Dr. Roe is a serial entrepreneur and presently serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of AlgiSys, a biotechnology company that he co-founded in 2009. Since its inception, AlgiSys has raised $6.7MM in private and non-dilutive capital, and developed patented technology to manufacture omega-3 nutritional oils and high protein additives for use in the supplement, food & beverage, animal feed, aquaculture, and pharmaceutical industries. Prior to AlgiSys, he co-founded and served as the CTO for Biofuel Producers of America (dba Algae Producers, Inc.), a diversified algae products and biofuels company.
Dr. Roe was previously an R&D Consultant and Program Manager with NineSigma, a technology and innovation sourcing company with offices in the United States, Europe, Japan, and South Korea. At NineSigma, he worked with the research and development organizations of Fortune 500 and Global 1000 corporations, and helped to identify, procure, and develop strategic technologies on a global basis. Dr. Roe’s projects consistently focused on identifying gaps in his client’s technology platforms, brokering technology exchanges, and establishing external research and development (R&D) partnerships. He has expertise with emerging technologies across a wide range of industries: automotive, petroleum, chemical, energy, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, electronics, food & beverage, agriculture, packaging, paints & coatings, textiles, and polymers. In addition to his expertise with R&D, he has also worked in a variety of other functional capacities that include management, product development, engineering, corporate purchasing, recruiting, supply chain/logistics, six sigma, and corporate quality with such companies as ICI, The Glidden Company, and General Electric.
Dr. Roe is a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), and served as Chairman/President of the Cleveland Section of AIChE from 2010 to 2019. He is a member of the Ohio State University (OSU) Buckeye Executive Network, and advises the OSU Technology Commercialization Office on matters related to intellectual property, technology transfer, and startup company formation. Dr. Roe has expertise in intellectual property formation and development, and is the co-author of 9 issued and pending patents in 8 countries. He is involved with the due diligence committee of the Impact Angel Fund, and is a Co-Founder and Member of the Board of Directors of Jubilee Impact Fund, a social enterprise venture capital fund that invests in community development organizations in under-resourced neighborhoods. Dr. Roe also previously served as a Special Scientific Adviser on Microalgae and Biotechnology to the Secretary General of the Intergovernmental Institution for the Use of Micro-Algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition (IIMSAM), a non-governmental organization affiliated with the United Nations. Dr. Roe currently advises and engages in consulting for the Akron Leadership Foundation and the Algae Remediation Coalition. He serves on the Boards of the Summit Lake Community Development Corporation, Word of Grace Church, and Akron Cooperative Farms.
Dr. Roe received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University, his M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Additionally, he earned a Certificate in Pastoral Counseling from The Institute of Pastoral Counseling at Emerge Ministries, Inc. in Akron, Ohio.