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    Phil Hustad

    CTO and Founder
    Vionano Innovations, Inc.
    Saint Paul, MN, United States

    Dr. Phillip “Phil” D. Hustad is a polymer scientist, inventor, Chief Technology Officer and Founder of VioNano Innovations, with a passion for developing sustainable materials. Throughout his two-decade career, he has a proven record of leading groundbreaking research from conceptualization to commercialization, spanning both high-value, low-volume applications and large-volume, commodity-type products.
    Phil co-founded VioNano Innovations in November 2024 to advance sustainable materials for next-generation semiconductor patterning. He is also founder of orgaNX Inc., a company focused on creating bio-based materials for semiconductor manufacturing.
    Phil’s career began at Dow in 2002 after he earned his Ph.D. from Cornell University. While at Dow, he led the directed self-assembly team within the Dow Electronic Materials business and was one of the youngest people in the company’s history to be promoted to Fellow. He also invented "chain shuttling catalysis," a pivotal technology that enabled the creation of high-value materials like INFUSE™ Olefin Block Copolymers, INTUNE™ Polypropylene-based OBCs, and ENGAGE™ XLT Polyolefin Elastomers. These inventions have collectively generated over $1 billion in revenue. Phil also served as CTO of Geminatio from 2022 to 2024.
    His contributions to science have been widely recognized. He holds more than 150 patents and has co-authored over 40 journal articles and three book chapters. He has received numerous awards, including the AIChE Industrial R&D Award and multiple Dow Excellence in Science Awards.
    Phil is a dedicated advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). He was a founding member of 3M’s Corporate Research Division DEI team and was recognized as a Women’s Champion at Dow for his work supporting the advancement of women in STEM fields. An active member of the scientific community, he serves as a Scientific Advisor to the Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics and is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Polymer Science.
    Outside of work, Phil enjoys hiking, skiing, and traveling with his partner, Alicia. He also loves playing fetch with his two Boston Terriers, Sigyn and Della.

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