We are dedicated to the pursuit of imaginative solutions to solve the world’s toughest waste challenges. We’re emboldened by moonshot missions and leave incremental improvement to others — our goal is to tackle only the most difficult unmet needs.
We apply our ingenuity through biotechnology and engineering to allow industry to transform liability to value and benefit our planet. Our process and resources make us different from our competitors, allowing us to work on multiple technologies across different sectors.
At Allonnia, we start from a place where every problem has a solution.
Our team
Nicole Richards
Chief Executive Officer
Nicole Richards
Chief Executive Officer
With over 28 years of industry leadership within water treatment, mining and industry chemicals and pharmaceuticals, Nicole brings the perfect skill set to help Allonnia tackle critical industry issues and create the next generation of bioremediation solutions.
Before Allonnia, Nicole served as the Strategy, Growth and M&A leader for DuPont Water Solutions; and as a Global Director at Solvay.
Kent Sorenson
Chief Technical Officer
Kent Sorenson
Chief Technical Officer
Kent is an internationally recognized expert with over 25 years of experience, developing and applying innovative remediation technologies for water, soil, and sediments in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He has worked at nearly 200 sites worldwide, and has co-authored over 40 scientific publications and given over 180 presentations at prestigious national and international conferences and symposia.
Chuck Price
Chief Commercial Officer
Chuck Price
Chief Commercial Officer
Chuck brings over 30 years of executive experience leading industrial businesses including mining, metal treatment, lubricants, oil and gas, water treatment and many others. He has a track record of bringing innovative technology to market and working with customers to solve their unmet needs. Prior to joining Allonnia, Chuck was a global executive vice president at Solvay, and worked previously at Cytec Industries and Rhodia.
Join Us
We’re always looking for great company. If you’re the type who seeks the big challenges, you might be just who we’re looking for.
Michaeline is an environmental microbiologist. She is passionate about using microbes as solutions to global challenges. She holds a B.S. in Geological Sciences from Brown University and a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine.
Areen Banerjee
Technical Project Manager - SynBio
Areen Banerjee
Technical Project Manager - SynBio
Areen is a Synthetic Biologist with over 10 years of Academic and industry experience leveraging metabolic engineering & synthetic biology to develop sustainable solutions for use in the agricultural, pharmaceutical & bioenergy space. He has helped develop the first scalable dsRNA-based pesticide against Colorado Potato Beetle and was recently involved the developing mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 and the seasonal flu. He holds a master’s degree in biotechnology & a PhD in Microbiology
Allison Connolly
Sr. Research Associate
Allison Connolly
Sr. Research Associate
Allison is a microbiologist who specializes in working with environmental samples and non-model organisms. Her background in isolating bacteria, fungi, and algae from plant and soil samples has given her a deep appreciation for the diversity of microscopic life that exists just out of sight. She holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Bianca Cruz
Research Scientist
Bianca Cruz
Research Scientist
Bianca is a microbial ecologist who specializes in microbial interactions and the mechanisms by which they impact biogeochemical processes. She is passionate about probing into the diversity of microbial populations and harnessing their potential for novel applications in biotechnology. She holds a B.S. in Biology and a Ph.D. in Environmental Life Sciences from Arizona State University.
Elizabeth Deyett
Senior Bioinformatics Scientist
Elizabeth Deyett
Senior Bioinformatics Scientist
Elizabeth is a passionate bioinformatician with nearly a decade of experience in microbiology and microbial genetics. She aspires to help discover and leverage the powers of our microbial friends for the benefit of the world. She is constantly on the lookout for the next trend in data science and visualization. She is also a strong advocate for science communication through playful writing and storytelling which is showcased on her website Microbigals.com and podcast The Microbe Moment.
Alexandrine Gaspar
Research Associate
Alexandrine Gaspar
Research Associate
Alexandrine finds trash fascinating! Specifically, how materials cycle and how humans derive value from them. She has always been interested in what life does at a microscopic scale and is excited to learn more about what microbes' tiny systems can teach us. She recently graduated with a B.S. in Chemical and Biological Engineering.
