Rocking the World: Whitman Alums Launch a Brilliant Solution for the Climate

And what they discovered has even more important implications right here on Earth.

As Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of clean-technology company Aspiring Materials, Oze is leading efforts to produce carbon-free critical minerals and other materials that can be used in manufacturing and industrial processes. He and Chief Operating Officer Kathy Izumi ’97, Oze’s Whitman College classmate and now wife, are part of a growing field of researchers and entrepreneurs working toward a cleaner, greener world.

“There were a lot of failures along the way,” says Oze, who spent more than 15 years in higher education before co-founding the company in 2019. 

“But like I taught my students, failing is great. You learn from your mistakes, cross things off your list and keep trying new things until you come up with something that does work. 

“We found something that worked,” he says. “It worked really, really well.”

One Mineral, Many Solutions

Central to the work of Aspiring Materials is a mineral called olivine. Found in abundance on both Mars and Earth, olivine is made up of magnesium, iron, silica and other trace elements frequently used in manufacturing. By extracting these elements from olivine through its patented process, Aspiring Materials uses a zero-carbon process to yield high-quality essential industrial materials with less waste and no harmful byproducts.

“A lot of mining practices only try to get a small portion of a rock. A good example is gold mining. There are little specks of gold in a rock, and they take those out and then throw the rest of the rock away,” Oze says. “We think that seems wasteful, it seems energy intensive, and it doesn’t seem like you’re taking true advantage of what those materials have the capability of doing. Our idea is that every bit of that rock can turn into a product that is currently on the market.”

But that’s not the only use for olivine. Scientists have long known that olivine can absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through a geological process called weathering, which can take eons. Aspiring Materials has developed a carbon mineralization technology that captures and stores carbon dioxide using just water and magnesium hydroxide derived from olivine. 

“Our technology can be added to an industrial smokestack, where it takes in the gas that comes out and turns it into magnesium carbonate, which is a rock,” says Izumi. “The CO2 is locked in there, so it’s stable and safe, and the magnesium carbonate can be used as climbing chalk or as a fire retardant. It can be used in paint. It can be used in paper. It can be used as additives to soil.”

This is the work that excites Oze and Izumi the most.

“The technology and the way it works is amazing,” Oze says. “This is a game changer. Once we reach scale, it could mean on the order of gigatons of CO2 removed or abated from industrial sources. It doesn’t solve all the world’s global warming problems, but it’s one of many solutions that, when combined together, put us on the right track to getting back to a situation where the planet is no longer being harmed at the rate that it is right now.”

From Rock to Reality

Aspiring Materials received its first round of funding in 2021. Since then, the company has made swift—and constant—progress.

In 2023, Oze and Co-Founder/CEO Mark Chadderton were named Breakthrough Energy Innovator Fellows. Founded by Bill Gates, Breakthrough Energy supports companies and technologies working to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. 

“There are a lot of companies and startups that apply for this every year, and only a small fraction of those get selected,” says Oze, noting there were 1,500 applicants in 2023. 

“Breakthrough Energy really goes through your technology. They open the hood of the car to make sure that everything works and that what they’re investing in is something that’s going to be meaningful in the future. Our being selected was a huge boost for the team, and it helped build our confidence that we were on the right track.”

Breakthrough Energy Fellows receive funding and support to help them take their work to the next level. Oze says the biggest benefit of the fellowship was the opportunity to talk with other people who have traveled the journey before.

“A lot of startups go through the same thing, and if you could learn from them and avoid some of their mistakes, it actually saves you time and money,” he says. “You realize that what you’re going through is not new, and it helps you figure out how to get a business up and running.”

The same day the Breakthrough Energy Fellows were announced, Aspiring Materials learned it had been selected to participate in PepsiCo’s Greenhouse Accelerator Program, which supports startups in the climate action, sustainable agriculture and circular economy fields. Most recently, the company joined nonprofit Elemental Impact’s investment portfolio and was nominated for the 2025 Earthshot Prize.

Late last year, Aspiring Materials tested its technology at PepsiCo’s Bluebird Foods factory in Wiri, Auckland. The demonstration proved that its CO2 containment process can be successfully applied during live production. A few months later, the company celebrated the opening of its pilot plant in Christchurch with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local and national politicians and supporters. With verifiable proof that its technology works and a plant ready for production, the company is moving toward commercialization. 

“We’re super lucky,” Izumi says. “Our CEO has a background in engineering and has spent a lot of time designing large facilities, so he’s perfectly placed to help us scale up what we’re doing. At this stage, it’s about optimizing and then making things bigger.”

Big Thoughts & Valuable Skills

As Oze and Izumi look back at the paths their careers have taken, they can’t help but reflect on how their Whitman education prepared them for the work they’re doing today. Oze, a Chemistry-Geology combined major, credits Whitman with preparing him for graduate school at Stanford University and encouraging him to think big thoughts. Izumi, an English major, says the breadth of study allowed her to develop a wide range of life-applicable skills.

“I can think and read critically. I can ask questions. I can seek the right answers. I can communicate, both verbally and in the written form, effectively. All of those things have been useful for me,” she says. “Being curious and being comfortable with leaving your comfort zone is really valuable because you can’t predict where you’re going to find yourself. You never know what sort of opportunities might arise.”