Ricky is a Senior Process Development Engineer working on the scale-up efforts of Apeel's chemical processes with a focus in reaction engineering, flow chemistry, and heterogeneous catalysis.
Ricky was born and raised in Santa Paula, California, and received his Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering from UC Santa Barbara. As an undergraduate, he was active in research working with Prof. Samir Mitragotri and Prof. Susannah Scott in the Chemical Engineering department, working on a range of projects from transdermal drug delivery to designing supported metal catalysts for tandem alkane dehydrogenation and olefin metathesis.
Supported by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Ricky completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering with Prof. James Dumesic at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focused on the selective production of biomass derived chemicals using heterogeneous catalysts, including supported metal catalysts, functionalized organosilicas, and zeolites. As a graduate student, he participated in international summer schools in China and Finland and presented a talk as a Kokes Award Recipient at the North American Meeting (NAM) for the North American Catalysis Society. Ricky's work has been highlighted on the covers of several journals, including AngewandteChemie, ACS Catalysis, and Green Chemistry.
Matthew graduated with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and a Minor in Business. Under the advisement of Prof. Robert J. Davis, Matthew was awarded a Rodman Scholars Sustainability Grant and the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Matthew was also recognized for his outstanding contributions to the University with the Richard Heath Dabney Award.
As an undergraduate student, Matthew interned with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering, where his projects ranged from the characterization and reaction testing of heterogeneous catalysts to providing process recommendations for industrial hydrotreating units. Matthew also spent three months working on the development of catalysts for biomass conversion at the Fritz Haber Institute in Berlin, Germany, as part of the NSF Partnerships for International Research and Education program.
Supported by an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Matthew began his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was advised by Prof. Bradley F. Chmelka. His research on understanding the distributions of active sites in heterogeneous zeolite catalysts led to an internship with Chevron's Energy Technology Company. During his graduate studies, Matthew served as a Teaching Assistant for the Chemical Process Design class.
Matthew left UCSB's PhD program with a Master's degree to join Apeel Sciences. Matthew leads the Process Engineering team at Apeel Sciences, which is responsible for the design and scale-up of Apeel's chemical processes.
Matt graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Biomedical/Mechanical Engineering. Prior to joining Apeel Sciences, Matt worked for a biotech company manufacturing hemophilia drugs utilizing CHO cell based manufacturing operations. As an engineering manager, he specialized in clean room design, utilities, and aseptic manufacturing operations and equipment.
Over the next decade, Matt was involved in multiple facility expansions, tech transfers, and manufacturing improvement projects.
When he's not working, you'll find Matt surfing at any number of Southern California beaches searching for the perfect wave.
Eli is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Santa Barbara majoring in Chemistry. He works with the Product Development team helping to conduct research and experiments and extracting and analyzing experimental data.
Erich works on the characterization and optimization of Apeel's product development processes.
Erich received his BSc in Chemical Engineering in 2015 from the University of California, Santa Barbara where he graduated with high honors. During his undergraduate career, Erich worked under Prof. Michelle O'Malley, studying the regulation and production of novel gut fungal enzymes for the conversion of complex plant material to useful sugars.
In addition to a BSc in Chemical Engineering, Erich simultaneously participated in UCSB's BS/MS in Materials program, earning a MSc. degree in Materials Science with a focus in macro-molecular materials and organic semiconductors.
Ellen ensures that our laboratories and our talented team of scientists have all the the resources and support they need to continue changing the world. During her two years as an Apeel Formulation Scientist, Ellen identified Apeel's need for a dedicated Laboratory Specialist. She created and transitioned into her current role where she passionately enables our scientists to be their best!
Ellen graduated from Westmont College with a BSc in Cellular & Molecular Biology and a minor in General Chemistry. During her undergrad, Ellen participated in chemistry research under the guidance of Prof. Stephen Contakes. She recruited future students as an Admissions Telecounselor, and spent a semester teaching chemistry at a local elementary school.
Ellen loves being involved in her community and is an active member of the Junior League of Santa Barbara. She also volunteers at local STEM events and has a passion for developing our future female scientists. When Ellen isn't working or volunteering, you can usually find her dog walking, cooking, or enjoying a glass of wine with her friends.
James focuses on supporting the business through the design and implementation of
programs aimed to ensure regulatory compliance, but more importantly to protect Apeel staff
and the communities where they live and work.
James was born and raised in western Kentucky where he attended Murray State University, receiving his BSc and MSc in Occupational Safety and Health. As part of his studies, James completed multiple professional internships supporting safety and health efforts in the fields of workers compensation insurance, refining, and oil and gas exploration. Prior to joining Apeel, James worked for Chevron supporting the safety and health of workers in the exploration and production of oil and gas from deepwater facilities across the Gulf of Mexico.
James lives in Santa Barbara with his wife, Kari, and their Border Collie, Muse. All three of them enjoy hiking, camping, tasting wine and assume that they would like surfing.