Siri Gawrisch
Chief of Staff
Siri Gawrisch
Chief of Staff
Siri serves as Chief of Staff for Allonnia, supporting the CEO in strategic planning, operations, project management, people, and communications. Siri is a strategy, insight, and marketing professional with over 20 years of experience in Fortune 100 companies such as Dow and DuPont. She loves to collaborate, enable strategic thinking, and catalyze execution.
Bryne Gramlich
VP of Business Development
Bryne Gramlich
VP of Business Development
Bryne is an accomplished Senior Operations Executive with 25 years of experience leading P&L business units in the oil and gas industry. He has a proven track record of unlocking a company’s value through strategic planning, developing highly effective and collaborative work teams, and building a culture based on innovation and continuous improvement.
Tom Lankiewicz
Microbiologist
Tom Lankiewicz
Microbiologist
Tom is a microbiologist who specializes in characterizing organisms for synthetic biology applications. He shifted his focus from microbial ecology to synthetic biology during his dissertation, using specialized anaerobes to break down plant material. He is excited to use his skills at Allonnia to valorize waste. He holds a B.A. from Grinnell College, an M.S. from the University of Delaware, and a Ph.D. from UC Santa Barbara.
Patrick Leggieri
Scientist
Patrick Leggieri
Scientist
Patrick is a chemical engineer who specializes in fermentation and characterization of non-model microbes. He enjoys building and automating new culture processes and he is passionate about waste valorization and bioproduction. He holds a B.S. from Lafayette College and a Ph.D. from UC Santa Barbara.
Kevin Lewis
North America Sales Manager
Kevin Lewis
North America Sales Manager
Kevin has more than 20 years of sales experience in the environmental remediation and hazardous material management industries. He values customer relationships, and has a proven track record of providing unique solutions that meet and exceed client goals. Kevin holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Ball State University and a Masters in Agronomy from Purdue University.
Katie Mann
Sr. Marketing & Communications Manager
Katie Mann
Sr. Marketing & Communications Manager
Katie leads the marketing and communications strategy. She has nearly 10 years of experience building integrated communications, digital marketing, content, and brand programs in Fortune 500 companies, most recently at DuPont. She is passionate about collaboration, creatively bringing brands to life and sparking curiosity through content.
Tyson Maynard
Research Associate
Tyson Maynard
Research Associate
Tyson has worked on various projects involving a wide range of organisms including Drosophila, E. coli, and a few Human cell types. He is a recent graduate with a bachelor's in Biological Engineering from Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT) and loves to hear passionate people discuss the things that interest them.
Michaela Moulaison
Executive Assistant
Michaela Moulaison
Executive Assistant
Michaela is an environmental advocate with diverse experience in transit planning, environmental education, and refugee resettlement. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Planning and Policy and a Master of Science degree in Urban Planning and Community Development. Her favorite method of education is through immersive travel and researching the latest methods and technology addressing the world’s greatest environmental challenges.
Zach Pierce
Environmental Engineer
Zach Pierce
Environmental Engineer
Zach is an environmental engineer with a passion for protecting public health and environmental stewardship formed during several years working as a consultant in the environmental remediation industry. He holds B.S. and M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Northeastern University, where he first became interested in the potential for transformative biology to solve problems related to waste and the built environment.
Andrew Punsoni
North America Sales Manager
Andrew Punsoni
North America Sales Manager
Andrew is an environmental scientist and business manager. His career has focused on both environmentally as well as economically efficient methods of remediation. He has extensive experience working with the public and private on hundreds of successful projects across the country and around the globe.
Rob Rappold
VP of Business Development
Rob Rappold
VP of Business Development
Rob has spent his 22+ year career in the water industry with roles ranging from sales to plant management to regional P&L ownership. He has a track record of partnering with his customers on environmentally focused projects geared to maximize client value. Rob is certified GE Black Belt and holds a bachelor's in Chemical Engineering from West Virginia University and an MBA with a concentration in Finance and Management Policy from Case Western Reserve University.
