Meet Our Stellar Team of Managing Directors
We’ve been building. Fast. Collaborating with New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Columbia University we’ve just launched Activate New York as part of the $19.5 million Carbontech Development Initiative. And, in addition to our existing sites in Boston and Berkeley, we are now also offering the Activate Fellowship nationwide through the new Activate Anywhere Community.
Fellows are at the center of our organization, and leading each community of fellows is a managing director who serves as a mentor and guides through highs and lows of company-building. Managing directors bring to the role their own experiences as founders and scientists, and their top priority is to ensure every fellow has the resources, knowledge, and counsel they need to thrive. So as we’ve grown our base of communities, finding remarkable individuals to lead them was our top priority.
David Anton, Activate Berkeley Managing Director
In the spring, Activate Berkeley’s managing director Tom Boussie announced his transition to executive-in-residence as he looks for his next adventure. And this fall we welcomed David Anton to lead our Berkeley Community as its new managing director.
An expert in advanced biofuels and biochemicals, Anton has held technology development, scale-up, and commercialization roles at large enterprises and startups. Anton launched his career at DuPont where he held a variety of senior research management positions across bioprocessing and biocatalysis. As vice president of R&D for DuPont’s joint venture with Tate and Lyle, Anton directed technology start-up activities. He also led global business development for DuPont’s advanced biofuel, biobutanol. Anton later joined Codexis and served in roles including CTO. He also served as CTO at Joule Unlimited, COO at Celana, and CTO at Trelys. He is passionate about creating value through technology development. Anton earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from UC Berkeley and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Minnesota.
“Activate has a strong track record of helping scientists create companies that address critical issues in climate change and sustainability,” says Anton. “It's tremendous to be able to be a part of this ecosystem that can have so much impact on our planet and society.”
Hannah Murnen, Activate Anywhere Managing Director
Hannah Murnen is a materials scientist who is motivated by the intersection of technical progress and impact. She thrives on translating technical concepts and developments into tangible decisions about running businesses. Murnen started her career at McKinsey and Company as a consultant for industrial, material, and chemical companies on supply chain and growth strategy, as well as market differentiation. She joined Compact Membrane Systems (CMS), an advanced materials company working to make chemical separations more energy and capital-efficient, in 2015 to lead its business development efforts. She became chief technology officer in 2018. Murnen holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from UC Berkeley and a B.S. in engineering from Dartmouth College.
“I’m excited that Activate Anywhere will make our fellowship’s resources and support accessible to science entrepreneurs across the country,” says Murnen.
Andrew Chang, Activate New York Managing Director
Andrew Chang is a mission-driven engineer, entrepreneur, and operator who launched his career in energy & climate analysis at Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection. He then supported energy efficiency and emissions reduction initiatives within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Program. He later co-founded a digital health and wearable device company, which he grew from Seed to Series B to acquisition. Chang then helped build an internal AI/ML incubator at ASUS where he deployed a portfolio of in-house AI services, led strategic partnerships, and evaluated investment opportunities. He holds 13 patents and earned a master’s in atmosphere and energy from Stanford University and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.
Chang says he is happy to be bringing what he’s learned as an entrepreneur and operator to the role of managing director of Activate's New York Community: “I’m pumped about helping accelerate scalable decarbonization solutions and to work with the inaugural group of Activate Fellows in New York.”
Aimee Rose, Senior Managing Director & Activate Boston Managing Director
Aimee Rose’s career has centered on converting technology into products from conception to scale. At FLIR Systems, she led the commercialization of new explosive detection technology, based on her doctoral research, to full-scale production, deployment, and worldwide market share. Rose’s work has been recognized through the U.S. Army’s Greatest Invention Award and both the TR35 Young Innovator Award and Humanitarian of the Year Award from the MIT Technology Review magazine. Prior to joining Activate to launch the Activate Boston Community as managing director, Rose co-founded Advanced Fabrics of America, launching an investment portfolio to transform fibers and fabrics into high-tech, high-value-added products to revitalize the U.S. textile industry. Rose earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry at MIT.
“I think what makes our team so powerful is having four diverse, mission-oriented managing directors, with a wide collective scope of skills and experience, to offer best-in-class support to Activate Fellows,” says Rose.
We couldn’t agree more, and we can’t wait to watch these mentors and accomplished science entrepreneurs lead the next cohort of Activate Fellows. Are you a first-time technical founder looking for support and a stellar community? Applications close November 30 at 5pm PT.