As an undergrad, Kyle attended Northern Arizona University, earning his BSc in Chemistry while both competing in and recruiting others to join the newly-formed lacrosse program. After graduation, Kyle's first job was in the pharma industry, where he learned most of the analytical procedures and cGMP practices that he still implements today. Upon relocating to Chicago, Kyle worked as a Quality Control Analyst for an oil and gas company before pursuing his MSc in Chemistry from Loyola University in Chicago. There he assisted Dr. Schmelling in researching the effects of hexavalent and trivalent chromium on zebra fish embryos.
Upon completing his Master's degree, Kyle moved to Santa Barbara to continue his career as Lead Quality Control Analyst, focused on calibrations, cGMP adherence, and lot release testing before accepting his position at Apeel Sciences. As an Analytical Scientist, Kyle performs method validations, equipment management and cGMP enforcement.
Most of Kyle's free time is spent at the beach with his wife, Emily and their two dogs, Steve and Sophie. He is also active in the up-and-coming Santa Barbara lacrosse community; most recently, assistant coaching at Cate School in Carpinteria.
A Santa Barbara native, Tim develops apps to simplify and automate Apeel's data collection and analysis processes. He also designs new software for the field applications of our products.
Outside of the office, he can be found helping with his father's beekeeping activities and doing maintenance on the local hiking trails. Tim is a student at Brown University pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science.
Dave leads digital media and communications projects with the goal of sharing the excitement of Apeel's technology and mission. As a human experience architect, dot connector and spacetime disrupter, his role includes branding, communications and web operations in collaboration with Apeel divisions and partners.
A former Navy swimmer and navigator, Dave received his bachelors degree in World Literature from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He co-founded World Wide Web Associates (later known as Level and acquired by Rosetta) while teaching and working on his Masters degree at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. As an agency director for most of the past twenty years, he has worked with large and small companies to design new brands, product experiences and outreach strategies.
Damon has over twenty years of experience as a Global Supply Chain Professional in technology manufacturing and over eight years of experience as a Supply Chain Consultant. He completed his Masters of Business Administration at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University with a focus on International Business. He completed two international expat assignments for a large technology company, one in Asia and the other in Latin America. In this role, he optimized the Supply Chain for new plant construction and new product ramps.
Damon has consulted in the retail, food, energy and defense sectors providing cost effective supply chain solutions to clients. He has consulted on SAP Pay-to-Procure modules and has implemented an entire Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for his last company. He has led global teams to drive operational risk mitigating strategies and was a General Manager for the manufacturing of piezoelectric products in a recent role. He has a passion for lean manufacturing. He has successfully managed supply chain projects in North America, Europe and Asia.
Damon enjoys traveling with his family and friends. He has a love for the outdoors and hiking, having hiked to Everest Base Camp and to Machu Picchu via the Inca trail. He is always looking forward to the next big adventure.
Savannah recieved her Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry/Chemistry and her Master's degree in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her graduate research was on the biophotonics of Nudibranch mollusk tissues. At Apeel, Savannah is working to develop new formulations for protecting produce against pathogens in the field.
Ydun draws from her experience in regulatory affairs, international trade, and agricultural development, focusing on building Apeel's operational capabilities to bring our solutions to new markets.
Prior to joining Apeel, Ydun worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service in Washington, D.C. where her work focused on foreign affairs and the synthesis and presentation of market intelligence information to USDA leadership and industry stakeholders using supply, demand, price, trade, and policy data. She was previously part of the U.S. Agency for International Development's Enabling Agricultural Trade project, leading assignments in Guatemala, Thailand, and Cambodia that assessed the impact of legal, regulatory, and policy frameworks on the private sector and its competitiveness. Ydun also helped develop commercialization strategies for agricultural crops as a consultant for the EU-Latin American Partnering Initiative in Bolivia and the IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative in Vietnam.
Ydun received a scholarship to attend the University of Copenhagen's masters program in agricultural economics and was awarded funding from the university and Oticon Fonden to study the impact of export-oriented supply chains on organizational strategy and rural development outcomes in Vietnam. Before graduating, Ydun worked for Amy's Kitchen to help develop a sourcing strategy for their new food manufacturing facilities in Europe. Ydun also holds a BA in Economics and minor in Spanish from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Evan oversees the receiving of Apeel's materials and equipment, coordinates facilities maintenance and ensures continuous smooth operations by helping to address the many day to day needs of the company as they arise.
Evan graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in History of Public Policy. During his undergraduate studies at UCSB, he wrote academic thesis papers exploring historical and contemporary policy and worked at the UCSB Digital Editing Lab and Reserved Media Services.
Jenny is the VP of Operations at Apeel Sciences, where she facilitates and coordinates the efforts of the scientific and administrative divisions of the company. She also leads our InvisipeelTM project, developing a platform for molecularly camouflaging the surfaces of fruits and vegetables, protecting them from invasion by pests.