Karrie Radloff
Metals and Mining EngineerPosition
Karrie Radloff
Metals and Mining EngineerPosition
Karrie is a geochemist and environmental engineer who specializes in remediation of metals contamination of groundwater, soils, and sediments from mining and ore processing operations. She is eager to leverage her 20 years of expertise in contamination to harness the value of mining wastes. She holds a B.A. in Chemistry from Mount Holyoke College and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Columbia University.
Dayal Saran
VP of Research
Dayal Saran
VP of Research
Dayal is a global R&D leader with over 15 years of industry experience leveraging metabolic engineering and biotechnology to commercialize novel solutions in the areas of industrial proteins and enzymes; flavors, fragrances and other food ingredients; insect control agents; live biotherapeutics; and biofuels. He holds a Master’s degree in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry.
Robert Sinkler
VP of Government Programs
Robert Sinkler
VP of Government Programs
Bob is passionate about improving nature with nature. Previously Bob was the Environmental Programs Chief for the U.S. Army. After leaving the Army he served as the Water Resources Infrastructure Director for The Nature Conservancy’s North America Freshwater Program. Prior to joining Allonnia he was the Vice President for Technology and Commercialization in the Environment Sector at the pioneering biotechnology company, Intrexon.
Dan Stigers
VP of Business Development
Dan Stigers
VP of Business Development
Dan is an organic chemist who has spent 12 years developing sustainable innovations in the extraction of natural resources. He has managed a portfolio of new product development in collaboration with several prominent international mining corporations. Dan holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of New Hampshire.
Iris Williams
Contracts and Compliance Manager
Iris Williams
Contracts and Compliance Manager
Iris is an attorney with 20 years legal experience. For almost ten years she has worked for major Defense contractors, with increasing levels of responsibility in various functions including Global Trade, Supply Chain, and Contracts. Iris’ emphasis in each of her roles has included pioneering creative processes, project execution through successful team alignment, regulatory compliance, managing complex proposal development and negotiations, and outstanding relationship-building across all levels.
OUR ADVISORS
Pamela leads Human Resources, with more than 25 years experience as a human resources professional in both domestic and international companies, spanning a broad range of industries and services. Most recently Pamela was leading HR and building world-class teams at Dupont and then Anomatic. Pamela brings supplemental experience with roles in operations, marketing and corporate communications.
Pamela Watkins
Human Resources
Rob leads Marketing, bringing 3 decades of marketing and innovation leadership experience at PepsiCo, Nokia and HP, most recently as Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager. He is the founder and CEO of Maison Agency, LLC, a brand and marketing agency that has been working with Allonnia since early 2021. Rob will lead out on building Allonnia’s marketing and communications capabilities, the strategic narrative and developing marketing programs to support product commercialization.
Rob Le Bras-Brown
Marketing
Jessica leads Finance, with a unique hybrid background with over 20 years of finance, private equity, and operating experience. Jessica is an active Interim CFO and CFO Advisor of various companies in the consumer and biotech industries and is a Financial Strategist with Results Thru Strategy. Jessica co-founded and is a managing partner at Rellevant Partners, a private equity firm making growth equity investments in early-stage, high-growth companies.
Jessica Kates
Finance
Rick is an experienced executive with over 30 years of experience across the energy, chemicals and industrial biotechnology industries. He has been CEO of two early stage public companies; a senior partner and global practice leader for an international management consultancy; and has served on a number of Boards. Rick has helped numerous early stage companies to accelerate their growth and transform markets. He has been a strong advocate for the transition to a more sustainable future by leading impactful change efforts at a global as well as at a local level. Rick supports Allonnia across a wide range of programs including plastics biodegradation and circularity, new program evaluation, and overall company strategy development.
