Lead by building together. Share knowledge openly, assemble strong teams, solve problems through trust and partnership, and align diverse perspectives to drive results. We actively train and mentor others while challenging assumptions and industry legacy decisions in field reality, lifting up the next generation so the entire industry advances together.