fnGlobal Keynote & Roundtables with John Bissell (June 20, 2024)

In 2021, Origin Materials made waves when it went public through a unique merger with blank-check company Artius Acquisition (AACQ). At the time, the company was valued at upwards of $1 billion.

Origin Materials is a leader in developing carbon-negative materials and the years since the IPO have seen Origin Materials solidify its position in the sustainable materials market. They've strategically acquired major clients like Ford, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, Solvay, and Primloft – a company that supplies apparel giants like LL Bean, Nike, and Adidas.

Join us on June 20 for a fireside chat with Origin Co-Founder and CEO John Bissell. In a conversation with Founders Network Founder and CEO Kevin Holmes, John will explore his journey with Origin and the factors that have enabled the startup’s success.

A chemical engineer by training, John co-founded Origin Materials in 2008. Since then, he's led the company in its mission to develop sustainable materials derived from renewable biomass. Origin Materials is a pioneer in this field, tackling the challenge of creating high-performance materials without relying on fossil fuels. Their revolutionary technology is used to produce a carbon-negative plastic alternative, making them a game-changer in the fight against climate change.

During the fireside chat, John will discuss the challenges he faced early on in building a company in the traditionally slow-moving chemical industry. He'll also delve into the importance of building a strong, adaptable team and how Origin Materials fosters a culture of collaboration, a key factor in their success.

Opening Remarks @ 9:30am PT

Join us for opening remarks with Dina Fattom, Member Success Manager at Founders Network, to get the latest updates from the Network and opportunities for getting involved.

Keynote Speaker @ 9:40am PT

John Bissell co-founded Origin Materials in November 2008 and has served as its Chief Executive Officer and a member of its board of directors since inception. Mr. Bissell has extensive experience in R&D, engineering, and business development in the chemical industry.

In 2008, Mr. Bissell received the People, Prosperity, and the Planet Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and in 2014, he was on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Energy & Industry category. Mr. Bissell holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Davis.

Stage-Based Roundtables @ 10:30am PT

Community Partners:

Jeff Erickson

Jeff leads the Partnerships Team at Forecastr — a leading FP&A software company that helps startups create kick-butt financial models to impress investors, confidently raise capital, and effectively run their businesses better.

Jeff serves on the advisory boards of several startup companies and is an active angel investor. He's passionate about startups and enjoys working with founders and mentoring entrepreneurs.

Jeff is an experienced entrepreneur and was the founder and CEO of a successful consumer goods company that he rapidly grew from $1M in sales its first year to over $40M in annual revenue in its fourth year of operations and was ranked #138 on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies.

Prior to founding his own company, Jeff was a partner at Beanstalk Partners where he led the sales and business development activities. He also served as the National Sales Director for a venture-backed tech startup where he generated over $45M in client contracts and developed the company’s channel partner program.

Jeff has a degree in accounting and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Utah. After receiving his MBA in Finance from the University of Utah he served as the Vice President of Investments for Sentry Financial Corporation.

Cathy Keeler

Cathy is the Managing Partner at FullScope Growth, a global consortium of elite Fractional Executives and Business Acceleration Partners that provide the exact combination of experts that organizations require.

She has cross-functional experience in sales, management, marketing and business planning, client services, network development and operations. Delivers strong results within highly competitive markets.

Guests Are Welcome!

Please bring a guest! Every member can bring one (1) guest to each event. Each guest must be a full-time tech startup founder so they can bring new perspectives, skillsets, and experience to your chapter.

All guests must be full-time tech startup founders and you can register them directly on this function page. See How to Register a Guest here.

Confidentiality Policy:

All information shared within Founders Network is strictly confidential. We are built on a foundation of trust, and the community takes confidentiality seriously. Investors, members, and staff all share experiences and opinions off the record. In this roundtable forum, we continue to model our fnValues of Reciprocity, Humility, Authenticity and Inclusivity.