“I wanted to make better products that have a significant impact. The developing world aspires to our lifestyle which the planet cannot sustain, and America needs to step up with innovation to lead the way forward.”
- Patrick Govang
Photo by Michael Hall
KissMyCountry had the chance to talk with Patrick Govang, CEO of e2eMaterials based in Ithaca, New York for our continuing series on ‘CEOs Saving the Planet’. A Green building company, e2e Materials creates a soy-based grass fiber composite that can be used in place of wood or other building materials, and is strong, Green, and fire retardant – truly an amazing breakthrough. The company is a spin-off from Cornell University, based on the discoveries of the Netravali Research Group at Cornell, and is providing an exciting alternative to traditional building materials. Patrick Govang is enthusiastic about e2e Materials and Green building, and is using his experience in the US and internationally to save our planet. Enjoy!
Lexy: Tell us a little bit about e2e Materials – how you got started by spinning off from Cornell University to become a private company and the plans you have for e2e Materials in the future.
Patrick: Research was going on at Cornell from the early 90’s to develop high performance ‘Green’ materials – something as strong as Kevlar® or carbon fiber. Kevlar® and carbon fiber are strong but not earth friendly, and there was interest in developing high performance products that were Greener. Researchers wondered how could nature duplicate that strength, and the result was a material with similar strengths that was Green. The technology is a true material platform giving us a very broad palate of properties that can go in many applications.
Lexy: When did you first become interested in Green and how did you become involved with e2e Materials? What made you decide to be the CEO?
Patrick: I guess I’ve always had a bit of Green in me. I built a house that’s off the grid with an alternative water supply as a hobby. It was more of a technical challenge and for my curiosity than anything else, but I was interested in Green. While working in the automotive industry, I built several manufacturing facilities in India to California emission standards in the 90’s because it was the right thing to do. With e2e, I was the Director of the Cornell Center for Materials Research at the time, helping researchers bring their discoveries to market. The invention of this material personally resonated with me, and I knew I wanted to bring it to market. I saw that I could use a lot of my experience from the automotive industry, and saw this as a real opportunity to do something great for the environment and build an exciting company. I wanted to make better products that have a significant impact. The developing world aspires to our lifestyle which the planet cannot sustain, and America needs to step up with innovation to lead the way forward. Our responsibility is to show the world new technologies that save the planet and offer an unparalleled quality of life. It’s exciting, and our mission easily infects everyone in the company. It’s a true cradle-to-cradle concept that leverages a business model that’s inherently competitive. By locating our agricultural feedstocks near the production facility and shipping within a 500 mile radius we enable a regional business model that creates sustainable, Green collar jobs spanning agriculture, manufacturing and high-technology.
Lexy: One of your customers is Comet Skateboards, which is a great example of how the products you create can save our planet. How did you come to work with Comet Skateboards? Can you tell us a little bit about why your materials are an improvement on how skateboards are generally made?
Patrick: Our technology is broad, but we started with skateboards. A Cornell graduate, Jason Salfi, co-founded Comet Skateboards, and was looking for ways to make his boards Greener. He came to us. With Comet we worked to eliminate epoxy and fiberglass from the boards. The new boards have both high-performance and are earth-friendly. Before, when the company used epoxy and fiberglass to make their boards Jason did not bring his daughter to the shop. Now with our materials used for the boards he lets her crawl around the floor – pretty unusual for a manufacturing environment.
Lexy: What do people always ask you about Green building, and what do you wish people asked?
Patrick: When it comes to building materials, the materials and the processes we use today have had as much cost taken out of them through years of competition. So, anything new – new materials, new processes – usually means higher cost, initially. The resulting perception is that Green means higher costs. The first question we always hear is ‘That’s great, how much more does it cost?’. The reality is that we can take out 50% of the cost of the products we replace. We can make a product that truly reduces our reliance on petroleum, and we can make our shareholders happy because the cost benefits translate to higher margins. We focus on higher performing and more cost effective products that just happen to deliver unparalleled sustainability.
Lexy: We’re all thinking about the earthquake in Haiti right now, and the need to rebuild in that country. As an expert on Green building, do you have any thoughts about rebuilding Port au Prince? For instance, what can Green building materials do for Haiti that traditional building materials can’t?