Jenny received her Bachelor's degree in Engineering Chemistry from Queen's University in Kingston, Canada. Jenny's undergraduate work earned her the L. A. Munro Award. During this time, she also completed a 16-month professional internship at the DuPont Research and Business Development office in Kingston, Canada working on hydrogen fuel cell technologies.
For her doctoral studies, Jenny crossed over to the Chemistry Department to join the multidisciplinary lab of Prof. Cathleen Crudden where she focused on the synthesis and applications of nanostructured inorganic films. Jenny's early graduate work earned her the prestigious Alexander Graham Bell Graduate Fellowship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Beyond her academic research, Jenny's outstanding commitment to the teaching and training of undergraduate engineering and science students was also recognized by a number of departmental teaching awards.
Looking to broaden her skill set, Jenny pursued postdoctoral research with Prof. Guillermo Bazan at UC Santa Barbara investigating synthetic strategies for tuning the interactions between microbes and electrodes to improve the performance of bioelectrochemical devices such as microbial fuel cells.
Susanne graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in graphic design. After one too many rainy winters, she fled south to California for sunnier days, where she started her design career.
Susanne has worked in journalism, publishing, and freelanced for a variety of clients. She also owned her own design business for seven years.
As part of Apeel's marketing team, Susanne helps with the everyday design needs of the company including presentations, print material, photography, packaging, infographics and more.
Susanne loves the art of typography, her polaroid camera, hand-written letters and the desert heat. If she was a font she would be Trade Gothic Condensed. When Susanne is not creating material for Apeel, she enjoys running, traveling and spending time with her family and friends.
As a member of the Formulations Team, Derek researches and designs ways to efficiently and effectively produce target molecules that help develop technologies for Apeel.
Prior to joining our team, Derek spent two years in Houston as a research scientist specializing in heterogeneous catalysis for SABIC, the fourth largest diversified chemical company in the world. Through a National Science Foundation grant, he also worked in Copenhagen as a visiting researcher at the renowned catalysis company Haldor Topsøe.
Derek received a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware, where he conducted undergraduate research with Prof. Jochen Lauterbach on NOx pollution abatement catalysts. Under the guidance of Prof. Robert J. Davis, he received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia. There, his dissertation focused on accessing high-value products from biomass-derived chemical intermediates.
Outside the lab, Derek enjoys hiking, live music, and a good baseball game.
Ellise graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a BSc in Biopsychology. While there, she did research in Prof. James Roney's Evolutionary Psychology lab. Research topics included subconscious fertility signals and hormonal correlates of attraction to mates.
Ellise previously worked at a local scientific instrumentation company where she gained valuable inside sales experience.
As part of Apeel's Business Development team, Ellise handles incoming product inquiries and helps with outbound prospecting initiatives.
When she's not working at Apeel, Ellise enjoys playing beach volleyball, hiking, and crafting.
Greg is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara with a BSc degree in Mechanical Engineering. Prior to Apeel, Greg has worked at an antenna design and manufacturing company, and in the maintenance department at an industrial mining plant.
Greg was brought onboard the Apeel Deposition Systems Team to assist in the application of Apeel's products in production line settings.
Allie works in the Apeel labs with the Analytical Science team. Her responsibilities include working on stability studies, method developments, routine sample analysis, and quality control.
Allie graduated with a BSc in General Chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara. During her undergraduate studies, she worked with the SciTrek program helping elementary school students get excited about careers in science.
David is a Senior Formulation Scientist working on molecular design as well as the functionalization of raw materials extracted from plant waste for the synthesis of Apeel's products.
David received his Bachelor's in Biochemistry from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where he worked with Prof. Hasan Palandoken on the synthesis of alkoxyamines tethered to polymer surfaces for the selective immobilization and controlled release of carbonyl compounds. He then spent a year working for Gilead Sciences in the Medicinal Chemistry department on the development of a nucleotide prodrug for the treatment of Hepatitis C. David went on to complete his PhD with Prof. Javier Read de Alaniz at UCSB, where he focused on creating novel methods for N- and O- atom transfer to organic molecules.
In his free time, David enjoys staying active and spending time with his wife and daughter.
Katie graduated with honors from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Biology. Katie joined a Biotechnology research and development company and worked on multiple clinical trials, where she was responsible for the process and regulations for drug development from pre-clinical studies to Phase III clinical trials.
Katie then attended the University of California, Irvine where she earned her Master's of Science degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. After graduation, Katie moved to Santa Barbara where she worked on medical device clinical trials before joining Apeel Sciences.
Chuck began his academic career at the University of California, Berkeley, graduating from the College of Chemistry with a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Biology in 2008. It was during his time at Berkeley that Chuck first discovered his love for the synthesis of complex molecules while working in the laboratory of Prof. Matthew Francis.
With his developing interest in Molecular Design, Chuck began a PhD program at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2009 where he worked under the guidance of Prof. Javier Read de Alaniz. While the focal point of his PhD work was the development of novel C-N bond forming reactions, he was also instrumental in developing synthetic organic methodologies with cross-disciplinary applications in Materials Science and Chemical Biology.
