Ben Klepacki

Turning a sketch on a napkin into a $20 million energy tech company? That’s exactly what happened and the story’s wild. From navigating the chaos of startup life to hitting pause after a major health scare, this convo pulls back the curtain on the real grit behind building Westgen Technologies. We’re talking leadership lessons, coaching that actually worked, and a whole lot of figuring things out the hard way. Oh, and if you’re into solving big problems like powering up remote wellsites without trashing the planet, you’ll want to hear how Ben’s doing just that. Click here to watch a video of this episode. Join the conversation shaping the future of energy. Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward. Apply today at collide.io Click here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 - Intro 00:39 - Who is Ben Klepacki 10:36 - Balancing Different Personality Types 12:43 - Importance of Executive Coaching 18:23 - The Westgen Technologies Story 24:35 - Early Entrepreneurial Journey 27:25 - Motivations Behind Starting a Company 31:30 - Fundraising Challenges and Stress 35:30 - Relocating to Houston 40:45 - The Reality of 90-Hour Work Weeks 46:00 - Mental Health Struggles in Business 47:52 - Managing a Company During Personal Crisis 50:17 - Future Vision: Life in 3-5 Years 51:30 - Future Vision: Westgen in 3-5 Years 54:10 - Wrapping Up the Discussion 56:15 - Connecting with Ben & Westgen https://twitter.com/collide_io https://www.tiktok.com/@collide.io https://www.facebook.com/collide.io https://www.instagram.com/collide.io https://www.youtube.com/@collide_io https://bsky.app/profile/digitalwildcatters.bsky.social https://www.linkedin.com/company/collide-digital-wildcatters