Tom Mitchell, PhD, is CFO and COO at Membrion Inc., a Seattle-based deep-tech startup with patented ceramic membranes for treating harsh industrial wastewater. Membrion provides solutions for water reuse and recovery of critical minerals.

Throughout his career, Tom has held leadership roles in various companies, including 19 years with Danaher's (now Veralto) water-quality group as a leader at Sea-Bird Scientific and Hach Co. While at Danaher, Tom contributed to innovation and commercialization efforts through multiple successful product development cycles. This included scaling and commercialization of two disruptive technologies – a solid-state pH sensor for measuring ocean acidification and an optical sensor for measuring exhaust-gas-scrubber carbon content in ocean-going vessels.

In addition to his corporate roles, Tom has served as a visiting scholar at Stanford University. His expertise spans finance, operations, sales and marketing, and R&D, with multiple patents to his name. He earned his MS and PhD in materials science and engineering from Stanford University and holds an MBA and MS in finance from the University of Colorado.