Sustainable Business

Susan is the CEO and co-founder of Origen Air, a cleantech company that makes biophilic air purifiers. Inspired by Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, Susan has had a lifetime interest in sustainability. She wrote a 75-page paper in law school on contaminated sites and the regulation of toxins seeping into the environment.

After being diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis—a form of arthritis—she studied literature on autoimmune disorders and long-term health problems, and all cases linked to toxins present in the environment. She had spent 14 years inside perfectly sealed buildings and courtrooms. It was clear to her that the archaic standards of HVAC had to change.

After meeting her partner Andrew Crawford, who formerly worked with living walls, the two decided to create a new generation of smart, living air purifiers. They procured a 10-year global license to exclusively distribute bioengineered golden pothos plants, which were developed over 15+ years at the University of Washington and designed to metabolize toxins from the air. With the help of their team of engineers, they combined these enhanced plants, true HEPA filtration and IAQ sensors to create their flagship biophilic air purifier - the Pinnacle. Their goal is to develop an HVAC integrated unit called the Canopy, which will reduce a building’s emissions by up to 40%, in line with the Paris Climate Accords.

 

For more information on the company, visit origenair.com