Core team

Built across the disciplines required to scale.

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Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Eric Karp

Ph.D. chemical engineer and former distinguished member of the NLR research staff. R&D 100 Award winner and recipient of an Early Career Impact Award. Leads Safion's technology strategy, commercial development and partner engagement.

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Senior Chemical Engineer

Jacob Kruger

Ph.D. in materials science and engineering with ten years at NLR. Recognized with national-laboratory technology-transfer and bioenergy awards and an ACS green-chemistry presentation award.

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Senior Scientist - Process Development

Andrew Borchert

Ph.D. in microbiology and former NLR postdoctoral researcher. Led projects under the U.S. Department of Energy Center for Bioenergy Innovation.

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Senior Molecular Biologist

Lauren Drumm

Ph.D. in energy science and engineering and former NLR postdoctoral researcher. Specializes in engineering tools for non-model organisms.

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Senior Chemical Engineer

Ryan Prestangen

Chemical engineer with NLR experience and expertise in life-cycle analysis, GREET modeling and Aspen Plus process modeling.

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Chemical Engineer

Alex Jenkins

Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder and an early-career researcher recognized for graduate-research excellence.

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Fermentation Engineer

Alex Kohley

Biochemistry and molecular-biotechnology background with 4.5 years of R&D fermentation and three years of industrial and production fermentation experience.

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Chemical Engineer

KaeLee Massey

M.Sc. chemical engineer with more than three years of process and environmental engineering experience spanning compliance, operational efficacy and HAZOPs.