Jeanny Yao
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jeanny Yao | |
|---|---|
| Education | Magee Secondary School |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto |
| Occupation(s) | biochemist and technology entrepreneur |
| Organization(s) | Environmental and Physical Sciences Students Association |
| Known for | Co-founder of Novoloop and identification of a bacteria that breaks down phthalates |
Jeanny Yao is a Canadian biochemist, technology entrepreneur and environmentalist. She jointly identified a bacteria that breaks down phthalates and co-founded Novoloop (formerly BioCellection, Inc.), a sustainable materials startup company that aims to turn plastic waste into high-performance materials that can be used in a variety of products.
Yao and Miranda Wang attended Magee Secondary School in Vancouver, British Columbia.[1] Following a visit to Vancouver South Waste Transfer Station with their school environmental club in Grade 10, Yao and Wang became interested in combating the issue of plastic waste.[2][3]
Yao and Wang entered the Sanofi BioGENEius Canada Competition in 2012.[4][5] Their competition participation allowed them to work with the help of mentors, University of British Columbia professor Lindsay Eltis, Dr. Adam Crowe, and Dr. James Round, to discover bacteria in British Columbia's Fraser River that could eat phthalates.[2][5][6] When they were 17-years-old, Yao and Wang presented their research findings on plastics degradation and upcycling at the TED2013 conference: "The Young. The Wise. The Undiscovered."[7][8][9]
Yao studied a BSc in biochemistry and environmental science at the University of Toronto.[10][1] During her studies, Yao was a member of the Environmental and Physical Sciences Students Association.[11]
In 2015,[4] Yao and Wang co-founded the company BioCellection Inc., now Novoloop, in Menlo Park, Silicon Valley, before they finished their undergraduate degrees.[12] They took part in, and won, numerous entrepreneurial competitions and programs,[1][13] raising US$5 million in capital between 2015–2019 to fund the sustainable materials startup company.[14][15]
Yao is the first-named inventor of all Novoloop patents and works as Chief Operating Officer.[10] They eventually pivoted away from using a biological approach to degrade plastics.[5] In 2017, Novoloop was awarded $25,000 as the runner-up in the Urban Resilience Challenge.[16] In February 2022, Novoloop raised US$11 million in Series A funding to support the scaling of its recycling technology and build a larger processing facility.[17] To help the company scale, Novoloop also partnered with the cities of San José,[18] along with GreenWaste Recovery.[19]
Yao was selected by Plan Canada as one of the Top 20 Under 20 in 2014[10] and is a recipient of the Penn-Columbia Social Impact Fellowship (2016). Forbes magazine recognized Yao and Wang in 2019, naming them to its 30 under 30 social entrepreneurs list.[7][20] Yao and Wang were also the subject of the documentary In Love With A Problem (2021) by Julie Kim,[21] which was a finalist at the New York Wild Film Festival.[22]
References
- 1 2 3 Lee, Jeff (5 May 2016). "Vancouver students win more awards for discovering bacteria that destroys polluting plastics". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- 1 2 Boerner, Leigh Krietsch (8 March 2020). "BioCellection's Miranda Wang and Jeanny Yao aim to make treasure out of plastic trash". Chemical & Engineering News. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ Nerberg, Susan (25 January 2021). "The puzzle of plastic: Turning to science to solve our recycling dilemma". Canadian Geographic. Archived from the original on 21 May 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- 1 2 Linnenkoper, Kirstin (23 February 2021). "Novoloop ceo Miranda Wang: 'We want to help double the size of the circular economy'". Recycling International. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- 1 2 3 Foreman, Ron (2 June 2016). "Wang & Yao: Where are they now?". Sanofi Biogenius Canada. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ Aguiar, Beatriz (27 September 2024). "Jovens cientistas revolucionam a luta contra o plástico nos oceanos". Pardal Tech | Negócios & Tecnologia (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- 1 2 "Jeanny Yao, Co-Founder of BioCellection, Talks Sustainability and Humanity". The Center for Social Impact Strategy. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "A bacteria to solve a problem: Miranda Wang and Jeanny Yao at TED2013". TED Blog. 27 February 2013. Archived from the original on 9 June 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "8 TED Talks about harnessing the power of bacteria for good". TED Blog. 18 July 2013. Archived from the original on 23 June 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- 1 2 3 "Jeanny (Jia Yun) Yao". Echoing Green Fellows Directory. Archived from the original on 23 June 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "Jeanny Yao Keynote Speaker Bio". Keynotespeak.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ Furlong, Hannah (2 December 2018). "Student Scientists Develop Bacteria That Could Take a Bite Out of Plastic Pollution". Sustainable Brands. Archived from the original on 18 May 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "Exit Interview: Miranda Wang C'16, Founder of BioCellection". Venture Lab. 5 July 2016. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "Recycling unrecyclable plastic waste". Rolex Awards. Archived from the original on 14 June 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "BioCellection met en évidence le potentiel caché du recyclage". Mercedes-Benz Magazine (in French). 11 February 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ Klein, Jessica (8 November 2019). "This startup just won $75,000 to bring relevant healthcare information to people of color". Fast Company. Archived from the original on 12 February 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ Kart, Jeff. "Novoloop Startup That Converts Plastic Waste Into Performance Products Raises $11 Million In Series A". Forbes. Archived from the original on 25 November 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ Bates, Sofie (28 May 2019). "San Jose's recycling pilot program with Silicon Valley startup in final phase". Silicon Valley. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "Miranda Wang". Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA. 5 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ Wilson, Alexandra; Toma, Glenda (2019). "30 Under 30 2019: Social Entrepreneurs". Forbes. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "in love with a problem". FilmFreeway. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
- ↑ "in love with a problem". New York Wild Film Festival. Retrieved 16 July 2025.