Securing a sustainable copper supply for the industries that power our future.
Our planet provides everything we need to thrive. The challenge lies in accessing those resources without compromising the environment, straining supply chains, or creating unnecessary risks for future generations.
With technology that outperforms traditional copper processing and unlocks new sources of copper, Still Bright redefines what’s possible for our planet and the industries that shape it.
We believe in:
Being fearlessly forthright
We prioritize transparency in our objectives, performance, and impact on stakeholders. By valuing others' perspectives, we foster stronger communication and build confidence in our decisions.
Making improbable impact
We are committed to fostering a responsible, equitable world, driven by outcomes and perseverance to achieve meaningful impact no matter how difficult or improbable.
Empowering the people
Our people are our greatest asset. We value their voices, support their growth, and empower them to shape their careers at Still Bright or beyond.
Our team
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Randy Allen
CEO, Co-founder
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Randy is a second-time founder and former investor with an MBA from Dartmouth and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Stanford University. As former Managing Director for Activate Boston, he also supported the start of 20+ companies, including Still Bright. Randy joined Still Bright to have a more active role in resolving the climate crisis and to be the change he wants to see in the world.
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Jon Vardner
CTO, Co-founder
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Jon completed his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at Columbia University where he was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. He continued his postdoctoral studies at Columbia to develop and co-invent Still Bright’s copper production process. In 2022, Jon was awarded an Activate fellowship to spin out the company and start building Still Bright.
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Kelly Brayton
Hydrometallurgical Engineer
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Kelly holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Purdue University and a master’s degree, also in chemical engineering, from Columbia University. Her research at Columbia centered on improving the performance of electrocatalyst overlayers to optimize hydrogen gas production. Kelly joined Still Bright because she saw hydrometallurgy as a crucial but understudied aspect of the green energy transition.
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Olivier Izmery
Electrochemical Engineer
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Olivier holds a bachelor’s from the University of Maryland, and a master’s from Columbia University, both in chemical engineering. His graduate research focused on techno-economic analysis and equipment selection for chalcopyrite reduction to copper. Olivier, interested in unique applications of electrochemistry outside of energy storage and production, seamlessly transitioned from his studies to working at Still Bright.
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Carter Schmitt
VP of Strategy & Operations
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Carter brings ecosystem connections, industry knowledge, and start-up strategy expertise. After helping climate tech startups commercialize their solutions at Columbia Technology Ventures and the NYSERDA ClimateTech Expertise Network, she joined Still Bright to make a more direct impact and support the company in getting our critical technology to the market. Carter is also passionate about community-building and is an active volunteer for Women and Climate.
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Max Dickman
Electrochemical Engineer
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Max holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Columbia University. Prior to joining Still Bright, Max worked in Still Bright co-founder Dr. Alan West's lab, where he characterized and optimized the vanadium regeneration process. During his time at Columbia, he developed a passion for sustainable mineral extraction and electrochemistry, and joined Still Bright to continue to pursue that passion.
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Katharine Greco
VP of Commercialization
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Katharine earned her PhD in chemical engineering at MIT studying redox flow battery systems. Before joining Still Bright, she spent two years as a Fellow at the Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E), identifying and analyzing emerging technology in energy and climate. She joined Still Bright to realize climate impact through technology commercialization and scale-up.
Advisors
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Ashwath Mehra
Mining Industry Advisor
CEO, Astor Management AGRead bio
Ashwath Mehra is a seasoned executive with 35 years of global experience in the minerals industry. An economist by training, he serves on the board of multiple mining companies in addition to his role as CEO of the ASTOR Group, a private investment and advisory business, working in the fields of mining, technology, biotech and real estate. He spent many years in the commodity trading and mining business as well as owning, buying and selling companies such as GT Gold, which he founded and sold to Newmont Corporation. He brings his connections and deep expertise to Still Bright to contribute to a bright future for mining.
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Dr. D.R. Nagaraj
Mining Industry Advisor
Professor of Practice in Mining, Columbia UniversityRead bio
Nagaraj is a globally recognized scientist and a practicing engineer in the mining and mineral resource industry and the research community. Before joining Columbia University to help develop their Sustainable Mineral Resource Management program, Nagaraj spent his career at American Cyanamid, Cytec, and Solvay working at the intersection of industry and academia in mineral processing and extractive metallurgy, mineral aquatic chemistry, polymers, and more. Nagaraj brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from the industry and a strong vision grounded in mines-of-the-future thinking.
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Dr. Scott Banta
Co-Founder
Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia UniversityRead bio
Scott is a seasoned researcher with over 20 years of experience at Columbia and a decade of experience applying his expertise to mining challenges. He is also a second-time founder, having previously co-founded a company with Still Bright co-founder Dr. Alan West dedicated to utilizing mine waste. Scott brings a diverse perspective to the Still Bright team from his range of research in the fields of biology, hydrometallurgy, process and environmental engineering. He helped develop Still Bright’s novel process with CTO Jon Vardner to solve one of mining’s most pervasive challenges - sustainable copper extraction.
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Dr. Alan West
Co-Founder
Professor of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, Columbia UniversityRead bio
Alan is a renowned expert and author of electrochemistry, which is the core mechanism for Still Bright’s reagent regeneration and RACER process. Having achieved a substantial career in chemical and environment engineering, for the past decade, Alan has been focused on applying electrochemistry and battery technology to the mining industry, garnering support from the Department of Energy. As a co-founder of Still Bright and a previous mining waste company with Still Bright co-founder Dr. Scott Banta, Alan is dedicated to using his electrochemistry expertise to improve the critical materials industry.
Partner with us
Still Bright is solving the mining industry’s most pervasive challenges. Our 2025 pilot projects will focus on extracting copper from resources with limited processing options, including “dirty” copper concentrates and raw materials being exported for processing.
Think your site could benefit from Still Bright’s RACER technology? Reach out for a testing sample to see if a Still Bright solution is right for you.
