Our Team
LiveFuels has engaged the leading experts in algae, aquaculture, biochemistry and business. Our team has held executive positions at well-known companies and institutions, such as Sandia National Laboratories, Chiron Corporation, National Science Foundation, Chevron and the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation. Each member brings expertise crucial in solving the challenges to design and scale an algae production system.
Lissa Morgenthaler-Jones, CEO & Co-Founder
Ms. Morgenthaler-Jones leads strategic planning and corporate development for LiveFuels. Bringing deep experience in venture business, she has specialized in biotechnology investing since 1990 and been a venture capital limited partner since 1981. Ms. Morgenthaler-Jones holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Princeton University.
Dave Jones, COO & Co-Founder
Mr. Jones oversees implementation of the company’s research and scale-up activities, as well as all administrative functions. Prior to LiveFuels, he held business development and finance positions at Bayhill Therapeutics, Cell Genesys, Virage, Perception and Apple Computer. Mr. Jones holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and an MBA from Stanford University.
Dr. William Spencer, Founding Chairman
Dr. Spencer is the former CEO of Sematech, a consortium of semiconductor equipment companies that won back U.S. technological supremacy in the 1990s. Previous to that, he was CEO of the Xerox PARC research facility in Palo Alto and Director of Sandia National Laboratories in both Albuquerque and Livermore. Dr. Spencer has served on numerous boards of directors and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
Dr. Ben Wu, VP of Downstream Process Development
Dr. Wu has 20 years of experience in early-stage process economic analysis, biomass conversion and combustion, and waste recycling. He has developed novel technologies from conception through commercialization in supercritical fluids, fuel reforming, pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion. Before joining LiveFuels, Dr. Wu led the successful demonstration of a supercritical water oxidation pilot plant at Sandia National Laboratories. He holds a BS and MS in chemical engineering from MIT, an MBA from UC Berkeley, and a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware.