Team

Gerard Zytnicki

Gerard Zytnicki

Chief Executive Officer

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Gerard Zytnicki’s technology experience spans 30 years and many disciplines, from definition and implementation, software engineering, innovation and design, and strategy and execution. He worked at Microsoft for 27 years in products and engineering roles. Most notably, Gerard served as General Manager in the Windows Organization and Senior Director of Engineering in the Microsoft Startup Business Group, where he felt the incredible impact of Windows 95 on the world while at Microsoft and dived into the startup ecosphere. He served an advisor on a biotech project for the UW CoMotion incubator program, which is where he met Lewis and Delwin. Gerard is an original member of the Seattle Angel Fund and is a senior strategic advisor to numerous Seattle area startups. He has a master’s degree in International Business from the SKEMA Business School in Sophia Antipolis, France.
Lewis E. Johnson, Ph.D.

Lewis E. Johnson, Ph.D.

Chief Scientific Officer

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Dr. Lewis E. Johnson has 16 years of research experience in nanotechnology, computational chemistry, and materials design, and he is passionate about making a better future. He has published 39 peer-reviewed papers, secured three patents (with others pending), co-authored one textbook, and given numerous conference presentations. Lewis was previously a Research Scientist at the University of Washington (UW) Department of Chemistry and has extensive experience transferring academic technology research into the private sector. He conducted postdoctoral research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and taught at and conducted postdoctoral research at Pomona College. Lewis received a dual Ph.D. in Chemistry and Nanotechnology from UW in 2012 and a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Pomona College in 2007. He is a 2022 Puget Sound Business Journal 40 under 40 awardee.
Vijay Raghavan

Vijay Raghavan

Chief Financial Officer

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Vijay Raghavan is a finance and accounting professional with progressive experience spanning over 30 years working for startups and medium/large scale global organizations (public and private). He’s enthusiastic about leveraging his experiences in healthcare, technology, REIT, and education to help entrepreneurs scale their ideas to meaningful businesses. Vijay has held key positions as a finance executive in global conglomerates such as AGC Biologics (as their CFO), Cray Inc, Microsoft, and Fila, with a focus on organizational growth through corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, accounting and financial planning, treasury, internal and external reporting, government contracting, and operations.

Vijay is dedicated to community service, including leadership positions at Hopelink, the Indian Association of Western Washington Senior Center, and as a financial advisory committee member of the local school district. He earned a Master of Commerce, Accounting, and Banking from the University of Madras in India and an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Hartford.

Delwin Elder

Delwin L. Elder, Ph.D.

Director of Materials Development

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Dr. Delwin L. Elder has over 20 years of experience in chemistry and materials science research and development. He thrives on discovering novel and pragmatic solutions with partners and collaborators. Delwin specializes in the design and synthesis of organic electro-optic molecules; characterization of optical, physical, and electrical properties; and thin-film device fabrication and evaluation. Previously he was a Research Scientist at the University of Washington (UW) Department of Chemistry for 13 years, developing organic electro-optic materials. Delwin has co-authored more than 50 publications. Additionally, he spent two years with a UW startup and ten years at Air Products and Chemicals, focusing on conducting polymers, lithium battery materials, surfactants, and catalysis. Delwin has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology.
Stephanie Benight, Ph.D.

Stephanie Benight, Ph.D.

VP, Strategic Partnerships

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Dr. Stephanie Benight is a materials leader with a technical background in chemistry, polymers, and materials characterization and a demonstrated business development and strategic partnerships track record. She founded Tactile Materials Solutions in 2019, a consultancy based in Washington with San Francisco Bay Area laboratories. Through Tactile Materials Solutions and her prior experience, Stephanie has advised several companies, including startups, attorneys, and large corporations, on matters involving polymer materials and chemistry, including commercialization, rigorous testing and analysis, product development, and go-to-market approach. She has led and conducted root cause and failure analysis investigations of plastics, adhesives, and coatings used in commercial products such as medical devices, building materials (e.g., flooring), consumer electronics, equipment components, and wind turbine blades. Throughout her career, Stephanie has managed technical and laboratory teams, employed deep technical expertise, and led many projects concurrently. In her investigations and research, she is experienced with several materials characterization techniques, including FTIR, DSC/TGA, mass spectrometry, microscopy, chemical compatibility testing, mechanical property testing (e.g., tensile strength, nanoindentation), and accelerated end-use testing of materials. Stephanie also has performed research in the areas of polymer mesh, liquid crystals, photonics, electro-optic materials, organic electronics (e.g., sensors, transistors), semiconductors, next-generation computing (e.g., optical computing), and additive manufacturing (3D printing).
Scott R. Hammond, Ph.D.

