About

established
in
2021
to
end
california's
catastrophic
wildfires

At Earth Foundries we’re all about ending California’s catastrophic wildfires.  That’s no small task.

Now more than ever, public and private land managers are working hard to restore the health of California forests. Earth Foundries can help by incentivizing the removal of forest waste from the landscape.
 
The earth has multiple biological systems that naturally sequester carbon—soil, oceans, and forests.  Working with these natural systems, Earth Foundries will help end California’s catastrophic wildfires and slow climate change.  We take the naturally sequestered carbon in forest waste and prevent it from reentering the atmosphere, making forest management a more profitable and more carbon negative activity.

Carbon Markets

We want to make sustainable, carbon-negative markets for woody biomass.  Today slash, the left-over, un-merchantable wood from forest management projects, is treated as waste when in reality it has the potential for multiple value-added product streams:

  • Biochar: Multiple beneficial uses in soil enhancement, filtration, storm water mitigation, etc.
  • Advanced carbon materials:  For use in bio-plastics, wood replacements, pigments, fillers, etc.
  • Carbon sequestration: Woody biomass can be processed into durable, inert carbon capable of sequestering carbon and keeping it out of the atmosphere for 100’s to 1000’s of years.
  • Reliable, green energy.

At Earth Foundries, we turn waste into value to save our forests.

Mission

Make Forest Health Affordable by Turning Forest Waste into Useful Carbon-Negative Products and Energy

Vision

An End to Devastating California Wildfires and Global Warming

Values

Our team

Headshot of Dede Smullen

Dede smullen

co-Founder & Chairwoman

Dede’s career took her through multiple roles in public planning at a range of Bay Area cities, counties and private consulting firms.  More recently she has led the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council as the Board President. She earned a BS in Environmental Policy and Planning from U.C. Davis.

Headshot of Roger Smullen

roger smullen

Co-Founder & CEO

Roger has spent 30 years in the technology world in a variety of product development, marketing and business development roles.  He earned a BSEE from Cornell University and an MBA from Santa Clara University.

advisors

Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension, UC Berkeley

Dr. Sanchez is on entrepreneurial leave from UC Berkeley through May 2023

Daniel L. Sanchez studies engineered biomass & bioenergy systems that remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Trained as an engineer and energy systems analyst, Sanchez’s work and engagement spans the academic, nongovernmental, and governmental sectors. As an Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension, he runs the Carbon Removal Lab, which aims to commercialize sustainable carbon dioxide removal technologies, and supports outreach to policymakers and technologists in California and across the United States.

Education:

Ph.D., Energy and Resources, University of California-Berkeley, 2015
M.S., Energy and Resources, University of California-Berkeley, 2013
B.S.E., Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 2010

TSS is a consultancy providing renewable energy, natural resources management, environmental compliance, greenhouse gas management, life cycle analysis and financial assessment services.  Since TSS’ establishment in 1986 the firm has provided technological and economic evaluation of new and proposed commercial scale energy projects, biomass resource utilization alternatives, and policy review.

Hiring

Interested in joining our team?  We don’t currently have any openings, but send us a message and your resume, and we’ll see how we can address California’s wildfire threat and global warming together.

Affiliations & Certifications