Joseph M. DeSimone

Before founding Carbon in 2013, DeSimone was a professor at the University of North Carolina for over 20 years. DeSimone has made scientific breakthroughs in areas including green chemistry, medical devices, and nanotechnology, also co-founding several companies based on his research. At UNC, DeSimone built a strong culture in his research group centered on the notion that diversity is a fundamental tenet of innovation.

DeSimone has achieved international recognition as a scientist, inventor, and entrepreneur, earning major accolades including the U.S. Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award and the Lemelson-MIT Prize. In 2016, President Obama awarded DeSimone the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honor in the U.S. for achievement and leadership in advancing technological progress. He is also one of only roughly 20 individuals elected to all three U.S. National Academies—the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Engineering.