Chris Thomas is the CEO and co-founder of RETRN. His journey started in grad school at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a complex question: if a continual increase in global plastic pollution is inevitable with current industrial models, then what fundamental changes can be made to fix this? Thomas pursued a solution through training at the Beijing Forestry University on upcycling lignocellulosic biomass into high-valuable materials, and through work with another bioplastic startup upon returning to the United States full-time to finish his Ph.D.