Dr. Yelena Kann is an innovative polymer scientist with over 28 years of industrial experience in plastics stabilization, bio-degradation and processing. After working on biobased-biodegradable Poly(hydroxy alkanoate) (PHA) technology at Metabolix, sustainable e-paper technologies at EInk, advanced materials at Sabic, photonic polymeric materials at OmniGuide and automotive plastics at Lynn Plastics, she continued innovating by founding two startups focusing on plastic pollution, recycling and sustainability.

Yelena has PhD in Chemistry from the University of Sussex, UK, where her supervisor was the most recognized expert in the area of polymer degradation, Prof. N.C. Billingham.

Yelena published over 30 technical papers, has been awarded over 50 global patents, won 2018 US National CleanTech Open Business competition, 2019 NY 76West competition, became an Activate Fellow in 2020, served as a PI on multiple grants, was an invited speaker at multiple international chemical and materials conferences including World Materials Forum in France, MIT’s Sustainable materials conferences in Cambridge, MA, USA, IUPAC conference in Prague, Czech Republic, Society of Plastics Engineers conferences in the US. She is a Vice-Chair at the ASTM D20.96.14 committee on biodegradable plastics.

Her interests include plastics stabilization, modification, recycling, degradation, optical properties, color chemistry. She lives in the Boston area of Massachusetts, USA.