Management
Bionavitas¹ management and directors have extensive experience in managing,
financing and growing companies; providing technology-based services;
designing, developing, and introducing new products; and attracting and
hiring the best and brightest employees. The Company¹s Chairman and CEO,
Michael Weaver, is a successful and recognized entrepreneur. All the
founders have foundations in engineering and science and active experience
in nascent businesses.
Michael Weaver, Bionavitas Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO.
In 1998, Mr. Weaver co-founded and was Chairman and CEO of Applied Discovery, Inc. (ADI) a Washington based company that invented on-line legal electronic discovery. Mr. Weaver designed and patented Applied Discovery’s system to process, index, and provide on-line tools for searching and managing email, files, and other electronic corporate data at the rate of three million pages a day, changing the face of modern day legal discovery. ADI’s services were key to the discovery of some of the most notorious emails and files in the Enron, Worldcom, and Global Crossing litigations as well as the investment bank investigations and other high profile corporate cases. They also produced over 10 million pages in documents for the government review of the Hewlett-Packard/Compaq merger. In 2003, Mr. Weaver was winner of the Ernst & Young Pacific Northwest Entrepreneur of the Year award and negotiated the sale of Applied Discovery to Lexis/Nexis.
John Pulse, Bionavitas Co-Founder.
John Pulse earned his BSEE degree from Gonzaga University in 1989. After working several years in the software industry, Mr. Pulse founded a strategic growth and recruiting company, ProCast, Inc. in 1994, to focus on developing talent for the burgeoning internet sector. ProCast, Inc. was later acquired by Amazon.com in 1997 where Mr. Pulse continued to work as a consultant for several years. Mr. Pulse has long had a passion for alternative energy and sustainable living. He is involved in several farming and energy cooperatives, as well as other community projects focused around sustainable living.
Craig Watjen, Director.
Mr. Watjen is a co-founder and angel investor for, and director of, Light Sciences Corporation. He is an investment manager and is involved in a number of business ventures. Mr. Watjen spent 10 years at Microsoft where he served as head of the Treasury group. An alumnus of Harvard, he also attended the Juilliard School where he earned a Bachelor of Science in the clarinet. Later, he received a master’s degree from the New England Conservatory, also in the clarinet. Mr. Watjen has played on occasion for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He received a MBA in 1973 from Stanford Business School. He serves on the board of three Washington State musical organizations, the Juilliard School, as well as the Seattle Mariners baseball club, in which he holds a minority interest. Mr. Watjen’s contributions to the Seattle Symphony made it possible to purchase a new concert organ.
James C. Chen, M.D., Bionavitas Co-Founder and Director.
Dr. Chen co-founded Light Sciences in 1995 and is the inventor or co-inventor on 38 issued U.S. patents. Prior to joining LSO as Chief Scientific Officer in January 2007, he was CEO of LSO’s former parent company, Light Sciences Corporation. He is a Board Certified Neurosurgeon and served as the attending neurosurgeon at two Washington State hospitals and maintained his own practice for more than eight years. Dr. Chen received a B.A. in Marine Biology from Evergreen State College and his M.S. in Exercise Physiology and M.D. from the University of Washington. He completed his residency at the University of Michigan Hospitals and has conducted extensive research of photodynamic therapy. Dr. Chen is a member of several well respected national and international professional organizations including, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society for Photobiology, American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, European Society for Photobiology and International Photodynamic Association.
Andrei Guschin, Ph. D., Bionavitas Co-Founder and Director.
Dr. Andrei Guschin has been evaluating alternative energy technologies since 1999. Dr. Guschin led a project for a leading energy consulting firm Cambridge Energy Research Associates, analyzing market potential of fuel cells and alternative fuels. He is a primary author of a CERA report (January 2000), Fuel Cell Vehicles in 2010 - A Challenger or Challenged? Dr. Guschin also has consulted to IT companies with revenues up to $1 billion, helping develop strategic partnerships with market leaders. Prior to that, at MIT, he led research projects for 3M, working with Nobel Laureate Prof. Mario Molina. Earlier in his career, Dr. Guschin determined environmental impact of alternative fuels at the Ford Research Laboratory. Dr. Guschin holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Russian Academy of Sciences and a MS in Applied Mathematics and Physics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. He also completed the management program at the University of Michigan School of Management. Dr. Guschin is actively involved with the MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest, where he serves as a Director.
Brian Wilkerson, Bionavitas Co-Founder and Director of Engineering.
Mr. Wilkerson worked as an independent consultant providing expertise developing intellectual property, product, and business development. He served six years in the United States Navy Nuclear Engineering program serving four years aboard the nuclear Los Angeles class fast attack submarine the USS Baton Rouge. He designed eddy current and ultrasonic probes used to test nuclear steam generator safety, space shuttle booster rocket seals, and airplane control surfaces. Mr. Wilkerson managed a technology manufacturing facility with 70 employees and tens of millions in annual sales. Additionally, he founded and managed 3db LLC, a technology consulting company. He served as Vice President of Research and Development for Light Sciences during their early creative process co-inventing numerous patents. Mr. Wilkerson is the inventor or co-inventor on 11 issued patents and multiple patents pending. He provided financial planning and management for clients after receiving series 7 and 66 licenses. Mr. Wilkerson served on the Scientific Advisory Board for Safe Haven, Inc. and served as President and Director of the Tibbetts Creek HOA and director of the Meridian Police Athletic League.
Jay Burns, Ph. D. Chief Algae Scientist.
Dr. Burns received a Ph.D. in Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Science from the University of Maryland, College Park and a B.S. in Marine Science, Biology from Long Island University, Southampton. His previous research focused on nitrogen and carbon cycling in ocean, coastal and estuarine environments, as well as sediment environments, such as, salt marshes and mangroves. This included extensive research on the cyanobacteria, Trichodesmium and Richelia (a diatom symbiont.) While working at the University of Southern California, he expanded his research to include exploratory research in nutrient uptake in kelp. Jay has also participated in research and monitoring of harmful algal blooms (HABs) while employed as the Marine Biologist and Marine Policy Analyst for the Quileute Indian Tribe. Dr. Burns is responsible for day-to-day laboratory activities, such as maintenance of algal cultures and conducting experiments. He is currently working on algal species selection, optimization of algal growth parameters and lipid production.