Chuck's doctoral work earned him a number of awards and fellowships from UCSB, including the Bruce Rickborn-Ross Johnson Fellowship and the prestigious B.R. Baker Memorial Award.
A long-time Santa Barbara resident, Shelly has worked for several small to mid-size local companies. She specializes in both Customer Service and Accounting, bringing a wealth of knowledge as the Accounts Payable Coordinator for Apeel Sciences.
Matthew is part of Apeel's Process Engineering team, working to scale our production processes to a manufacturing environment.
Matthew received his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. While an undergraduate, he worked on the design of neurosurgical devices and on scale-up and manufacturing optimization efforts in the aerospace industry.
He also received his Master of Technology Management as part of the inaugural class within the UCSB College of Engineering Technology Management Program. During his graduate education, Matthew consulted with a local technology company on resource and human capital allocation and prioritization in Engineering and R&D environments.
Prior to joining Apeel Sciences, Matthew worked in the silicone chemical industry. There he led a team of engineers focused on new capital projects while working on a diverse range of projects, including manufacturing equipment design, new process development and scale-up, and process safety analyses.
Allie oversees the regulatory compliance efforts at Apeel Sciences. She graduated Cum Laude from North Carolina State University, earning a BSc in Chemical Engineering, with a Green Chemistry and Engineering Concentration and a Minor in Business Administration.
After graduation, Allie started her career in the non-profit sector with RTI International in Research Triangle Park, NC, working with the Air Quality Engineering Group to inform US EPA policy for the petroleum industry. Prior to joining Apeel Sciences, she worked for an environmental consulting firm in Santa Barbara, guiding local oil and gas companies through engineering projects and ensuring compliance with air quality regulations.
Danny graduated from Florida International University with a bachelors in Information Technology and a minor in Business.
While attending university Danny interned at a software development company. At the end of his internship he was offered a full time position, where he was employed for six years prior to joining Apeel Sciences.
As an IT Specialist at Apeel, Danny manages internal computer systems and provides technical support for the Apeel team.
When not working, Danny enjoys playing soccer, mountain biking, and hiking.
Camille graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with her BSc in Biological Sciences. During her time there, she enjoyed studying evolutionary ecology. Throughout her senior year she worked under Prof. Susannah Porter studying paleontology and identifying microscopic fossils.
Camille joined Apeel to work closely with the Product Management team to ensure customer satisfaction. She also assists the Director of Emerging Markets with the execution of various initiatives.
When Camille is not spending her time at Apeel, she enjoys traveling, reading, and hiking.
As a Senior Analytical Scientist, Taylor works on quality control for manufacturing and engineering as well as method development to assist product development.
Taylor received his Bachelor's degree in Chemistry at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Canada. While there he spent a summer conducting research under Prof. Kevin Thurbide in developing detectors for portable gas chromatography. This summer position turned into a passion for research in analytical chemistry, which led to graduate studies with Prof. Thurbide.
After his PhD, Taylor received the Alberta Innovates Technology Futures R&D Associates grant to conduct research in the field of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography at Dow Chemical Canada in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. After this grant, he continued to pursue his passion with gas chromatography under the mentorship of Dr. Jim Luong, developing methods, performing fundamental problem solving, and advancing the science of gas chromatography.
Cody assists Apeel's Process Engineering team with product manufacturing scale-up efforts. Originally from Los Angeles, Cody earned his BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. During his research at UCSB in M. Scott Shell's lab, he used computational methods to analyze molecular dynamics.
Previously, Cody interned with the operations team Eco-Services, a continuous-process sulfuric acid manufacturer in Long Beach. His role focused on improving efficiency and safety of the plant's steam system.
Carlos Hernandez graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a BSc in Chemistry and Biochemistry. As an undergraduate at UCSB, Carlos conducted research on bio-inspired wet adhesives under the guidance of Prof. Herbert Waite. As a member of the Apeel Sciences Product Development Team, Carlos carries out the tests that help optimize our formulations for various food crops and cultivars.
Chance leads the Product Development Division at Apeel Sciences, which specifically tailors Apeel's formulas to meet the evolving needs of customers. Chance was educated at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he received a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Materials.
During his graduate education, Chance worked with Prof. Robert McMeeking to improve the performance of structural materials, including polymers, ceramics and metals, through combined experimental, modeling and numerical studies. Areas of specialty include structural materials and analysis, experimental design, model development, solid mechanics and finite element modeling.
Chance's skills in product development include detailed and thorough experiment design, testing and optimizing of material properties.
Jordan is VP of Strategy at Apeel. Drawing from his experience across venture capital, corporate and business development, and investment banking, Jordan focuses on planning, implementing, and maintaining strategies to carry out Apeel's business goals while establishing an analytical framework to drive decision-making and optimize business operations.
