Meet the Founder
I am a chemist, a self-taught entrepreneur, husband, and new dad, born and raised in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia.
I am a chemist, a self-taught entrepreneur, and a new dad, born and raised in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. After I graduated high school, I was recruited to work as a fashion model for various labels and magazines. While it definitely wasn'twhat I expected to be doing, it gave me many opportunities to travel, live, and work in a variety of new and interesting places around the world.
Toward the end of my 5-year run in the fashion industry, I started to discover my interest and passion for the sciences, particularly chemistry. I returned to Atlanta intending to pursue a degree in biochemistry but then got hooked on organic chemistry. I was accepted to the school's organic methodology lab and worked with a team of very bright, passionate chemists for three academic years. During my time in the lab, I focused on studying new routes to phosphorous compounds and was honored to be asked to present my research findings at science conferences hosted by The American Chemical Society (ACS). After graduation, I was hired by a large, international chemical company and currently work as a senior research chemist focused on projects involving new materials for advanced technologies such as additive manufacturing, 5G, and proton-exchange membrane fuel cells.
I decided to start The Calculated Chemist because I saw an unmet demand among my friends and colleagues in the industry for high-quality, science-inspired gifts. I started to think about how I could fill that need and what I would be proud to gift to someone or what I would be excited to receive myself. Not having experience or a formal education in business, getting operational has been a tremendous learning curve. I was able to find resources to help me get the basicsin place and I’ve slowly been building from there day-by-day. Through reading hundreds of books and other resources I’ve learned a lot, but I have also relied heavily on the help and support of my family and friends to get it to where it is today. I find that I’m constantly thinking about how I can improve, and I enjoy working with my suppliers to develop and improve the products I offer to my customers. It's another unexpected passion that I’ve discovered.
