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Why FyberX
US Hemp Fiber at Industrial Scale.
Done Responsibly.
Since the federal legalization of hemp in 2018, a lack of reliable processing infrastructure has stunted the promise of industrial fiber hemp. FyberX combines proven large-scale equipment processes with innovative technology to provide the consistency, quality, and traceability required to fulfill the growing demand for sustainable alternatives to consumer and industrial products
Environmentally Responsible
Our Agronomist is a leader in regenerative agriculture and will direct our network of growers to avoid pesticides/herbicides and minimize fertilizer to better align with natural systems. In addition, we design our facilities, operations and logistics to generate zero hazardous waste and aspire to be carbon-negative from soil preparation to product distribution. Still, we realize that designs and aspirations aren’t enough, so we’re committed to performing a stringent Life Cycle Analysis (“LCA”) to gather the necessary data to make these claims confidently.
Doing Well by Doing Good
We believe driving shareholder value and serving the interests of all our stakeholders are interdependent. This includes our supply chain partners, employees, farming network, the communities we operate in, and the world we walk in. Therefore, it is critical to establish quality industrial-scale infrastructure to generate the economies of scale necessary for hemp fiber to compete effectively with well-established, less environmentally friendly alternatives.
Intentionally Evolutionary and Iterative
We designed our first processing facility (“OP1”) to minimize technology risk by utilizing proven, versatile equipment capable of meeting the stringent standards specified in our supply chain partners’ requirements. Designed in a modular fashion, we can easily replicate operations in new locations to meet the increased demand driven by the rising number of end-market applications.
Management Team
Who does it take to build a new industry?
The short answer, everyone.
Our team is composed of seasoned professionals with diverse backgrounds, including:
- Investment banking
- Polymer Science
- Department of Defense program management
- Supply chain management
- Agriculture
Management Team
What does it take to build a new industry?
A team deeply committed to the mission with the diverse range of professional expertise required to architect and manage a cost-effective, scalable solution capable of meeting the stringent reliability and consistency standards that the market demands.
Our Team Brings Experience in:
- Investment Banking and Finance
- Product/Market Development
- Systems Engineering
- Logistics
- Operations
- Regenerative Agriculture
- Hemp Genetics
Ben Young
Chief Executive Officer
Prior to founding FyberX, Ben began his career with a decade in investment banking, first with Goldman Sachs in the Public Sector Infrastructure Banking Group and subsequently with FBR Capital Markets focusing on specialty finance and real estate. During his time in investment banking, Ben raised $2bn+ for clients. He holds a BS in Quantitative Finance, Economics and Math from James Madison University.
Klaas Eleveld
Chief Commercial Officer
A seasoned executive after 30+ years in global business development, Klaas brings both the B2B commercial and operational expertise to the team as well as our international vantage point from FyberX’s EU-base. Klaas is a graduate of Nyenrode University and set up, expanded and managed both privately and VC-owned USA business entities in Europe before partnering with a Scandinavian incubator targeting residuals’ valorisation through several proprietary technologies. Klaas is an active member of both ASTM and EIHA’s Initiatives & Working Groups and of the Advisory Board at the Global Hemp Association.
Dave Rolston
Chief Process Officer
Twenty-six years as a fighter pilot brings the confidence to accept risks; eighteen years as an aerospace systems engineer is a school of hard-knocks for both technical and programmatic risks; twenty-two years as a program manager in the defense industry brings expertise in the processes and tools to identify and manage risks. Growing up on a farm brings perspective to the agricultural side of the business. BS Electrical Engineering; MS Systems Engineering
Bert James
Agronomist
Root to Flower, LLC was created to facilitate a working network of traditional row crop farmers who have an interest in growing industrial hemp as a new crop. Previously, as a crop consultant for farmers in varied row crop systems, it became clear there was a need and desire to add industrial hemp to the crop rotations for better soil health and balanced farming practices. Bert is not only a crop consultant but also a working farmer. If he’s not in the fields working, he can be found with his family, enjoying farm life.
Ben Young
Chief Executive Officer
Prior to founding FyberX, Ben began his career with a decade in investment banking, first with Goldman Sachs in the Public Sector Infrastructure Banking Group and subsequently with FBR Capital Markets focusing on specialty finance and real estate. During his time in investment banking, Ben raised $2bn+ for clients. He holds a BS in Quantitative Finance, Economics and Math from James Madison University.
Klaas Eleveld
Chief Commercial Officer
A seasoned executive after 30+ years in global business development, Klaas brings both the B2B commercial and operational expertise to the team as well as our international vantage point from FyberX’s EU-base. Klaas is a graduate of Nyenrode University and set up, expanded and managed both privately and VC-owned USA business entities in Europe before partnering with a Scandinavian incubator targeting residuals’ valorisation through several proprietary technologies. Klaas is an active member of both ASTM and EIHA’s Initiatives & Working Groups and of the Advisory Board at the Global Hemp Association.
