The Minds Behind the Material
Samsara Materials transcends the standard tech firm. We are a powerhouse of industry veterans, entrepreneurs, engineers, and environmental advocates redefining the plastic lifecycle. While our Green Upcycling Process delivers the technical breakthrough, our leadership provides the bridge between global waste crises and industrial-scale circularity.
Samsara Mission
Our mission is to transform plastic waste into high-performance building solutions that achieve verified carbon-negative impact (a net reduction of 1.86 kg CO₂e per unit) and accelerate the transition to sustainable construction. Through Samsara's advanced Sustainable Plastic Waste Composite (SPWC), we unlock scalable, commercially viable pathways for meaningful waste reduction. Our commitment to environmental stewardship is grounded in strict, audit-ready carbon accounting—deliberately excluding virgin plastic credits to prevent double-counting and ensure our metrics represent absolute, verifiable climate action.
Team
Frank Pho, BCom, DA, CA CPA — CEO
Frank has more than 35 years of experience across venture capital, operational leadership, and advisory roles with technology start-ups. He has served on the Canada–China Cleantech Joint Working Group, representing Canada in advancing collaboration between the two countries. As a VC, he has backed multiple successful companies, including an exit of more than eleven-times return, and as an operator he has led several multi-million-dollar businesses through successful turnarounds. Frank is a Chartered Accountant and holds a B.Com. and Diploma of Accountancy from Concordia University.
Alexis Liu, BS, MS, MA — COO & VP R&D
Alexis brings over three decades of executive experience in high-tech enterprises in Canada and Asia, with deep expertise in ESG-driven projects including Energy-as-a-Service models, hybrid microgrid systems, net-zero building material solutions, and smart agriculture. He earned a B.Sc. in Bio-environmental Systems Engineering from National Taiwan University and an M.Sc. in Computer Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, and later attended the Ph.D. program in Neural Science at Boston University.
Enzo Casal, MBA — Senior Manager, Operations
Enzo has more than five years of direct experience in the waste and recycling sector and also runs his own consultancy serving clients such as Recycle BC, CleanFarms, Lichens Recyclabilité, Circular Materials in Ontario, and Éco Entreprises Québec. He previously supervised three transfer stations in Metro Vancouver, coordinating multiple material streams, and currently oversees agricultural plastics collection pilots in Northern BC. Enzo holds an Honours B.Sc. in Biology and an MBA from the University of British Columbia.
Advisors
Lisa Bate, ICD.D, FRAIC, LEED AP BD+C — Architecture Advisor
Lisa is an internationally recognized sustainability executive, board-certified director, and architect with extensive experience in ESG issues. She has held board-chair roles at CarbonCure, the World Green Building Council, and the Canada Green Building Council. Lisa is a leading voice on high-performance, sustainable and resilient design, with deep knowledge of net-zero-carbon design, specifications, and cleantech solutions for buildings and infrastructure, supported by a substantial portfolio of built work worldwide.
Tony Bi, BS, MS, Ph.D. — Technology Advisor
Professor Tony Bi is Director of the Clean Energy Research Center and a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of British Columbia. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and has received the CIESC Engineering Thermochemistry Award, the BC Bioenergy Sector Award, and the CSChE Industrial Practice and Design Award. His work spans clean-energy and thermochemical processes, and he holds a portfolio of patents and provisional patents across Canada and the United States.
Sarah Gray, P.Eng., CAHP — Engineering Advisor
Sarah is a Principal and Senior Building Science Specialist at RDH Building Science Inc. She has nearly 25 years of experience in engineering and building science, with a focus on heritage building rehabilitation, assessments of existing buildings, deep energy retrofits, and enclosure consulting for new construction. Sarah holds a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and an M.Sc. in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania, and has served on multiple industry boards and committees for more than 15 years.
Kirthi Roberts, Ph.D., P.Eng. — Environment & Sustainability Advisor
Kirthi has around 25 years of experience across five major industry sectors in Canada, with a career centred on environmental management and climate-action strategy. He has served as Director of Environment at Vancouver Airport Authority, Manager of Sustainability at the Vancouver School District, and co-chair of the Metro Vancouver Regional Engineers Advisory Committee's Climate Action Sub-committee. A licensed Professional Engineer in British Columbia (Engineering Physics), he also holds a doctorate in Resource Management and Environmental Studies and is a strong advocate of systems thinking and circular-economy solutions.
Iain Mant, LL.B. — Legal Advisor
Iain is a partner at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP and a corporate lawyer with more than 30 years of experience. He advises companies, underwriters, and venture-capital, private-equity and other investors on a broad range of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, financings, and complex cross-border deals. Iain has worked on negotiations, structuring, and execution of transactions involving some of the world's largest technology companies as well as emerging growth businesses.
Partners
Recycle BC
The not-for-profit steward responsible for residential packaging recycling in BC. Provides access to waste-plastic streams and connects Samsara with municipal partners in the recycling ecosystem, crucial for enabling circular solutions for flexible plastics.
Powertech Labs
One of North America's most advanced testing organizations (BC Hydro subsidiary). Powertech designs and conducts emissions-testing programs ensuring Samsara's processes comply with rigorous industry standards.
SGS Taiwan
Global leader in inspection, verification, testing, and certification. The SGS Taiwan team has worked closely with Samsara to design comprehensive testing protocols and carry out detailed strength testing on EcoBrik prototypes.
OEM Partners in Asia
Industrial leaders collaborating on the co-development of manufacturing processes and equipment. Expertise in advanced production techniques helped refine and optimize the green manufacturing system.
MaRS Discovery District
Founded in 2000 and now a leading innovation hub, MaRS supports Samsara with resources for research, commercialization, and sustainable growth, connecting us with experts in cleantech and circular-economy initiatives.
IFEZ South Korea
IFEZ is South Korea's premier global business hub. It recently issued a Letter of Intent supporting Samsara's initiative, reinforcing its strategic leadership in high-tech sustainability and the global circular economy.
Our Call to Visionaries
At Samsara Materials, we recognize that systemic change cannot be achieved in isolation. We are looking for partners, investors, and community leaders who share our "True North": a future where waste is repurposed as an abundant resource, enabling a circular economy that reduces demand for natural materials and meaningfully cuts carbon emissions.
We invite you to join us if you believe:
Waste is an Underused Asset
You see the untapped economic and structural potential in the billions of tonnes of plastic currently designated for landfills.
Scale Requires Agility
You support modular, decentralized manufacturing as the most effective way to solve localized waste crises globally. A single standard modular plant can deliver a verified 5,580-tonne net carbon reduction annually for its host city.
Resilience is Non-Negotiable
You prioritize the development of building materials that exceed traditional performance standards. With our 2:1 mass displacement advantage over concrete, we are proving that sustainable materials can do more with less, eliminating the carbon heavy-lifting of cement.
The Future is Circular
You are committed to the Better Buildings Initiative and want to be at the forefront of the next industrial revolution.
Join Us in Creating Change
Whether you're interested in partnership opportunities, investment, or simply want to learn more about our technology, we'd love to hear from you.