Co-Founder​

Dr. Liangbing Hu is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland and Director of its Center for Materials Innovation. With a Ph.D. in Physics from UCLA, his research focuses on engineered wood and ultrahigh-temperature synthesis. He has founded four companies, including HighT-Tech Inc. and InventWood Inc. Dr. Hu holds numerous patents and has authored over 450 publications. His work has been widely recognized with multiple R&D 100 Awards and a Nature Spinoff Prize.

Chief Executive Officer

Scott Purnell is currently the Chief Executive Officer of HighT‑Tech Inc. He brings more than 32 years of leadership experience in the catalyst industry, gained during a distinguished career at W. R. Grace & Co. Throughout his tenure, he held a wide range of senior roles spanning research and development, marketing, sales, and general management. Notably, he served for seven years as chief executive of Advanced Refining Technologies LLC, a joint venture between Grace and Chevron.

In addition to his executive leadership roles, Scott served as a director of the Kuwait Catalyst Company for more than 11 years. He also currently serves as a trustee of the Maryland Science Center and as a member of the Industrial and Professional Advisory Council for the College of Engineering of Penn State University.  Scott holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Penn State and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware.

Co-Founder

Chao Wang is an accomplished researcher with a strong academic background in physics and engineering. He earned his B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2004, followed by a Ph.D. in Engineering from Brown University in 2009. His postdoctoral research was conducted in the Materials Science Division at Argonne National Laboratory, where he worked until 2012. He is currently affiliated with the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Chief Commercialization Officer

Robert R. "Bob" Gatte is a technology and business leader with over 30 years of experience in the specialty chemicals and materials industries. His career at W. R. Grace & Co. spanned from 1988 to 2018, where he held various leadership roles, including Vice President & General Manager of Refining Technologies. He is the current CEO of HighT-Tech Inc. and the owner of RRG Strategic Services, a consulting firm. Gatte holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University. He also holds six US patents and foreign equivalents.

Chief Technology Officer

Yunhui Gong is an expert in solid-state batteries and ionic membranes with over ten years of experience. He is currently the Chief Technology Officer at HighT-Tech Inc., where he focuses on high-temperature sintering for battery components. He holds a Ph.D. in Condensed Matter Physics from the University of Science and Technology of China and has a strong background in materials science, supported by 50 scientific publications and 6 patents. His experience includes research roles at Nissan Technical Center and the University of Maryland.