Our values act as our compass, shaping how we conduct ourselves in everything that we do.
They guide the people we hire, the partners we select, and the way we work together to further our mission and maximise our impact.
Integrity
Collaboration
Inclusion
Vanguard
Our Team
Dr. Macarena Cataldo
CEO and Co-Founder
With a PhD. in Chemical Engineering, Macarena has 15+ years experience in the application of electrochemistry to drinking and wastewater treatment using a multidisciplinary approach to tackling water quality issues.
15 years ago, while volunteering as a science teacher for at-risk youth, I met a family living in my hometown of Valparaiso, Chile, who lacked access to water and proper sanitation. The stark reality of their situation shocked me, and I became acutely aware of the widespread global issue affecting millions of people.
This experience was a turning point that ignited my passion to dedicate my life to developing innovative water technologies. My experiences in water treatment (European Space Agency, Metropolitan Water Company of Turin and Res'eau WaterNet) have been instrumental in refining and honing the foundational ideas that now form the core principles of Viridis.
TM
Ahmad Erfan
COO and Co-Founder
With over 15 years of expertise in the legal, retail, and technology sectors, Ahmad brings extensive experience in regulatory affairs, quality control, supply chain management, and go-to-market strategies.
When I moved to Canada as a teenager, I was immediately struck by its wild beauty and abundance of natural assets. But my epiphany didn’t come until years later, when I took a sabbatical from work to travel to remote corners of the world with my wife and three young children.
I came back from that trip with a profound realization: nature is not a resource, but is intrinsically valuable in itself. And rather than seeking ways to exploit it in the name of human progress, we must aim to preserve and protect the natural environment for all forms of life, and for its own sake.
So it was only natural (pun intended!) that when I met Maca in early 2023 and learned about the company, I was immediately drawn in by her vision of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water for all. I dived in head-first, and together with our team, we're building something truly special.
Research Lead
Dr. Claudia Montoya
Specialization: Water quality and elimination of emerging contaminants.
Material Scientist
Nastaran Taghvaei
Specialization: Material synthesis and characterization.
Business Development Specialist
Selasi Dadzawa
Specialization: Startup marketing and business development.
Systems Engineer
Ezequiel Hernandez
Specialization: Sensor design, signal processing and control systems.
Mechanical Engineer
John Ryan Fajalongo
Specialization: 3D printing for rapid prototyping.
Research Assistant
Lareeb Umer
Specialization: Characterization of conjugated organic materials for environmental-friendly organic field-effect transistors,
Research Assistant, Intern
Karmina Chang
Specialization: Chemistry.
You
We look for people from diverse backgrounds and specializations, eager to make a meaningful impact on both our product and environment.
Board of Directors
Dr. Neil Branda
Executive Director of 4D LABS and Director of Technology Readiness & Prototyping at SFU Innovates.
Julia Elvidge
Chair of SheBoot Corporation. Past President and Co-founder of Chipworks. Technical Expert with specialization in IP, Strategic Planning, Sales, and Product Management.
Rochelle Grayson
Digital Strategy and Social Media Consultant. Founder of Mosaic Accelerator and Executive-In-Residence, New Ventures BC.
Doug Wiggin
Ex CEO of Switch Materials and Axonwave Software. Specialization in Operations, Strategic Planning, Product Management and Marketing.