Rick Eno
Industry Advisor
Bio
Our board members
Dr. Jason Kelly is the co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks, the leading horizontal platform for cell programming. Headquartered in Boston, Ginkgo is a synthetic biology company that enables customers across industries to program cells as easily as we can program computers. Ginkgo supports the development of applications ranging from vaccine manufacturing and new pharmaceutical modalities to fragrances, sustainable dyes, and biosynthetic cannabinoids, as well as pandemic response and biosecurity tools including K12 pooled testing for COVID-19. Ginkgo is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker $DNA. Prior to Ginkgo, Jason received B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology and a PhD in Biological Engineering all from MIT.
Jason Kelly
Ginkgo Bioworks
Matt Vaughan joined Battelle in 2017 and is EVP of the Applied Science & Technology group. He oversees an organization of more than 2,500 employees who are responsible for delivering science, research and engineering solutions for a diverse customer base in healthcare, national
security, environment and infrastructure markets. Since joining Battelle, Matt has worked to develop a long-term growth strategy based on emerging technical needs that will require innovative solutions in the coming years and decades.
Matt came to Battelle from Leidos, Inc. where he most recently served as a Senior Vice President within the Health business and was responsible for growing the company’s health products and solutions.
In his six years with Leidos / SAIC, Matt also held senior management positions with the company’s Integrated Systems Group, the Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, and the company’s Government Affairs practice.
Prior to Leidos, Matt spent 13 years with BAE Systems in program management and government affairs roles. He began his professional career as a legislative assistant and legislative director to a U.S. Congressman.
Matt is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of New Hampshire, Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.
Matt Vaughan
Battelle
Nicole is the CEO of Allonnia and a proven executive leader with over 25 years of experience leading global businesses across multiple industries including Water, Mining, Paper, Chemicals and Materials. Over her career, Nicole has led the development of business strategies culminating in 4 merger and acquisition events and numerous partnerships. She has won several awards recognizing women in industry and her professional achievements. Nicole is passionate about bringing the next frontier of technology into traditional waste and industrial markets.
Nicole Richards
Allonnia
Jason Kakoyiannis focuses on corporate development at Ginkgo Bioworks where he helps catalyze new operating companies. Prior to joining Ginkgo, Jason held strategic growth roles at Givaudan developing global products and brands with Unilever, Natura, Estée Lauder, and others. He began his career as an M&A attorney at Shearman & Sterling in public company transactions and takeover defense. He was a curatorial fellow at the Whitney Museum of Art and currently advises several biotech startups. Jason received his BA from Brown University, MA from Yale, and JD from USC.
Jason Kakoyiannis
Ginkgo Bioworks
Lieutenant General (Ret.) Thomas P. Bostick previously served as COO and President, Intrexon Bioengineering (NASDAQ: XON). He serves as a senior advisor on biotechnology, infrastructure, sustainability, HR, and DEI. Bostick serves on the boards of CSX (NASDAQ: CSX), and Perma-Fix (NASDAQ: PESI). He also serves on the board of HireVue, and Fidelity Investments’ Equity and High-Income Fund Board of Trustees. He was the 53rd Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Bostick helped lead the nation’s response to Superstorm Sandy. He was the Army’s Director of Personnel and served as the Commanding General of U.S. Army Recruiting Command; he deployed with the 1st Cavalry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom and later commanded the Gulf Region Division with responsibility for an $18B construction program. He serves on multiple non-profit boards. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Bostick serves on several committees of the National Academy of Sciences focused on the environment and climate change. He is a licensed professional engineer, a Forbes Contributor, and an Affiliated Scholar at Stanford University. He recently published his first book, Winning After Losing: Building Resilient Teams.
Tom Bostick
BSG
Bio
Partners
With Ginkgo, we leverage the best synbio development capabilities paired with environmental deployment strategies.
Battelle provides fast-track access to its extensive R&D facilities and testing laboratories.
Allonnia is collaborating with a UCLA team on the forefront of R&D for emerging contaminants to help achieve our vision.
InnoTech Alberta offers access to research talent, technical expertise, and unique facilities that accelerate technology development.
Allonnia is proud to work with BHP in the design and deployment of transformational technologies.
We are proud to partner with MMAP, a collaboration of leading innovators dedicated to solving waste challenges in Mining through sustainable methods.