4 Minutes With…Vonnie Estes, Managing Director, US, GranBio

If you haven’t met Vonnie, you probably haven’t been in the field long, or in the US very often. One of the industry’s best-known “connector nodes” and the person who did the most to put GranBio into the top echelon in the US market over the past year — previously known for her work with DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol and Codexis. What you may not know is that she’s made one of the fastest ascent times of California’s Mt. San Jacinto – just an insane pace from Palm Springs to the top of the funicular. Our choice for her theme song? “Here, There and Everywhere.”

Tell us about your organization and it’s role in the Advanced Bioeconomy.

GranBio is a producer of bio-based fuels and chemicals based on Brazilian biomass. The company is developing the supply chain from feedstock through production.

Tell us about your role and what you are focused on in the next 12 months.

My main focus has been to support the development of consistent and reliable policy for cellulosic fuels. Both the RFS and the Low Carbon Fuels Standard have been in flux and are not supporting development of the industry. I have been working on registering our fuel with both the EPA and CARB and the company plans to export cellulosic ethanol to the US. We will be the first cellulosic ethanol fuel registered under CARB and will join the other cellulosic fuels to be registered with the EPA.

What do you feel are the most important milestones the industry must achieve in the next 5 years?

* Consistent policy from the EPA – either fix the RFS or start over with something that advances a reduction in greenhouse emissions
* Increase amount of cellulosic fuels in the industry to continue to prime the pump
* Investments in 2nd of a kind plants
* Continued investments in new companies and technologies

If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about the Advanced Bioeconomy, what would you change?

Have I mentioned consistent policy? I would like to see more states like California have a state policy for Low Carbon Fuels – not picking technology winners – just lower carbon fuels determined by LCA. Oregon and Washington are likely to follow. I would like to see the focus go more towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions than energy security

Of all the reasons that influenced you to join the Advanced Bioeconomy industry, what single reason stands out for you as still being compelling and important to you?

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and our reliance on petroleum. Also aiding rural development in the US and using agricultural as feedstocks

Where are you from? 

I was born in Massachusetts. My father was in the Air Force so I lived all over growing up. My home base growing up was New Mexico. My home now is California.

What was your undergraduate major in college, and where did you attend? Why did you choose that school and that pathway? 

Horticulture @ New Mexico State University. I didn’t know much about applying to college and I needed a full ride scholarship. It was the only school I applied to.
I went to UC Davis in Plant Pathology for graduate school.

Who do you consider your mentors?

All of the amazing women (it is a big family) in my family who taught me strength, adventure, love and fun.
Many people have helped me along the way professionally: Mark Wong, John Neal, Jan Novak, John Ryals, Geoff Duyk, John May, Stuart Finn, Bill Tobin, Paul Zorner, and Josh Hoffman to name a very few. Much of what they taught me was patience and confidence – two qualities I still struggle with.

What’s the biggest lesson you ever learned during a period of adversity?

Find the people who are the best at fixing the problem and listen to them.

What hobbies do you pursue, away from your work in the industry? 

Hiking, yoga, swimming, running, reading, travel, cooking. “wasting time” with my 18 year old daughter

What are 3 books you’d want to have with you, if you were stranded on a desert island?

So last century. My Kindle with every book I’ve read plus many new ones and a solar powered battery system.

What books or articles are on your reading list right now, or you just completed and really enjoyed?

I’m currently reading “A Fighting Chance” by Elizabeth Warren LOVE IT.
Just finished “The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business” by Erin Meyer. I highly recommend it to anyone who does International business
Most recent fiction: “The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt
Next up: Hillary’s book

What’s your favorite city or place to visit, for a holiday?

Yosemite