Scott R. Hammond, Ph.D.

Director of Process Development​

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Dr. Scott R. Hammond has over 20 years of experience in designing, synthesizing, characterizing, and applying organic nanostructured optoelectronic materials. He is passionate about the promise such materials hold for humanity. Scott has co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters and is a named inventor on over a dozen awarded and pending U.S. and international patents. Before NLM, he served as Principal Scientist for six years at SolarWindow Technologies, Inc., leading all aspects of developing their proprietary semitransparent electricity-generating coatings. Scott spent three years as a postdoctoral scholar at the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, working on organic photovoltaic materials, devices, and packaging. He received a dual Ph.D. in Chemistry and Nanotechnology from the University of Washington in 2007, working with Prof. Larry R. Dalton on organic electro-optic materials. Scott received his B.S. in Chemistry with high honors from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2002, performing undergraduate research with Prof. Doug Gin on lyotropic liquid crystals.
David A. Sparks

David A. Sparks

VP, Corporate Development

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David A. Sparks has led technology startups focused on wireless network development for the past 20 years. He was the Founder and CEO of three consecutive successful startup entities from inception to exit and integration. Mr. Sparks is known for his leadership in national wireless network development and engineering entities. He is currently VP of Corporate Development and a board observer for NLM Photonics as well as an elected commissioner (volunteer) for a King County Utility District in Washington State. He has a dual B.A. in Finance and Accounting from Western Washington University and an MBA in Corporate Strategy from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
Dr. Kevin O’Malley

Kevin O’Malley, Ph.D.

Senior Research Scientist

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Dr. Kevin O’Malley has 13 years of experience in soft materials R&D, organic electronics, device physics, and conductive elastomers. For NLM, he brings specialized expertise in materials characterization and instrumentation development. Kevin believes passionately in the value of engineering solutions to major modern-day challenges by applying nanotechnology and materials innovation and spent several years teaching college-level fundamentals of materials science and chemistry in Seattle to the next generation of scientists. Since joining NLM, he has also developed an interest in CAD/CAM manufacturing and circuit design. Kevin received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Washington in 2013, and his dual Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Philosophy from Boston College in 2005.
Marion Mundy

Marion Mundy

Controller​

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With 22 years of professional experience in commercial and business management tasks spanning all company sectors, Marion Mundy has worked in the manufacturing industry, housing development, and academics, including two American and German startups. Her flexible skills and holistic knowledge make her invaluable to any department: whether in Materials Management, Production, Sales & Marketing, HR, Finance, or Accounting. Additionally, Marion has 12 years of volunteer work comprised of starting a non-profit and serving in Treasurer and Assistant roles within the US Public School and Library System. She has a Degree in Industrial Management and is a Certified Translator (German/English vv.).
Erica McGillivray

Erica McGillivray

Communications Director​

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Erica McGillivray specializes in crafting brand experiences, communication, and community. For over 15 years, they’ve worked with and founded b2b startups, nonprofits, and e-commerce shops, while honing brand messaging, marketing them, fostering community, and building trust. Communication and storytelling are Erica’s lifelong passions. They are a published author and an avid gardener. Erica received their B.A. in Creative Writing (English) from the University of Puget Sound in 2006.
Brad Booth

Brad Booth

Board of Directors

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Brad Booth is a distinguished technology strategy and development leader and influential in industry consortia and standardization. He has held roles as a senior Technical Program at Meta Platforms and as a Principal Network Architect in Microsoft’s Azure Hardware Architecture Group, where he focused on developing next-generation optical connectivity solutions for Cloud and AI data centers. Previously, Brad has held technology strategist and engineering positions at Dell, Intel, and Bell-Northern Research. Brad led the formation of the Ultra Ethernet Consortium, the Ethernet Technology Consortium, the Consortium for On-Board Optics, and the Ethernet Alliance, and he has served on the board of directors for the IOWN Global Forum and the 10 Gigabit Ethernet Alliance. He was the chair for the 10GBASE-T standard and the editor-in-chief for the 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard. The holder of over 20 patents related to networking technologies, Brad has also received awards for his contributions to industry consortia and IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standards.
Bruce H. Robinson, Ph.D.

Bruce H. Robinson, Ph.D.