Prior to Apeel, Jordan was a Principal at Upfront Ventures, the largest and longest-serving venture capital fund in Los Angeles, where he was involved with both investment activities as well as operating initiatives. While at Upfront, Jordan worked closely with a broad range of early stage technology startups as an active investor and board member. He was previously part of the Strategy & Business Development team at Fox Filmed Entertainment, where he managed strategic planning across Fox's theatrical, home entertainment, television and digital businesses. He began his career in investment banking at GCA Savvian Advisors in San Francisco, providing M&A and capital raising advisory services for technology companies.
Jordan received a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, with a concentration in Finance and a minor in History
Jordan lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Frannie, and son, Shane. When he's not in the office or commuting to Santa Barbara, he's likely to be surfing or enjoying the outdoors with his family and their dog, Huckleberry.
Matt helps direct Apeel's Protein Sciences research and development. Matt graduated from St. Norbert College in DePere, Wisconsin with a degree in Chemistry and a concentration in Biochemistry. During his time at SNC, Matt was an active athlete and scholar, earning him several awards for both his academic and athletic achievements.
Matt then moved on to the University of Michigan to join the multidisciplinary lab of Dr. Nils Walter where he acquired skills in chemistry, biochemistry, and biophysics. While earning his PhD, Matt developed multiple single molecule fluorescence and deep sequencing analysis tools that allowed him to investigate the role of RNA secondary structure during pre-mRNA splicing.
Stephen received his Bachelor's degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a PhD from the Materials Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where his work earned him the GAANN Fellowship and SSLEC Graduate Student Research Award. Stephen works with Apeel's product development team to create optimum formulations of our products.
Stephen received a PhD from the Materials Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2014. Advised by Prof. Jim Speck, Stephen's thesis research focused on the design, growth, and fabrication of gallium nitride-based transistors. Stephen continued to work in Jim Speck's Group for his postdoctoral studies, researching the growth and processing of related devices. His work at UCSB earned him the GAANN Fellowship and SSLEC Graduate Student Research Award.
Natalie works with the Formulation team at Apeel to optimize our products. She received her BSc in Chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she worked with Gabriel Menard's group to improve the synthesis of a vanadium phosphorous oxide complex for greater C-H activation. Natalie also played for the Women's Club Volleyball team for two years.
Amy is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a BSE in bioengineering and a minor in computational neuroscience. Prior to joining Apeel, she worked as an immunochemistry R&D intern at Ortho Clinical Diagnostics in Rochester, NY. She also worked as a product manager at Graphiq, a data science startup in Santa Barbara. At Graphiq, Amy specialized in nutrition and environmental health data aggregation and analysis.
Amy works on the product development team at Apeel, carrying out quality experiments to optimize formulations and streamlining quality data analysis pipelines.
Dan received is BSc in Electrical Engineering in 2012 from UCSB. As an undergraduate, he did research under Forest Brewer building a low power control system platform using field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).
After graduation, Dan worked at an industrial controls manufacturer designing electronic hardware, and at a endoscopic camera manufacturer programming FPGAs and embedded systems for image processing.
At Apeel, Dan is developing industrial control strategies that integrate Apeel's product application technologies into a production-ready system.
In his free time, Dan enjoys cooking, gardening, and tinkering with things in the garage. He is also an Eagle Scout and loves spending time outdoors hiking, camping, cycling, and SCUBA diving.
Emily works with Apeel's document control process to ensure compliance with regulatory standards. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a BA in Sociology. Emily's main research interests are racial disparities and environmental justice, and she also serves as a mentor to at-risk youth in the Santa Barbara area.
Matthew Lee graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a
degree in Mathematical Sciences. Matt works on the Product Development
Team developing methods for characterizing the effectiveness of Edipeel
on various crops and cultivars.
Ginger is part of Apeel's Finance team, working with internal knowledge and forecasts to create financial plans and structure in support of Apeel's mission and goals.
Ginger received her Bachelor's degree in Economics & Accounting from the University of California, Santa Barbara. While at UCSB, she was recruited by PricewaterhouseCoopers and completed an internship in their Core Tax division.
When she's not diving into the numbers, Ginger enjoys all water sports, especially competitive sailing, and loves baking everything from decadent desserts to healthy treats.
Cooper received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University in 2015. Prior to joining Apeel Sciences, he worked for Boeing as an assembly and automation engineer focusing on the integration of automation and new manufacturing technology.
At Apeel, Cooper gets to combine his affinity for plants, food, and engineering by helping develop our Edipeel product application and drying systems.
Camille graduated with a BSc in Biochemistry-Molecular Biology from University
of California, Santa Barbara. During her undergraduate studies, she conducted
research at Eindhoven University of Technology for a summer, where she studied
molecular architectures that aid in mimicking the complexities of living systems
under the guidance of Dr. Bert Meijer.
As an Extraction Scientist, Camille assists with the extraction of raw materials from plant waste for Apeel's products.
Richard is a Senior Process Engineer working to predict and optimize scale-up performance of Apeel's process technologies.