Dave Rolston
Chief Process Officer
Twenty-six years as a fighter pilot brings the confidence to accept risks; eighteen years as an aerospace systems engineer is a school of hard-knocks for both technical and programmatic risks; twenty-two years as a program manager in the defense industry brings expertise in the processes and tools to identify and manage risks. Growing up on a farm brings perspective to the agricultural side of the business. BS Electrical Engineering; MS Systems Engineering
Bert James
Agronomist
Root to Flower, LLC was created to facilitate a working network of traditional row crop farmers who have an interest in growing industrial hemp as a new crop. Previously, as a crop consultant for farmers in varied row crop systems, it became clear there was a need and desire to add industrial hemp to the crop rotations for better soil health and balanced farming practices. Bert is not only a crop consultant but also a working farmer. If he’s not in the fields working, he can be found with his family, enjoying farm life.
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Dr. Ⅰulian Bobe
Co-founder & CTO
As co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of CIRC, Iulian is the architect of and strategist behind CIRC’s multi-disciplinary technology platform. By integrating the expertise of CIRC’s employees and senior consultants, Iulian is pioneering advancements in technology that combine chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, and other disciplines. Prior to CIRC, Iulian was employee number 5 at a Japanese biotech company called NanoCarrier. At NanoCarrier, he held numerous positions, went on to lead licensing and clinical/business development, and helped the company raise more than $180 million through several financing events including an IPO on Tokyo Stock Exchange. Iulian earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Osaka Prefecture University (Japan) and his MBA from Duke University.
Rick Barker
Founder & CEO
Supply Resources International
Rick Barker is the Founder and CEO of Supply Resources and THRIVE Logistics. Rick spent the first 18 years of his career in packaging distribution for International Paper and Georgia Pacific. In 2007, he founded Supply Resources, headquartered in Danville, Virginia, as a custom packaging & logistics company. In 2021, Rick spun off the logistics assets of SRI and merged it with the acquisition of Lynchburg Public Warehouse to create THRIVE Logistic. THRIVE is a public warehouse company concentrating on warehousing, third-party logistics and trucking. Rick is a current director of the Virginia Chamber and Future of the Piedmont.
Dr. Ⅰulian Bobe
Co-founder & CTO
As co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of CIRC, Iulian is the architect of and strategist behind CIRC’s multi-disciplinary technology platform. By integrating the expertise of CIRC’s employees and senior consultants, Iulian is pioneering advancements in technology that combine chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, and other disciplines. Prior to CIRC, Iulian was employee number 5 at a Japanese biotech company called NanoCarrier. At NanoCarrier, he held numerous positions, went on to lead licensing and clinical/business development, and helped the company raise more than $180 million through several financing events including an IPO on Tokyo Stock Exchange. Iulian earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from Osaka Prefecture University (Japan) and his MBA from Duke University.
Rick Barker
Founder & CEO
Supply Resources Int.
Rick Barker is the Founder and CEO of Supply Resources and THRIVE Logistics. Rick spent the first 18 years of his career in packaging distribution for International Paper and Georgia Pacific. In 2007, he founded Supply Resources, headquartered in Danville, Virginia, as a custom packaging & logistics company. In 2021, Rick spun off the logistics assets of SRI and merged it with the acquisition of Lynchburg Public Warehouse to create THRIVE Logistic. THRIVE is a public warehouse company concentrating on warehousing, third-party logistics and trucking. Rick is a current director of the Virginia Chamber and Future of the Piedmont.
Advisory Board
Advisory Board
Marty Clemons
Founder & CEO
The Good & True, Inc. PBC
Read Bio
Marty Clemons is the CEO and founder of The Good & True, Inc. Public Benefit Corporation. Marty founded the company to create markets for U.S. grown hemp grain, and to incentivize the transition from degenerative agriculture to regenerative. She is a partner in the Industrial Hemp Summit, a multi-stakeholder B2B collaboration for building the U.S. Hemp Industry. Marty is the former Chair of the Board of the Southeast Hemp Association, previously the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Association. Marty’s background is as a corporate and securities attorney for the SEC and financial service firms.
Steve Usdan
Sustainable Textile Executive
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Read Bio
Steve is an executive with deep experience in business consulting, joint ventures, and entrepreneurial development focused on recycling and sustainability across the textile and cleantech industries. Commercially minded and results-driven, he has a proven record of establishing, financing, and operating a wide array of businesses in the circular economy by optimizing resources within industry systems. He successfully designs solutions and implements strategies regarding commercial development, business operations, and sustainability. He has a keen sense for opportunities in the market and deliver fit-for-purpose solutions to sustainability-minded companies to meet their business goals while remaining true to their mission, vision, and values.
