“Ifyou’regoingtosolve aproblem,makeit abigone.”
– Ed Scott
Our Team
Sharpminds,softhearts
We are a motley crew of global scientists and business innovators who came together to tackle the hardest challenges in science and engineering. Circ’s senior management team has decades of experience across multiple industries, with a history of building successful companies that have reached valuations in the hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars. Today, we’re basically do-gooding nerds with a penchant for speaking truth to power, dead set on fixing fashion. Who’d have thought? Where others see roadblocks, we see an opportunity to apply our technology. As long as it’s the right thing to do, no matter how many hours and revisions it takes, we’re going to get it done.
PETER MAJERANOWSKI
Chief Executive Officer
PETER MAJERANOWSKI
Chief Executive Officer
Peter traveled the world in the US Navy, and what he saw was a planet in environmental peril. Now he’s dedicated to creating circular fashion that lasts longer than it takes us to try to spell his last name.
• Investor / multiple C-Suite roles in portfolio companies
• Naval Officer, Surface Warfare Community
• M.B.A. – Duke Univ., B.S. – Cornell Univ.
JULIE WILLOUGHBY, PHD
Chief Scientific Officer
JULIE WILLOUGHBY, PHD
Chief Scientific Officer
What do the chemical, pulp & paper, and apparel industries all have in common? Not much, except this smart person. Julie has pioneered innovation in all three, and is now taking on the vast expanse of fashion waste.
• Director, Coatings Program, Manufacturing Innovation – Nike
• Dow Corning / MeadwestVaco / Adjunct faculty NCSU College of Textiles
• PhD, Chemical Engin. – North Carolina State Univ.
Conor Hartman
Chief Operating Officer
Conor Hartman
Chief Operating Officer
Don’t let his get-up fool you – this camo-clad guy has been around the world solving problems of peace and poverty. Now with Conor leading Circ’s strategy, fashion won’t even know what hit it.
• Policy & operations in Liberia, South Sudan, Nigeria, et al.
• Carter Center / Clinton Global Initiative / Center for Global Development
• M.B.A. – UNC Chapel Hill; B.A. – Duke University
IULIAN BOBE, PHD
Chief Technology Officer
IULIAN BOBE, PHD
Chief Technology Officer
If coming up with big plans to commercialize world-changing technologies were grounds for winning Olympic gold medals, Iulian would have more bling than Michael Phelps. Sorry fashion waste — you’re his next race.
• Director of International Business Development – NanoCarrier Ltd.
• PhD, Chem Engin. – Osaka Prefecture Univ.
• M.B.A. – Duke Univ.
LUKE HENNING
Chief Business Officer
LUKE HENNING
Chief Business Officer
Luke left his rewarding cush management gig at KPMG because he couldn’t ignore the urge to save our planet. He believes so much in sustainable fashion, he’s helping us put our money where our mouths are.
• Chartered Financial Analyst / Financial Risk Manager
• Board Member / Investor – Adriaan Kuiters, South African fashion label
• M.B.A. – University of Oxford; MSc, Financial Management – Univ. of Cape Town
Ed Scott
EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
Ed Scott
EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN
Whether Ed’s investing in companies or creating world-class NGOs to address global poverty, there’s no problem too big for him to solve. Ed is a force of nature having excelled in government, tech, investing, and philanthropy.
• Founder – BEA Systems (exit to Oracle) / Investor & Board Member StubHub
• Founder Center for Global Development / DATA / Scott Family Fellows
• MS Political Science – Michigan State Univ.; BA – Oxford Univ.
Orlando Rojas
ADVISOR
Orlando Rojas
ADVISOR
Dr. Rojas is so far afield in the study of renewable materials that we don’t know what time zone he’ll be in, but we do know he’s always on the cutting edge of research. He’s a rockstar on all accounts, and we are excited to have him on team Circ.
• Professor & Canada Excellence Research Chair, Univ. of British Columbia
• Visiting Professor, Aalto University (Finland)
• BS & MS – Univ. de Los Andes (Venezuela); PhD Chemical Engin – Auburn Univ.