Richard received his BSc in Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. He then completed his PhD and postdoctoral research under the mentorship of Prof. Michael Baldea at The University of Texas at Austin, where his research focused on model-based optimal process design and operation. In addition to his research, Richard taught undergraduate-level courses and pursued various entrepreneurial opportunities. He is a coffee and food connoisseur, and enjoys playing basketball and hiking.
Claire graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a BSc in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Design and Entrepreneurship. As an undergraduate, she worked as a Mechanical Design Engineer for the MIT Media Lab and D-Lab. She also pursued summer internships in antenna engineering and technology dissemination operations in India.
Claire joined the Apeel team to assist with the development of methods to apply Apeel formulations to fresh produce and integrate improved drying systems into packaging lines.
As a member of the Analytical Sciences Team, James provides analytical support across a wide range of research and engineering activities at Apeel, from extractions and formulations through final product QA/QC.
James joins Apeel after 22 years at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he operated the mass spectrometry facility in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and brings with him a wealth of expertise in mass spectrometry and chromatography applications.
James received his BSc in Chemistry from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Following undergraduate studies, he worked at Central Coast Analytical Services, an environmental services laboratory, as supervisor of the Organics section. He returned to school at Oregon State University in Corvallis, where he received his PhD in Analytical Chemistry under Prof. Doug Barofsky developing mass spectrometric methods for analyzing PAH adducts of DNA. His graduate studies were supported by both a NORCUS Graduate Appointment — during which he spent two summers working at PNNL in Richland, Washington — and a Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship. He continued that research during postdoctoral work at UNC Chapel Hill in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering.
James returned west in 1994 to begin work at UCSB. While there he maintained and operated the shared MS instrumentation, trained graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, gave lectures, and collaborated with various faculty and researchers. These collaborations resulted in co-authorship on over two dozen scientific papers including articles in both Science and Nature. Additionally, James is a founding member of the California Los Padres Section of the America Chemical Society and has served on its Executive Committee in various capacities since 1996. In 2012, he was presented the section's Sandra Lamb Award for his "contributions to the chemistry community."
Louis leads Apeel Sciences' Formulation Division. Louis completed his PhD studies in Materials at the University of California, Santa Barbara, advised by Profs. Guillermo C. Bazan and Edward J. Kramer. Louis was awarded several fellowships during his graduate studies, the NSF GRFP, NSF IGERT, and GEM, and was nominated for a graduate student award from the Materials Research Society. Louis' PhD work focused on the molecular design, synthesis and structure-property relationships of innovative, functional materials for applications in organic electronics.
Prior to his post-graduate work, Louis earned a BSc in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Florida and was an intern at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in the Polymer Science and Engineering department and the DuPont Experimental Station.
Louis translates high-level discussions of potential molecular candidates into synthetic molecules used to develop new formulations.
As a member of Apeel's Regulatory team, Erik is responsible for ensuring global compliance for Apeel products.
Prior to joining Apeel, Erik's focus was the research and development of novel therapeutics and diagnostic devices in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, respectively. Most recently, his efforts concentrated on the development of innovative diagnostic tools to support early- and late-stage clinical development for cancer immunotherapies in the quickly evolving personalized medicine space.
Erik received a BA in Biological Sciences from Southern Illinois University in addition to a MSc in Biotechnology and MBA from California State University, Channel Islands.
Alex graduated with highest honors from the University of California, Santa Barbara, earning a BSc degree in Mathematics with a minor in Statistical Science. During his undergraduate studies, he worked closely with Professor Kenneth C. Millett researching invariant embedded properties of closed chains in 3-space. He develops image analysis and segmentation algorithms for Apeel.
Grant graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with Bachelor's degree in Chemistry. He works with both the Formulation and the Protein Sciences Teams to characterize and optimize different enzymatic reactions, as well as developing new assays to test the efficiency of these reactions.
Gabe graduated with a BSc in Materials Science & Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2015. During his undergraduate studies, he conducted research in characterization of polymers for biomedical devices under Dr. Jim Antaki. He assists the Apeel Sciences Team with extraction techniques for creating new product innovations.
James received dual undergraduate degrees from Carnegie Mellon University in Materials Science & Engineering and Biomedical Engineering and received his PhD in Materials from the University of California, Santa Barbara. For his PhD research, James was the recipient of the 2012 Frank J. Padden Jr. Award for polymer physics, the premier polymer physics prize in the United States. James is a graduate of the UC Santa Barbara Technology Management Program and also holds a Master's degree in Economics.
Drawing from his research, James founded Apeel Sciences to help provide new organic technology solutions for sustainable agriculture. James guides corporate strategy and oversees the company's research and development efforts.
David received his Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from California State University, Fullerton. As a Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Research Scholar, David found his passion for synthetic methodology in the laboratory of Prof. Christopher Hyland
and went on to further expand his knowledge and skills in the lab of Prof. Javier Read de Alaniz at the University of California, Santa Barbara, for his doctoral studies.
Through his understanding of chemical transformations, David develops innovative product formulations that enable the discovery of new technologies at Apeel Sciences.
