The Team & Advisors

The Team

Nhiem Cao

Founder, CEO

Nhiem Cao has a Bachelors in Chemical Engineering, an MBA, and is pursuing another Masters in Product Innovation from the University of Arkansas. His expertise is in commercialization, with a track record of successfully bringing products to market in his previous roles. He has successfully raised more than $3.2 million in venture capital and secured over $2 million in non-dilutive funding.

Angel Treat

CTO

Angel has a BS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Arkansas, an MS Certificate in Robotics Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, as well as pursuing her Masters in Product Innovation. She has 7+ years of R&D experience having previously been a Microbiologist for Tyson and an R&D Engineer for an electrochemical water treatment company. She now leads lab experiments and grant writing.

Vanessa Gonzalez

CBDO

Vanessa Gonzalez has a BS in Agricultural economics - Rural Entrepreneurship at Texas A&M, and is currently pursuing her MBA from the University of Arkansas. She serves as the Chief Business Development Officer. Her five plus years of leadership and customer facing experience allow her to navigate and manage a challenging sales funnel.

Advisors

Dr. Ranil Wickramasinghe

Dr. Ranil, a co-inventor of our technology, is a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Before entering academia, Dr. Ranil spent five years in the biotech industry. He joined the University of Arkansas in 2011 and now leads the Membrane Science, Engineering and Technology (MAST) Center. He has over 20 years of experience as a researcher with a primary focus in membrane-based separation processes, as well as surface modification of membranes to impart unique properties.

Dr. Xianghong Qian

Dr. Xianghong, a co-inventor of our core technology, serves as a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. She received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from George Washington University and worked in industry and at the National Renewable Laboratory (NREL) before entering academia. She has over a decade in biomass conversion R&D experience, having led multiple NSF-funded projects. Dr. Xianghong has been pivotal in steering the foundational research behind our catalytic membrane technology.