About Adept Materials

Dr. Willems focuses on the development of new products and the optimization of materials incorporating Adept’s climate-regulating technology. She previously worked at Formlabs and holds a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from KU Leuven.

Ms. Colburn co-founded the direct-to-consumer paint company Backdrop, which was acquired by Schumacher & Co. in 2021. She is developing the financial model and supply chain for Adept's direct-to-consumer market launch.

Dr. Karagyozov leads the testing and technology validation programs for Adept's multi-functional products. He is an expert in test and measurement with prior startup experience. He previously worked at the technology startup Elenion that  was acquired by Nokia. Dr. Karagyozov earned his Ph.D. in Physics from New York University.

Dr. Rushkin leads the development of Adept’s climate-regulating material formulations. He has 25 years of experience in formulating coatings and launching successful products. He previously worked at Saint-Gobain, Desktop Metal, Canon Nanotechnologies, and Bell Laboratories. Dr. Rushkin holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Dr. Stein is the founder and CEO of Adept Materials. He invented the company’s core material technology at Brown University, where he holds a Professorship in Physics and in Engineering.  Dr. Stein has expertise in nanotechnology, materials science, and thermodynamics. He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard University and his B.Sc. in Physics from McGill University.

Mr. Pierce has decades of experience in overlaid panel, plywood, paper, and coated paper manufacturing. He has held leadership positions at several businesses, including President and CEO of Winston Plywood & Veneer and President of Olympic Panel Products LLC.

Mr. Ritter has broad experience in business strategy, marketing, operations, and team building. He previously worked at the New York Times, McKinsey, and Google X.  Mr. Ritter is currently pursuing dual Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Environmental Management at Yale. He holds a degree in Economics from Brown University.

Dr. Weston is an expert in building science and building materials. She worked at Dupont for over three decades, driving the technical development of air barrier and WRB products and earning the title of DuPont Laureate, that company’s highest technical distinction. Dr. Weston serves on the ASHRAE Energy and Air Barrier building code committees. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Caltech.

Mr. Galvez founded the material technology company NBD Nano and led that company as CEO until it was acquired by Henkel in 2022. He is currently VP of Business Development at Henkel.  Mr. Galvez brings years of experience in deep tech startups and venture capital. He holds a degree in Biology from Boston College.

Mr. Cromie is Managing Director at Point Cove LLC. He previously was a Partner at Atlas Holdings LLC, a private equity firm with a focus on basic industries. Mr. Cromie has served on the boards of directors of multiple businesses and led the successful launching of several new companies, including RedBuilt LLC, a designer and manufacturer of roofing and flooring systems.

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