Charlotte is part of Apeel's People and Culture team, working to instill a fun, welcoming, and engaging environment at Apeel. Charlotte collaborates with different teams at Apeel to develop efficient people and programs at the company.
Charlotte received her Bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies and Communication from University of California, Santa Barbara in the Honors College. Charlotte's undergraduate work earned her the Environmental Studies Program 2016 Tom Rogers Scholarship, Distinction in the Major Award, and Outstanding Service Award. Charlotte also completed a Senior Honors Thesis with the Bren School regarding transferring knowledge from environmental scientists to a non-technical audience.
During her time at UCSB, Charlotte conducted research with PhD Candidate Nate Emory regarding plant-environment interactions and PhD Candidate Lisa August-Schmidt involving forest restoration. Charlotte was head of Programming for UCSB's Sprout Up Organization, and leader of special events for Surfrider's Isla Vista Chapter.
Kallan received her BSc in Biopsychology from University of California, Santa Barbara with honors from both the College of Letters and Science Honors Program and the Psychological and Brain Sciences Department. At Apeel, she provides support to the CEO and serves as a point of contact for internal and external constituencies on matters regarding the CEO. She also serves as a liaison to the board of directors and senior management teams and coordinates executive outreach and partner relations.
Bardia is originally from Iran and has lived in the United States since 2010. He received his BSc in chemistry at Shahid Beheshti University, Iran in 2007. Bardia discovered his passion for organic chemistry while he was studying for the master's degree entrance exam and was ranked 19th among 500,000 examinees. He obtained his MS in Organic Chemistry at Sharif University of Technology, Iran in 2009.
In 2011 Bardia joined the PhD program at Michigan State University where he studied organic chemistry under the supervision of Professor Borhan. His research was mainly focused on the development of the enantioselective intermolecular halofunctionalization of alkenes. During this time Bardia was the recipient of dissertations continuation, dissertation completion and academic scholars in teaching fellowships.
Bardia joined the Formulation Sciences team at Apeel Sciences in September 2017 where he employs his skills in reaction methodology towards the development of new processes for product formulations.
Jason is our Chief Commercial Officer and a member of Apeel's board of directors. Prior to Apeel, Jason was the co-founder and CEO of Invoca, the world's leading mobile analytics software company. Previously, Jason was CFO at CallWave, where he led the company to multiple years of growth and profitability and a successful IPO. Prior to CallWave, Jason was Vice President of Technology M&A in Broadview's Silicon Valley office, where he was the execution lead on more than $1 billion in successful mergers and acquisitions. Jason has also held product roles with Nextel Communications and with Netopia, where he helped the company complete its successful IPO.
Jason is a co-founding venture partner of Persistence Partners, a venture fund with investments in information technology and life sciences, and a member of the board of directors of iFluidics, WorldViz, and Jornaya as well as Apeel Sciences. An active angel investor, Jason has invested in 20+ early-stage technology companies. He holds several patents in internet advertising, telecommunications, and microscale fluidics.
Jason earned his MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University and his BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is a member of the teaching faculty at UCSB's Technology Management Program. When he's not extending the life of fresh produce, Jason loves to travel the world's beaches, hit the links, hit the trail, and root for some of the best water polo players in the country. Jason lives in Santa Barbara with his college sweetheart, three awesome kids, and a puppy.
Edwin is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. Prior to joining Apeel Sciences Edwin worked for 3D printing companies and manufacturing companies, including BMW in the UK. Edwin joined the Apeel team to assist with the development of mechanical systems to improve and automate data acquisition techniques, as well as to enable application of our formulations to various crop surfaces.
Pete is our Controller and has spent his career primarily in corporate finance and accounting, as well as in public accounting and supply chain. Prior to Apeel, Pete held positions in finance and supply chain with Deckers Brands, a leading footwear company, serving as their Controller for over 7 years. Before joining Deckers, Pete was the Controller and VP of Finance at CallWave, where he helped support the company through years of profitable growth and an IPO. Prior to CallWave, Pete was the Controller for UNIAX, a private R&D company that was acquired by DuPont, and was an audit manager with Meara, King & Co., a public accounting firm in Kansas City.
Pete earned his MBA from the University of Missouri in Kansas City, his BS from California State University in Sacramento, and he has a California CPA license. Before earning his BS degree, Pete was in the US Army, serving in an infantry platoon based at Ft. Ord, California.
Pete lives in Santa Barbara with his wife, Julie, their three sons and their dog, Chiyo. Outside of work, he enjoys watching his sons' sporting events, listening to music, playing games with his family and working in his yard.
Bill is VP of Finance at Apeel and has spent his entire career as a finance and corporate development executive in the venture-backed startup and growth technology sector. He has a breadth of experience leading equity capital raises, debt financings, M&A, accounting function management, financial planning, board and investor relations.