Allan Myerson
ADVISOR
Allan Myerson
ADVISOR
Allan practically wrote the book on industrial crystallization (a key part of our magic). To wit, it’s titled “Handbook of Industrial Crystallization.” Allan is an inestimable resource for Circ’s work in (re)circulating textile polymers.
• Professor of the Practice in Chemical Engineering, M.I.T.
• Authored 275 papers, inventor on 45 US patents, cited over 14,000 times
• BS – Columbia Univ; PhD Chemical Engin. – Univ. of Virginia
Steven Usdan
ADVISOR
Steven Usdan
ADVISOR
As co-founder of the largest certified recycled cotton textile producer in the Americas and a founding member of Accelerating Circularity, Steven continues to draw circles around us all.
• Co-Founder of Giotex
• President, MDC Group / Founder of Color-Tex
• BS – New York Univ.
Our Extended Team
Champions in clean
The saying goes, “You are only as good as the company you keep.” So we feel very fortunate to be partnering with some of the best and brightest minds out there.
Founded by Bill Gates and backed by many of the world’s top business leaders, BEV is a part of Breakthrough Energy, a network of investment vehicles, philanthropic programs, policy advocacy, and other activities committed to scaling the technologies we need to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Inditex is one of the world’s largest fashion retailers, operating in more than 200 markets through its online platform and stores. With a business model focused on meeting customer desires in a sustainable way, Inditex is committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2040.
Patagonia is on our wavelength. Its mission is to save our home planet, which is probably why it’s been our biggest champion since day one. We are hard at work putting together the first Circ products for all the Patagonia fans out there.
From industry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products that enhance people’s lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Milliken & Company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations.
Marubeni is one of the world’s most accomplished cross-industry companies that does just about, well…everything. Their company creed is “Fairness, Innovation and Harmony,” and we’re super excited to be working hand in hand with Marubeni to reinvent the way clothing is made.
Lansdowne Partners is an investment management partnership focused on fundamental equity investing. Founded in 1998, the Firm manages assets for a diversified client base that includes some of the world’s largest and most sophisticated investors with an investment philosophy predicated on generating consistently superior returns via exceptional investment teams within a leading-edge operational infrastructure.
8090 Partners is a partnership of the world’s most prominent industry leaders and entrepreneurs focused on investing in and accelerating next-generation breakthrough solutions across decarbonization, aerospace and national security that shape today’s industrial revolution.
Envisioning Partners is the largest impact investor based in Seoul, Korea, with 100% of its portfolio dedicated to impact. Envisioning focuses on four impact domains: climate change, health and wellness, education, and the future of work. In recognition of the magnitude and urgency of climate change issues, Envisioning is in particular accelerating investment into scalable climate solutions.
Circulate Capital finances innovations and companies that scale solutions to the plastic waste and climate change crises. Backed by leading global corporations, private investors and development finance institutions, it mobilizes catalytic capital to prevent ocean plastic and advance circularity across the entire plastic value chain, from innovative materials to advanced recycling technologies.
Alante Capital is a female-led, early-stage venture fund investing today in the solutions that will make tomorrow’s apparel industry resilient and sustainable. They know the ins and outs of the sector and value having diverse financial partners that align with their mission.
Card Sound Capital provides capital and support to successful early and growth stage companies with the goal of creating sustained value. CSC invests in disruptive technology companies seeking to drive a positive social or environmental impact alongside strong financial performance.
Fashion for Good is the global initiative doing just what their names says. With an eye for tech talent, they are helping promising solutions like Circ get connected with big brands and manufacturers. We like working with folks who focus on good and make it happen.
Avery Dennison is a global materials science company specializing in the design and manufacture of a wide variety of labeling and functional materials. The company’s products and solutions, which are used in nearly every major industry including the fashion industry, include tags, labels and embellishments for apparel; and radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions serving retail apparel and other markets.
Zalando is a leading European online platform for fashion and lifestyle. As Europe’s most fashionable tech company, we work hard to find digital solutions for every aspect of the fashion journey. Our vision is to be the Starting Point for Fashion and a sustainable platform with a net-positive impact for people and the planet.