American Biochar Institute

Our people

Our team are experts in biochar markets, research, and application who are dedicated to helping others understand and use biochar effectively.

The ABI team

Myles Gray, P.E.

Executive Director

Myles brings professional experience in the science and business of biochar, directing ABI in advancing programming across market and technology development. He has worked in the biochar space for more than 15 years in academia, consulting, industry, and non-profit. He is focused on growing the impact and reach of ABI. A registered civil engineer, Myles is focused on developing biochar applications in the built environment sector including stormwater management and concrete.

Tina Metzer

Director of Projects & Partnerships

Tina leads partnership development and project coordination in support of ABI’s mission to strengthen and scale the biochar industry. Since 2022, she has served as the lead organizer of the North American Biochar Conference, working closely with partners to reinforce the conference’s role as the leading convening for the biochar industry. Tina is a co-founder of RuralRISE and the National Center for Resource Development and brings extensive experience in building communities of practice, advancing rural economic development, and fostering cross-sector collaboration to support ecosystem growth.

Tera Lewandowski, Ph.D.

Director of Agricultural Markets

Tera brings robust experience in horticulture, soil science, and composting, alongside strategic leadership in agricultural market development. Her efforts center on expanding biochar adoption through the fertilizer, soil amendment, composting, and horticulture sectors, while fostering collaboration across industry, research, and policy domains. Tera is actively building market pathways for biochar by engaging producers, academics, business leaders, and agricultural professionals and promoting regenerative practices grounded in climate-smart science. Her outreach includes webinars, influencer engagement, and interdisciplinary in-person education events to elevate the visibility and impact of biochar innovation.

Brandon Smith, Ph.D.

Director of Agricultural Technology & Standards

Joining the team in February 2026, Brandon brings more than 30 years of experience in agricultural research, conservation, and applied soil health. He is nationally recognized for leading the development of the USDA-NRCS Soil Carbon Amendment Standard (Practice 336), was the first registered Technical Service Provider approved to deliver the practice and has since planned and certified biochar applications on thousands of acres nationwide.

Brandon’s work centers on advancing agricultural standards, technical guidance, and best management practices for biochar, ensuring agricultural applications are science-based, practical, and scalable.

Brandon previously spent 14 years with USDA-NRCS and has held faculty and research appointments at the University of Tennessee and the University of New Hampshire. He has also served in leadership roles with Ashwood Biochar and Stircor Services, advancing large-scale biochar production, product development, and agricultural market adoption.

Lauren Boritzke Smith

Communications

Lauren brings nearly a decade of experience in communication and design in the nonprofit landscape to ABI. As the founder of Heartseed Creative, Lauren offers creative communications and design services to nonprofits and small businesses creating impact on the climate crisis. Lauren was introduced to climate change communications through her interest in food access, public health, and stewarding plants – from reporting on food deserts, participating in WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), to advocating for the importance of diverse ecosystems and healthy soil.

Elza Vucane

Communications & Marketing

Elza helps ABI scale its reach by supporting communications and marketing initiatives.

Sarena Baker

Events and Conference Manager

Sarena brings her experience in planning and managing conferences and nonprofit events to the ABI team, overseeing everything from logistics and vendors to registration and onsite operations. She has also supported policy and energy-focused events through her work with the National Energy Resources Organization (NERO) and Smart Policy Group, where she helps coordinate events each year for policymakers, government representatives, and energy-sector stakeholders.

Over the past three years, she has also worked in the tech sector, supporting executive leadership with onboarding and engagement efforts. Through this combined experience, she has developed a solid understanding of energy and environmental topics, including emerging technologies, policy priorities, and cross-sector collaboration. She is excited to help American Biochar Institute’s mission of advancing end-use markets for biochar.

She resides just outside of the Washington, DC area and on the weekends you will most likely catch her at a family sporting event.

Board of Directors

Emily Silver, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Associate Chair, and Director of Graduate Studies, Michigan State University

Dr. Silver is a Natural Resource Social Scientist with an M.S in Natural Resources Science and Management from the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. in Forestry from the University of Maine. She researches topics like agroforestry, private forest ownership, wildfire social acceptability, wood-based bioenergy, mass timber, and biochar. She also has an Extension appointment and is passionate about helping landowners and managers with natural resource concerns and questions. Prior to joining the faculty at MSU, Dr. Silver worked for the USDA Forest Service’s Northern Research Station as a Research Forester. Dr. Silver is also serves as the Co Editor-in-Chief of the scientific journal Society & Natural Resources, as president of the Michigan Forest Association, in addition to her board membership for ABI and the Society of American Forester’s Forest Science and Technology.

