earth foundries®

About

established
in
2021
to
end
california's
catastrophic
wildfires

At Earth Foundries TM 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 materials from the landscape.
 
The earth has natural systems that renew and sustain healthy forests, soils, and watersheds. Working with these systems, Earth Foundries helps reduce catastrophic wildfire risk in California. We convert forest residues into valuable biochar and other beneficial products, reducing open burning, lowering disposal costs, and creating new economic opportunities that support long-term forest stewardship.

Forest Biomass Markets

We believe forest restoration projects should create valuable products, not waste streams. Today, slash and other unmerchantable woody material generated during forest health and hazardous fuels reduction projects is often treated as a disposal problem when it has the potential to support multiple value-added markets:

  1. Biochar
    Beneficial uses in soil improvement, water filtration, stormwater management, and environmental remediation.

  2. Advanced Carbon Materials
    Feedstocks for bioplastics, composite materials, pigments, fillers, wood alternatives, and other emerging applications.

  3. Durable Carbon Products
    Forest biomass can be converted into stable carbon materials that retain their beneficial properties for extended periods while creating long-term value from forest residues.

  4. Renewable Energy
    Opportunities to generate reliable energy and useful co-products from sustainably managed forest resources.

At Earth Foundries TM, we turn forest residues 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

  • Sustainability
  • Balance
  • Innovation

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.

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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.

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board of directors:

  • Chair: Dede Smullen
  • Member: Roger Smullen

advisors

head shot of daniel sanchez

daniel sanchez

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

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tss Consultants

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.

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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.  

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Affiliations & Certifications