CEO - AlgEternal Technologies, LLC; Global Head of Sustainability at KindEarth.Tech (KET), Director of Algae Biomass Organization, USA
CEO of AlgEternal and Global Head of Regeneration of KindEarth.Tech, David is recognized by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service as an individual “… with extraordinary ability in science and business, sustainable development, and renewable resource management and applications [science]”, evidenced by the award of the rare O-1A visa classification. Trained as a Marine Biologist, specializing in Ichthyology and Taxonomy, David has over 25 years of experience in sustainable development on both the regulatory and regulated industry sides of the divide. Following his Marine Biology degree, David then went on to pursue Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Policy and Law intending to bridge the gap between Science and Policy.
David received the 2004 Bishop Robert Smith Award from the College of Charleston in South Carolina, USA—the highest award to any graduate, and the 2002 Betty Spence Conservation Award from the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. He belongs to the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the Golden Key Honor Society, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. David served as the Executive Technical Assistant to the Managing Director/CEO of the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) of Trinidad and Tobago, where he had oversight of all permits and licenses being issued by the EMA. David was a senior EMA technical officer that implemented the Water Pollution Rules, and was the Assistant Manager (Ag.) of the Air Pollution Rules Unit providing critical technical input to the drafting of the Air Rules and development of a new schedule of fees that aligned more closely with the Polluter Pays Principle – the first of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago. David later became an Adjunct Faculty Member lecturing in the MBA in Sustainable Energy Management at the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business of the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus.
David has authored two books and one poster on the Marine Fishes of Trinidad and Tobago, with his seminal work, A Checklist of the Marine Coastal Species of Fishes of Trinidad and Tobago, being incorporated into the global taxonomic reference database, FishBase. A self-taught marine fishes taxonomist, he became recognized as the pre-eminent authority on fish species identification in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean region, serving as State’s witness in illegal fishing cases, and training researchers in neighboring Caribbean countries on fish identification and biological studies. Moving from Marine Biology into algae biotechnology and entrepreneurship, David has become known for his expertise in practical, regenerative and sustainable applications of algae as viable economic platforms with multiple benefits. He now presents regularly at national/international industry conferences and workshops on microalgae and their applications in the emerging regenerative, circular economic movements. He presented at the 2020 Algae Biomass Summit on “Algae Entrepreneurship” and “Algae Soil Amendments”; the 2020 Virtual Islands Summit on “Technology and Innovation for Sustainability”; and on the Alumni Panel and Career Development Panel on “Global Warming and Climate Change” for his Alma Mater, the College of Charleston. David also presented at the 2020 European Algae Conference on “Microalgae, Climate Change, and COVID-19”. David also writes extensively on microalgae applications in the context of regenerative solutions to major environmental, social, and economic challenges.
A recognized leader in the Algae Industry, he sits on: the Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) Board of Directors; the Technical Advisory Board for the proposed ABO Algae Center of Excellence; and on the Industry Advisory Board of the University of Houston College of Technology. He is a member of the Phycological Society of America; the Smithsonian Institution; and the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. He believes in giving back to society and is a Director of both the Lions and Rotary Clubs in La Grange, Texas, and is a Science Advisor on the Scientific Review Committee for the Fayette County (Texas) Science Fair. David received the 2019 Most Valued Citizen Award from the La Grange Area Chamber of Commerce “for outstanding involvement in the betterment of the community and its people” and was elected to the Board of Directors of the Frisch Auf! Valley Country Club in La Grange, Texas. In September 2020, David was appointed to the Editorial Board of the Open Access Journal of Marine Science, Research and Development. In October 2020, David was accepted into the Forbes Business Technology Council and has been featured in Forbes Expert Panel Articles on various topics.
In 2016 David became CEO of AlgEternal and restructured AlgEternal into a vertically integrated producer of algae-based products, leveraging their patented algae-growth technology. Focused on practical applications of microalgae to generate revenue while solving significant environmental challenges, David created and launched two microalgae-based products made from microalgae are grown by AlgEternal: 1) ElixEarth® Soil Amendment, and 2) The AlgAllure® AlgaRiche® Skin Care Collection containing PhycoDerm®. David believes that entrepreneurship, ecocentrism and education are keys to the widespread adoption of the sustainable algae economic platform for regenerative environmental, social, and economic benefits. Aside from their potential for natural products in food and feed, biochemicals, biomaterials, and pharmaceuticals, David believes in harnessing the power of microalgae to perform critical ecosystem services such as wastewater treatment with nutrient recycling, soil repair, and rejuvenation, and carbon capture and use, thereby reversing environmental damage and achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
A strong proponent of regenerative, resilient approaches to economic activities, David views algae and their applications as a the natural successor to fossil hydrocarbons to sustainably provide products and critical ecosystem services and support the transition to a circular, regenerative economy. David posits that harnessing the power of algae represents the single greatest opportunity for humans to ensure that Earth remains hospitable to our species—saving our place on the planet.