Jim Doten

Carbon Sequestration Program Manager

Jim is a professional geologist with 40 years of experience in the environmental field. In addition to an undergraduate degree in Geology, he obtained an MBA and MS in Environmental Policy and Management. Before starting with the City of Minneapolis, Jim was a Regional Manager for an engineering and environmental consulting firm. After working with biochar while deployed to Afghanistan on an agribusiness development team, he brought the concept to the City of Minneapolis. Pioneering a municipal biochar program in 2013, he also built the first municipally owned and operated biochar production facility. In addition to his ABI board responsibilities , Jim is the founder and Board President of the Minnesota Biochar Initiative (MNBI). As a regional association, MNBI serves to build a regional network, provide education and outreach, promote policy, and create sustainable biochar markets.

Kristin Trippe, Ph.D.

Research Microbiologist

Dr. Kristin M. Trippe is a Research Microbiologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service and a Courtesy Faculty member at Oregon State University. Her research focuses on delivering nature-based solutions to agronomic challenges, including applied soil microbiology, soil restoration, and biochar, with an emphasis on practices that enhance agricultural productivity, reduce input costs, and improve ecosystem services. Trained in botany and environmental engineering, Dr. Trippe leads and contributes to nationally recognized decision-support tools that translate biochar and soil health research into practical guidance for diverse soils and cropping systems. Her work bridges federal research agencies, producers, conservation professionals, industry, and nonprofit partners to support evidence-based adoption of biochar and sustainable land management practices. She has received multiple awards for scientific leadership, partnership-building, and extension-focused innovation and has been actively engaged with the ABI through board and committee service.

Matt Krumenauer

Vice President

Matt is Vice President of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities where he is responsible for leading the Endowment’s Markets Initiative and is working on the ground to accelerate market development for new and innovative uses of forest products. Prior to joining the Endowment Matt served as a Project Manager for an investor-owned electric utility, Director of Government Relations for a multi-state trade association representing cooperative businesses in the agriculture, financial, retail and utility sectors, a Conservation Biologist for a state forestry department and Senior Policy Analyst for the Oregon Department of Energy where he was the program and technical lead for the State’s bioenergy programs. Matt has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Policy and Planning from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay.

Matt Wilson Plasek

Principal and Head of Sales

Matt is Principal at WP Carbon, a carbon removal advisory, and leads sales at Terrafront Ventures, an infrastructure and carbon removal developer serving smallholder farmers. He brings deep commercial expertise from four investor-backed startups, most recently as Head of Carbon at Applied Carbon, a U.S. biochar producer, and prior to that as CEO of Carbonfuture’s U.S. subsidiary, which closed some of the industry’s earliest durable removal deals while establishing biochar as a credible high-integrity solution. Earlier in his career, Matt led business development for a materials startup, co-founded an advanced manufacturing company, and advised a number of materials and carbon startups. He started in engineering roles at leading aerospace companies and holds degrees from Princeton University and Iowa State University.

Mayo Ryan

Co-Founder & CEO

Prior to co-founding Sitos Group, Mayo served as General Manager of North State Hulling Cooperative, in Hamilton City CA, a non-profit almond processing cooperative. In 2017, leading the cooperative in the construction of a new $30M hulling facility, he began his journey into the world of biochar. Prior to North State, Mayo was General Manager at California Olive Ranch in Chico, California. Mayo and his wife Robyn moved to Chico from Fresno, CA where he served as the Water Resources Manager for Wonderful Orchards. Mayo has a deep background in agriculture, having farmed pistachios, wine grapes and cotton, and held several leadership positions with large agribusiness firms. Mayo has spent the last seven years gaining expertise in biochar and Carbon Removal and consults on Regenerative Agriculture practices. He holds a BS in Political Science and an MBA Agribusiness from Santa Clara University, is a California Ag Leadership graduate, and is an Accredited Farm Manager.

Tony Marrero

CMO & Founder

Tony Marrero is a seasoned marketing and business leader with more than 25 years of experience building mission-driven companies and scaling emerging technologies. As Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Wakefield BioChar, Tony has helped position biochar as a practical, market-ready solution across soil health, advanced materials, and carbon-based applications.

Through his work at Wakefield, Tony plays a central role in market development, strategic partnerships, customer education, and industry collaboration—bridging the gap between scientific innovation and real-world adoption. He specializes in translating complex environmental technologies into accessible, scalable solutions that drive commercial uptake and long-term impact.

A graduate of Texas Christian University, Tony brings a market-driven mindset, strategic storytelling expertise, and a strong values-based approach to his role on the board of the American Biochar Initiative, where he supports advancing biochar standards, education, and responsible market growth. His work is guided by the belief that environmental solutions must be both economically viable and operationally scalable to achieve meaningful change.

Join the team building biochar markets

ABI operates at the intersection of science, industry, and policy – developing the standards and infrastructure that enable biochar markets to function. We need people who combine technical expertise with practical judgment, who can translate research into guidance that producers and end-users can actually use, and who understand that building markets requires patience, precision, and collaboration across sectors.

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