Gavin McIntyre co-founded Ecovative in 2007 to solve environmental challenges through biology. Ecovative employs mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, as a rapidly growing, self-assembling alternative to the plastics used in a wide range of industries (Mushroom® Packaging). As the company’s Chief Technology Officer, Gavin oversaw all research and development during the company’s early product launches and is a listed inventor on over two dozen of the company’s issued and pending patents. He now serves as the company’s Director of Business Development and is focused on nurturing a network of international mycelium-material partnerships composed of small enterprises, large multinational organizations, and government agencies. He endeavors to foster a global community of biomaterial cultivators that can bolster local economies by transforming biomass residues into higher value products while limiting the proliferation of plastics. Collectively, Ecovative and its partners displace hundreds of tonnes of single-use plastics annually with earth-compatible products.
Gavin is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where his dual degree in mechanical engineering and product design and innovation led to his passion for building home-spun bioreactors to cultivate organisms from oysters to orchids. He advises several start-ups and environmental non-profits, including Clean and Healthy New York.