Photo by UN Development Programme
Patrick: We’re all very saddened by what’s happened in Haiti. Our entire company is saddened by what’s happened. Haiti has a sad but unique opportunity to rebuild the country to be efficient in terms of energy consumption. Thinking about our own technology for Haiti, someday our materials will offer rapid deployment of materials that are strong and cost effective – and are safe as well. We’re aware that many of the trailers sent after Katrina contained toxins and are working to provide a better product that will provide immediate shelter that is not laden with formaldehyde. We have the opportunity to be more forward looking for Haiti.
Lexy: Also, in a few weeks the Vancouver Olympics will begin. Vancouver is calling this Olympics the Greenest ever. Any comments on the Olympic Village for Vancouver, which will achieve Gold LEED status?
Patrick: What they’re doing is fantastic. We couldn’t be happier to see more projects like this emerging with a global presence. It’s a chance to show the world what can really be done with Green technology, and there’s a very elegant role for materials like ours to play. The LEED process requires a lot of up front planning, so it’s impressive they received LEED status.
Lexy: At KissMyCountry we talk about saving the planet, but we also talk about enjoying the planet. What are your favorite places and why?
Patrick: My favorite place is Ithaca, New York, where the company is headquartered and where I live. I love the cultural and geographic diversity. The campuses are a great meeting place for different viewpoints coming together, and the city is forward looking. It’s an idyllic, beautiful area with waterfalls everywhere. There’s a tremendous entrepreneurial community with a great vibe – lots of startups. We’re all friends, we support each other and we’re excited about changing the world.
Lexy: As a CEO you travel on business. Do you have a favorite city for business travel? What’s great about that city?
Patrick: San Francisco. I travel here quite a bit, and what I really enjoy is the ability to fly in, walk over to the train, and take the train to my hotel. I feel like I’m reducing my footprint, and I feel great about that. Like Ithaca, it’s a very forward looking city.
Photo by Bluerasberry
Lexy: Have you ever been to a place that surprised you – either positively or negatively? What surprised you?
Patrick: I spent part of my career in the automotive industry in India. In India I saw the impact of such a large population on the lifestyle and resources in the country. It made me think about population and how so many people living together affects everything. I lived there for three years developing manufacturing facilities for the automotive industry in India. To be a success there we had to focus on coming up with solutions. People there really are committed to creating a better quality of life.
Photo by NASA
Lexy: Have you been on a vacation within the past few months, or are you planning a vacation in the next few months?
Patrick: My whole life is a vacation. When you love what you’re doing that’s how you feel. I have no current plans for a vacation. But my wife and I visited New Zealand several years ago for our honeymoon. I was really impressed seeing such a self supportive lifestyle. There’s a tremendous national feeling there to be self sufficient.
Patrick, we greatly appreciate the time you took to talk with KissMyCountry – and look forward to checking back with you as e2e Materials grows. All the best to you and your entire group at e2e Materials as you help save our planet and build a great company!
Lindsay, Shaun, Shani, Apolo, Bode, Kim Yu-Na, Nodar – we won’t forget you. For sixteen days we’ve 
been together, watching, feeling, listening, cheering, holding our breath, and wishing we could do what you do. Your unique courage, energy, joy and triumph made these Olympics another passing of the baton and also like no other. You’re awesome. And your hosts are awesome too. It takes a special city to host the Olympics, and Vancouver opened their doors and opened their city to the world for 2010. Thank you.
welcome the world for the 2010 Games.
Like the athletes themselves, the planners, architects, engineers and other professionals truly gave their best to build and create this special place. All the individuals interviewed for The Challenge Series say it was the hardest – and best job they ever had. This first Gold LEED™ Certified sustainable neighborhood in Canada will be returned to the City of Vancouver by VANOC on April 7, 2010. My first stop when I get to Vancouver? The Salt House, a historical building preserved in the new neighborhood. Originally built in the 1930s to process salt brought from San Francisco, The Salt Building will house a brew pub and a coffee roaster. I can’t wait to see it and walk where Olympic athletes lived for those special days.
Urban planners in search of sustainable solutions are taking note of Vancouver’s accomplishments. The Challenge Series will be translated into Mandarin, and Roger Bayley’s schedule is filled with invitations to speak about how a city can incorporate sustainable design into future planning. So, curl up with The Challenge Series and make sure you visit Millenium Water when you go to Vancouver. And to Roger and his team, we wish you the best and look forward to staying in touch!