Prior to Apeel, Bill was the CFO of several Santa Barbara startup companies, including cielo24, Local Market Launch, and the technology incubator Estalea. Bill was part of the founding team of QFour Digital, an online media rollup strategy backed by private equity firm GTCR, and spent several years with Idealab, a notorious technology incubator, as finance and accounting lead for several of their incubating companies. He began his career at Ernst & Young, LLP as an auditor.
Bill graduated from University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Bill is also extremely passionate about an all-volunteer nonprofit he and his wife founded, the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, focused on changing the future of a rare genetic disease called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Inspired by their daughter, Gwendolyn, Bill and his wife started the GSF to advance SMA research, provide technology grants, advocate for and support families impacted by SMA, and raise global awareness of this brutal disease. A majority of its programs are funded by sales of merchandise through its unique NEVER GIVE UP. nonprofit apparel brand.
Bill lives in Santa Barbara with his wife, Victoria, and daughter, Eleanora, and outside of work enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, running, and snowboarding.
Alex has been interested in working at the interface between chemistry and biology since his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. While there, Alex received multiple summer fellowships for his undergraduate research in protein-polymer conjugates and earned a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry. In addition to his scientific work, Alex became president of his fraternity allowing him to develop valuable leadership and managerial skills.
For his doctoral studies, Alex continued to work at the chemistry-biology interface in the lab of Prof. Guillermo Bazan at the University of California, Santa Barbara. There he helped develop a fledgling research project using synthetic chemistry to non-genetically modify living bacteria and integrate them into bioelectronic devices.
Cody's scientific career began at Carnegie Mellon University, where he graduated with a
BSc in Biological Sciences and a Minor in Chemistry. He then went on to earn his PhD in
Biological Chemistry from the University of Michigan where he was advised by Prof.
Zhaohui Xu.
At Michigan, Cody gained a passion for protein chemistry and how to use biochemical and biophysical methods to elucidate protein function. During the course of his PhD, Cody uncovered several different mechanisms that regulate a specialized cellular membrane restructuring event, which facilitates cell division, plasma membrane repair, and a multitude of other essential biological processes.
With these skills in hand, Cody leads the Protein Sciences team in creating alternative, enzyme-derived methods to enhance all of Apeel's product development.
Dan is Apeel's VP of People and Culture. He's a results-oriented human resources leader with extensive experience building and engaging winning teams.
Dan's background includes working with diverse organizations, from startups to category leaders. Prior to joining Apeel, Dan was VP of People and Culture at Invoca, Inc., the Call Intelligence Company. He has also held senior HR roles with national and international responsibility for Intouch Technologies, The Walking Company, Guitar Center, Circuit City, and the iconic Santa Barbara based brands Big Dog Sportswear and Jordano's.
Focused on continuous improvement with a passion for recruiting talent, Dan brings sharp understanding of the dual focus needed to align strategic and employee need to enable business growth and profitability.
Dan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration with emphasis in Labor Relations from San Diego State University.
When he's not looking for great people to join Apeel, Dan can be found fishing, cycling or spending time with family and friends in his home in Ventura.
Brook is a part of the Process Engineering team, working to optimize
existing processes that are used to make Edipeel formulas, as well as researching
new methods for optimizing our engineering processes.
Brook received her BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles. During her time at UCLA, she was a researcher in Prof. Dante Simonetti's lab, working to elucidate details of reaction mechanisms involved in heterogeneous catalysis.
In her free time, Brook enjoys cooking, traveling, and painting.
Sarah is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Santa Barbara pursuing a BSc in Statistical Science with a concentration in Applied Statistics. At Apeel, she works in the Finance department as the company transitions from a startup to grow into a larger company. Outside of work, she enjoys practicing and teaching yoga.
Gabby is an undergraduate student at the University of California, Santa Barbara pursuing a double Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Mathematics. She is the Sustainable Business Campaign Director for UCSB's Environmental Affairs Board working to implement a pre-consumer composting program in Isla Vista.
At Apeel, Gabby combines her affinity for social dynamics and organization by aiding the Operations team's efforts in ensuring regulatory compliance of Apeel's food production processes.
Daniel is an undergraduate at the University of California, Santa Barbara currently pursuing a BSc in Chemistry. Prior to joining Apeel he worked in the USGS Mercury Lab and UC Davis Isotope Lab where he helped analyze and characterize different chemical abundances in avian samples.
At Apeel, he works with the Product Development team conducting experiments and research to help extend the shelf life of various fruits. In his free time Daniel enjoys hiking, snowboarding, surfing, and rock climbing.
Alena is an undergraduate student studying Chemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara. At Apeel, she is working with the Extraction Sciences Team to isolate and characterize the components of extracted plant materials.
Benson is a graduate student in the College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, Kenya. He is undertaking a Master's degree in Horticulture and majoring in Postharvest Management. His research is focused on understanding the behavior of different crops and produce, and developing technologies that can be used to extend their life span. Benson has been working with Apeel in Kenya and California, carrying out product efficacy studies on produce indigenous to Sub-Saharan Africa.
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