Stwart Pena Feliz is the Co-Founder and CEO of MacroCycle, a hard tech startup developing novel PET and polyester waste upcycling technologies. Stwart, along with his Co-Founder Jan-Georg Rosenboom, started MacroCycle while they were students at MIT. MacroCycle has received the backing of Breakthrough Energy, Clean Energy Ventures and The Engine.

In the episode, Stwart shares how MacroCycle's ring chain chemistry allows for the company to dramatically improve the economics of recycling. He also shares how he built the world-class team of scientists and engineers at MacroCycle, explains how his experience as an engineer at ExxonMobil helps him build MacroCycle and provides advice for founders looking to receive the most value out of startup accelerator and incubator programs. For college students, Stwart discusses the best steps to take for creating a career of impact.

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Navy McKee is the Co-Founder and CEO of Kai Pono Solutions, the developer of a patented wastewater treatment system that removes trash, chemicals and sediment from stormwater runoff. Navy founded Kai Pono Solutions during her Senior year at San Diego State University after realizing the role that innovation can play in cleaning up our waterways. Kai Pono Solutions has been accepted in multiple prominent Blue Tech accelerators, including SeaAhead's BlueSwell program and the StartBlue Ocean Enterprise Accelerator.

Navy shares about her journey founding Kai Pono Solutions as well as the many iteration cycles needed to refine their product. She provides insights into why water is overlooked and underinvested as a vertical and the society-wide implications of failing to properly manage our water resources. We discuss how to find your niche as a young entrepreneur and strategies to gain credibility as an innovator in more traditional and risk-adverse industries.

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Dylan Gretok is Founder and CEO at Seagull EcoChem, while also earning his degree in chemical engineering, economics, and entrepreneurship at North Carolina State University. Inspired by his passion for the environment, Dylan is building a more sustainable future by commercializing a seaweed-derived plastics packaging replacement, which he hopes will remove the green premium on packaging alternatives and drive mass adoption. His work is supported by beVisioneers, the Mercedes-Benz Fellowship, and by NC State's Innovation and Entrepreneurship department.

Dylan shares with us his founding journey at Seagull, why he believes his technology is well positioned to displace existing, environmentally harmful materials, and how he overcomes challenges as a student entrepreneur. We also discuss his love of the outdoors, how students can persevere in the face of adversity, and staying grounded while juggling multiple competing commitments.

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