BPI Seminar by Dr. Julie Willoughby
September 5, 2024, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Elevating Biomaterials for Packaging
Location: CHBE #202, 2360 East Mall Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4
Agenda
- 12:00 PM Introduction by Dr. Orlando Rojas
- 12:05 PM Presentation by Dr. Julie Willoughby, CTO, TerraSafe Materials, Inc.
- 12:45 PM Q&A
*Sandwiches & coffee will be provided from 11:50 AM.
Abstract
TerraSafe Materials is dedicated to mitigating the detrimental effects of traditional packaging materials by creating biomaterial platforms. By harnessing the natural abundance of polysaccharides, electrolytes, and amino acids, we are creating biodegradable alternatives that do not compromise on performance. Our advanced use of colloid chemistry allows us to engineer composites, films, and coatings with specific barrier and mechanical properties, ensuring that food remains protected while significantly reducing environmental impact.
As we move towards commercialization, our patented technologies promise to revolutionize the food packaging landscape. However, several challenges remain. These include scaling production to meet industry demands, ensuring cost-effectiveness to compete with traditional materials, and gaining regulatory approvals to ensure safety and compliance. Addressing these challenges will require ongoing research, collaboration with industry partners, and strategic investment.
Transitioning from reliance on fossil fuels to embracing a new bioeconomy requires a holistic approach, focusing on circular and regenerative models to replace linear ones. Our aim is to showcase the recent progress in our projects and integrate design-led engineering to drive systemic transformation.
About the Speaker
Dr. Julie Willoughby is the CTO for two Big Idea Venture portfolio companies focused on biomaterials. She founded Blue Hummingbird LLC, a design and build entity to accelerate business growth through innovation and strength-based execution strategies in 2023. Her 25+ career as a chemical & biomolecular engineer, entrepreneur, and polymer scientist has been driven by her deep ecological heart. She is a popular speaker, inspiring activist, and a brilliant innovator in the world of renewable materials. In her many roles, she uses her authentic leadership style to empower teams with a focus on intertwining scientific knowledge with creative design.
Julie, as she prefers to be called, is a seasoned chemical engineer, entrepreneur, and material scientist with a deep ecological heart. In her many roles, she uses her authentic leadership style to empower teams with a focus on intertwining scientific knowledge with creative design. As a scientist who thinks “outside-the-box,” her talents have attracted both non-profit and profit corporate structures such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Nike, Inc.
She served as the Chief Scientific and Commercialization Officer at Circ®, Inc. from 2019-2023; leading the team from recycling one t-shirt a day in a lab reactor to a semi-commercial continuous operation. This work led Circ® to be a 2023 The Earthshot Prize finalist and named one of Fast Company’s 2024 Most Innovative Companies. Before her entrepreneurial roles with start-up companies, Willoughby drove corporate entrepreneurship in Nike’s material and manufacturing innovation departments and served as a faculty member in the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University. She is an expert in the fields of textiles & nonwovens, surface chemistry & surface dynamics, coatings, and utilization of renewable resources as feedstock for advanced materials. Willoughby is an avid scientific author and inventor in the areas of polymers, silicone chemistry, interfacial and surface science, and barrier packaging. Her 25+ year career has spanned multiple industries - chemical, pulp & paper, packaging, life sciences, textiles and fashion.
Dr. Willoughby has a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University.