Dr. Paul Anastis, Chief Scientific Advisor

Widely known as the “Father of Green Chemistry” for his work on the design and manufacture of chemicals that are non-hazardous and environmentally benign, Dr. Anastas is a leading champion of sustainability science and innovation for the protection of our environment.  Professor Anastas currently serves as the Director of the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale. Previously, Paul served as the Assistant Administrator for the EPA and the Agency Science Advisor from 2009-2012. From 2004 -2006, Paul served as Director of the ACS Green Chemistry Institute in Washington, D.C. He was previously the Assistant Director for the Environment in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy where he worked from 1999-2004. He is credited with establishing the field of green chemistry during his time working for the EPA as the Chief of the Industrial Chemistry Branch and as the Director of the U.S. Green Chemistry Program. Dr. Anastas has published widely on topics of science through sustainability including eleven books.​

Dr. Anastas and Chris first connected in 2015 when Paul and his wife Dr. Julie Zimmerman served as academic advisors to Chris’s daughter Casey while she was an undergraduate at Yale. Chris and Paul continued to exchange ideas and deal flow over the years while Dr. Anastas and his wife Julie consulted to venture capital, start-ups, and industry.​

Dr. Anastas earned a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts Boston and his Ph.D. from Brandeis University. He is married with two children and lives in New Haven.​