Vanessa Vongsouthi, Samsara Eco

Vanessa Vongsouthi is the Research Co-Founder and Head of Science Operations at Samsara Eco, a start-up that has secured $54 million to scale its innovative technology for infinitely recycling plastics, including PET and nylon 6,6. Backed by world-leading investors, Samsara Eco has partnered with Lululemon to produce the world’s first garment from enzymatically recycled nylon 6,6 and was recognized as one of AFR’s Most Innovative Companies in 2023. Completing a PhD in Protein Engineering from the Australian National University, Vanessa is passionately committed to addressing the plastic waste crisis by developing solutions that achieve circularity and reduce the plastic industry’s carbon footprint.