It's Time for a Better Way

Berkeley, CA

Cornell University, Stanford University

Molly’s love for the environment and her determination to rid the world of polluting plastics dates all the way back to elementary school, where an exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium devoted to the challenges of clam-shell packaging set off a life-long quest. Molly studied Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University before moving back to California to pursue her Ph.D. from Stanford University. While at Stanford, she joined a project funded through the Stanford Woods Institute and headed by Professors Sarah Billington and Craig Criddle to seek wood replacements within the construction industry. This led her to study the anaerobic biodegradation of biocomposites, including PHA-based materials. Molly has contributed to multiple patents and publications in the bioplastics and biocomposites industry.

During a stint consulting for venture capital, Molly was inspired to start Mango Materials based off her (and co-founder Allison Pieja’s) Ph.D. research at Stanford. At Mango Materials, Molly spearheads fundraising efforts from both public and private entities and coordinates with various strategic partners. She has been an invited presenter at numerous conferences and events all over the world, speaking about the power of Mango Materials’ technology to change the world. Molly loves going for hikes, taking pictures of flowers, and dark chocolate.

Berkeley Heights, New Jersey

Princeton University, Stanford University

Allison’s passion for the outdoors combined with a love of science & math and a desire to change the world motivated her to pursue environmental engineering. Allison graduated from Princeton University with a B.S.E. in Civil and Environmental Engineering and then moved across the country to study Environmental Engineering at Stanford University. In her Ph.D. research at Stanford University, she pioneered the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) from methane in Craig Criddle’s lab. Her research focused on elucidating the role of PHA within methanotrophic cells and using this knowledge to select methane-utilizing microbes for improved PHA production. Allison has authored and contributed to numerous patents and publications in the PHA field.

Allison currently leads scale-up of Mango Materials’ technology and is focused on producing PHA from waste methane gas at a San Francisco Bay Area wastewater treatment plant. She also oversees innovation and optimization of the process. Allison has completed many trail ultramarathons and enjoys spending as much time as possible outdoors and in the mountains.

Milwaukee, WI

Marquette University, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Anne knew she wanted to pursue a career in environmental engineering ever since a middle school science fair experiment attempting to show biodegradation was unsuccessful; little did she know that she would more than redeem herself years later by earning a Ph.D. in the same field (with slightly more advanced experiments). After graduating with B.S. and M.S. degrees in the environmental field from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, she went on to earn her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering (environmental emphasis) at Marquette University. At Marquette, Anne studied bioaugmentation of anaerobic digestion to enhance methane production in Daniel Zitomer’s lab. Anne’s career has centered around methane; she has worked across industries (wastewater treatment, landfills, agriculture), monitored digestion facilities of various sizes (micro-scale to full-scale), and managed large and small methane-related projects.

After a chance meeting with Molly at a methane-related conference in graduate school, Anne moved to California and became a co-founder of Mango Materials. Anne leverages her technical background to foster relationships with customer and partners in both the methane and polymer spaces. She also leads Mango Materials’ marketing and outreach efforts. In her sparse free time, Anne enjoys ice-skating, watching animated movies, and tacos.