Dr. Heather Grab
Senior Lecturer
Cornell University
Read Bio
Dr. Heather Grab is a Senior Lecturer at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in the School of Integrated Plant Science. In collaboration with Cornell experts and industry partners she delivers best practices for the cultivation and processing of hemp to professionals in the Northeast and beyond and teaches multiple courses and mentors students in Cornell’s Hemp Science MPS (Master of Professional Studies) Program. Heather teaches two courses in this Hemp Science curriculum. The first, focused on production, introduces students to evidence-based practices for hemp cultivation across a range of production systems including broad acre fiber. Her second course gives students hands-on experience with processing raw hemp products into a diverse array of high-value products. She also mentors master’s students in the Hemp Science Program on their independent projects ranging from fiber industry market analyses to new analytical methods. Prior to this position Heather was a USDA NIFA post-doctoral researcher in the Entomology Department at Cornell and continues to explore interactions between hemp and insects with her students and collaborators. Her research uses remote-sensing, large-scale community datasets, and advanced analytical methods to create data-driven solutions for challenges at the interface of natural resource conservation and agriculture.
Dr. Sandeep Kumar
Professor & Assistant Dean
Old Dominion University
Read Bio
Dr. Sandeep Kumar, an interim assistant dean and a professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Old Dominion University, earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University in 2010 following a previous career in industry and R&D. He is developing innovative techniques for extracting nutrients, bioproducts, and biofuels from algae, biomass, and sewage. Dr. Kumar is an expert in high-temperature and high-pressure biomass reactions. His research directly benefits Hampton Roads, Virginia, and the United States by increasing the production of clean biofuels and bioproducts and working toward greater energy independence and security, the two primary goals of the 2007 US Energy Independence and Security Act. Dr. Kumar is a recipient of the prestigious NSF CAREER award, is a Fulbright Scholar to Italy, and has secured more than $6M external research grants from federal agencies and several local industries. Dr. Kumar has published a book, holds 4 patents, and 58 peer- reviewed articles besides making several presentations at national and international conferences.
Marty Clemons
Founder & CEO
The Good & True, Inc. PBC
Read Bio
Marty Clemons is the CEO and founder of The Good & True, Inc. Public Benefit Corporation. Marty founded the company to create markets for U.S. grown hemp grain, and to incentivize the transition from degenerative agriculture to regenerative. She is a partner in the Industrial Hemp Summit, a multi-stakeholder B2B collaboration for building the U.S. Hemp Industry. Marty is the former Chair of the Board of the Southeast Hemp Association, previously the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Association. Marty’s background is as a corporate and securities attorney for the SEC and financial service firms.
Steve Usdan
Sustainable Textile Executive
.
Read Bio
Steve is an executive with deep experience in business consulting, joint ventures, and entrepreneurial development focused on recycling and sustainability across the textile and cleantech industries. Commercially minded and results-driven, he has a proven record of establishing, financing, and operating a wide array of businesses in the circular economy by optimizing resources within industry systems. He successfully designs solutions and implements strategies regarding commercial development, business operations, and sustainability. He has a keen sense for opportunities in the market and deliver fit-for-purpose solutions to sustainability-minded companies to meet their business goals while remaining true to their mission, vision, and values.
Dr. Heather Grab
Senior Lecturer
Cornell University
Read Bio
Dr. Heather Grab is a Senior Lecturer at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in the School of Integrated Plant Science. In collaboration with Cornell experts and industry partners she delivers best practices for the cultivation and processing of hemp to professionals in the Northeast and beyond and teaches multiple courses and mentors students in Cornell’s Hemp Science MPS (Master of Professional Studies) Program. Heather teaches two courses in this Hemp Science curriculum. The first, focused on production, introduces students to evidence-based practices for hemp cultivation across a range of production systems including broad acre fiber. Her second course gives students hands-on experience with processing raw hemp products into a diverse array of high-value products. She also mentors master’s students in the Hemp Science Program on their independent projects ranging from fiber industry market analyses to new analytical methods. Prior to this position Heather was a USDA NIFA post-doctoral researcher in the Entomology Department at Cornell and continues to explore interactions between hemp and insects with her students and collaborators. Her research uses remote-sensing, large-scale community datasets, and advanced analytical methods to create data-driven solutions for challenges at the interface of natural resource conservation and agriculture.
Dr. Sandeep Kumar
Professor & Assistant Dean
Old Dominion University
Read Bio
Dr. Sandeep Kumar, an interim assistant dean and a professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Old Dominion University, earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University in 2010 following a previous career in industry and R&D. He is developing innovative techniques for extracting nutrients, bioproducts, and biofuels from algae, biomass, and sewage. Dr. Kumar is an expert in high-temperature and high-pressure biomass reactions. His research directly benefits Hampton Roads, Virginia, and the United States by increasing the production of clean biofuels and bioproducts and working toward greater energy independence and security, the two primary goals of the 2007 US Energy Independence and Security Act. Dr. Kumar is a recipient of the prestigious NSF CAREER award, is a Fulbright Scholar to Italy, and has secured more than $6M external research grants from federal agencies and several local industries. Dr. Kumar has published a book, holds 4 patents, and 58 peer- reviewed articles besides making several presentations at national and international conferences.