At TrueAlgae we strive to improve our world every day. Our team is committed to thoughtful, sustainable, natural innovative solutions. Through our work to further the science and applications of algae we are making an environmental impact that will last generations. We believe in data as a basis for everything we do and transparency in everything we communicate.
Get to know our team:
Nathaniel Jackson – CEO
Since November 2017, Nathaniel has been CEO of TrueAlgae. He is an experienced executive who spent over twenty years at the Inter-American Development Bank, one of the world’s last remaining AAA-rated banks. He was Chief of Staff for Private Sector Operations that averaged over $3 billion of investment approvals annually. He also co-headed “Opportunities for the Majority” $100 million fund, which targeted Base of the Pyramid clients. He is a founding partner of NExT Impact Ventures, an impact fund that made an initial investment in TrueAlgae.
Yong Woo Park – Founder and Chief Technology Officer
Mr. Park is the genius behind TrueAlgae’s highly efficient Vertical Photo Bio-Reactor (V-PBR). He pioneered the dual use of our algae metabolite rich bio-fertilizer for agriculture and the algae biomass for nutraceuticals, chicken/animal/fish feed, and plant-based proteins, resulting in a zero-waste application. Prior to his role as CTO of TrueAlgae, he was the co-founder of Algae4F in Korea and the Chairman of Korea EMB Technology, which manufactured nano bubble and hydroxyl radical generation systems. Previous to those positions, he was President of Miren Bioenergy, a manufacturer of biomass anaerobic digestion systems.
Taka Kamezawa – Chief Relationship Officer
Taka joined TrueAlgae as CRO in January 2020, with prior experience as a senior advisor. He has exceptional global connections with experience investing in and advising of private investments in over 50 countries. In 2016, together with CEO, Nathaniel Jackson, and two other co-founders, Taka started NExT impact Ventures to invest in promising startups. TrueAlgae was their second investment. He is an accomplished global executive and a CFA charter holder with over 25 years of investment and project experiences at several multilateral development banks including Asian Development Bank, International Finance Corporation, Inter-American Development Bank, and the World Bank.
Angela Tsetsis – Chief Science and Commercial Officer
After serving in an advisory capacity with TrueAlgae, Angela officially joined theTrueAlgae team in March of 2020. With 30+ years of management experience, and over 20 years in commercializing high value products from algae, Angela brings expertise in biotechnology, sales and marketing. Angela is a former Martek Biosciences senior executive where she managed their Commercial team resulting in over $400 million in annual sales. Martek, arguably the most successful algae company to date, was acquired by DSM for over $1 billion. In addition to her experience at Martek, Angela has worked with several start-up companies using various microbial technologies for health and wellness of people and planet.
Maria Paula Oliveira – Director LATAM
Maria Paula joined TrueAlgae in 2018 as a Project Manager, supporting regulatory, marketing and sales in the US. In 2019 she returned to her native Brazil to become our Head of Latin American Operations. In this role she researches and identifies new business opportunities and develops and manages relationships in the region. Before joining TrueAlgae, she worked for the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) where she served as a Project Assistant. Maria Paula holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Economics from the School of Advanced International Studies – Johns Hopkins in Washington DC. A native Brazilian, Maria Paula is fluent in English, Portuguese, Spanish and French.