Senior Scientific Advisor

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Dr. Bruce H. Robinson is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Washington and has been on its faculty since 1980. He designs molecules for electro-optic applications and develops and uses theoretical modeling methods to optimize their performance. Dr. Robinson has written over 200 peer-reviewed papers and has published in the fields of magnetic resonance, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and electrodynamics. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and currently holds the Larry R. Dalton Chair in Chemistry.
Arka Majumdar, Ph.D.

Arka Majumdar, Ph.D.

Scientific Advisor

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Dr. Arka Majumdar is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Physics at the University of Washington. He received his B. Tech. degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, in 2007, where he was honored with the President’s Gold Medal. Dr. Majumdar completed his M.S. (2009) and Ph.D. (2012) in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. Dr. Majumdar then spent one year as a postdoc at the University of California, Berkeley (2012–13) and then Intel Labs in Santa Clara, CA (2013–14). His research interests include developing a hybrid integrated nanophotonic platform using emerging material systems for applications in ultra-low-power optical information science, imaging, and microscopy. Dr. Majumdar is the recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (2015), Intel early career faculty award (2015), Amazon Catalyst Fellowship (2016), Alfred P. Sloan research fellowship for physics (2018), and NSF CAREER Award (2019).
Philip Sullivan, Ph.D.

Philip Sullivan, Ph.D.

Scientific Advisor

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Dr. Philip A. Sullivan received his B.S. with honors in Chemistry from Montana State University in 2000, and his Ph.D. in Chemistry and Nanotechnology in 2006 from the University of Washington while working with Professor Larry R. Dalton. His dissertation research focused on organic materials for nonlinear optics applications. In 2006, Dr. Sullivan co-founded Seattle Polymer, LLC., a consulting firm focusing on solving materials and chemical technology problems of commercial interest. In 2010, he joined Intellectual Ventures Labs and co-developed the tunable metamaterial technology behind Kymeta Corporation’s flat-panel satellite antenna. In 2011, Dr. Sullivan joined the faculty at Montana State University as a Research Assistant Professor focusing on fundamental organic materials research, funded mainly by the U.S. Department of Defense. He has authored more than 50 scientific publications and book chapters and is a named inventor on many important U.S. and international patents.
John Jaffe, Ph.D.

John Jaffe, Ph.D.

Scientific Advisor

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Dr. John Jaffe has a Ph.D. in physics from Cornell University and 34 years of experience in theoretical and computational solid-state physics, most recently at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He also taught physics at Michigan Technological University and presently teaches mathematics at Columbia Basin College.
Natalie Angelillo

Natalie Angelillo

Advisor

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A veteran marketer and entrepreneur, Natalie Angelillo is currently Vice President of Community and Communications at OfferUp, overseeing the company’s brand strategy and business partnerships. For nearly 20 years, she has built, led, and advised community-driven startups with experience across a wide breadth of technologies and industries. Ms. Angelillo was the Founder and CEO of SwopBoard, Co-Founder of Swink Style Bar, and CEO at Photozone. She previously was the VP of Content and Product and SVP of Business Affairs at Getty Images. Ms. Angelillo received her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, and M.A. from the University of Washington. She is on the Advisory Board of Directors at the Henry Contemporary Art Museum and advisor to Seattle startup Stylyze.
Ken Block

Ken Block

Advisor

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Ken Block is the Manager of Block Capital LLC and based in Seattle. As an investor, he’s interested in learning about and supporting cutting-edge technologies that will enhance all of our lives in the years ahead. Formerly, Ken was the Chairman of Block and Company, Inc. (sold in 2018), a manufacturer and distributor of office/security products through Staples, Office Depot, Amazon, and Wal-Mart. He’s an active angel investor and non-profit champion. Ken currently sits on Stylyze, Inc.’s board and previously been part of the butter LONDON LLC, Primus Knowledge Solutions, and University Preparatory Academy boards. He earned a Masters in China Studies from the University of Washington and a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College.
Fabien Mousseau

Fabien Mousseau

Advisor

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Fabien Mousseau has over 18 years of experience as a finance leader, generating strategic insight, driving smart financial and business planning and decisions, designing pricing strategies, managing risk, optimizing cost structure, and establishing reporting processes. He’s currently Senior Vice President, leading Financial Planning & Analysis at Core Scientific, which delivers blockchain and AI infrastructure and software solutions. During his 15-year tenure at Microsoft, Fabien worked directly with the CEO to build a revenue growth framework. He was also CFO for Windows Business Group, a $15B+ business for Microsoft. There Fabien transitioned offerings to an enterprise SaaS model and analyzed acquisition opportunities for commercial enterprise growth. He received a Master of Engineering in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a BS in Engineering from Ecole Polytechnique in France.