Founder and CEO
Quinn C. Zacharias
​Ph.D. Candidate, Yale School of the Environment
Quinn is a Ph.D. Candidate in Biogeochemistry at Yale University, having already attained his M.Phil. while en route to the Ph.D. He initially earned his B.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Florida, graduating fourth in his class, and passing the Professional Environmental Engineering Exam before securing a full Doctoral Fellowship at Yale’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. There, he researches enhanced rock weathering (ERW): using finely crushed rock to improve soil health and potentially capture COâ‚‚. Alongside his studies, Quinn has spent the past four years as a Project Operations Manager at the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, overseeing part of a novel, watershed-scale ERW experiment.
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Identifying a way to transform mine waste into a profitable, eco-friendly resource, Quinn developed an innovative approach to phytomining—using specialized plants to extract metals—beyond the scope of his Ph.D. work. This led him to file a provisional patent and establish Barefoote Metals Company. By integrating ERW with phytomining, Quinn’s method helps mining operations remediate tailings and recover valuable metals, offering a cost-effective, sustainable solution that bridges leading-edge research with real-world impact.
Contact: quinn@barefootemetals.net
Early Technical Contributor
Shivnag Sista
Ph.D. Candidate, Yale Department of Physics
After earning his B.S. in Physics from the Indian Institute of Science—where he placed in the top 0.01% among 1.5 million candidates on the entrance exam—he went on to pursue a Ph.D. in computational soft matter physics at Yale. His research on droplet flow in porous media has broad applications in geophysics, microfluidics, and cancer modeling. At Yale, he received the Henry M. Nodelman Physics Scholarship and the Graduate School’s Teaching Fellow Prize, showcasing his commitment to academic excellence.
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Beyond academia, Shivnag has worked at several early-stage ventures, including Oxylus Energy, a climate-tech startup focused on producing green methanol through electrolysis. At Barefoote Metals, he develops technology and economic models that translate the complexities of the WISP™ system into actionable insights for investors, bridging the gap between R&D and commercialization. Proficient in Python, C, MATLAB, and Mathematica, Shivnag continually seeks ways to apply his expertise in physics and mathematical modeling to tackle environmental challenges and drive innovative solutions.
Early Business Strategy Contributors
Lindsey Weilminster
M.B.A. Candidate, Yale School of Management
Lindsey is a full-time MBA student at the Yale School of Management, focused on climate innovation. Prior to Yale, she built a career at the intersection of business strategy and technology, first at Deloitte Consulting and then at Google. At Deloitte, she advised federal agencies, international aid organizations, and Deloitte’s global leadership on strategic initiatives. At Google, she led strategy and operations for the Specialty Retail Sales Team and Google Play Customer Support, driving growth through data-driven insights. She also supported Google’s climate efforts by improving user engagement with recycling features and mentoring startups
through the Startups for Sustainable Development program.
At Yale, Lindsey is a Research Assistant at the Yale Center for Business and the Environment (CBEY), supporting early-stage climate ventures on their path to commercialization. She also serves on the Climate Deal Team for the Meng Impact Investment Fund and is a 1Y Lead in SOM’s Business & Environment Club. Lindsey is a Consortium Fellow, Forté Fellow, and Yale SOM Dean’s Scholar. She holds a B.S. in Supply Chain Management and Operations Management from the University of Maryland, College Park.
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From October 2024 to March 2025, Lindsey served as team lead for the CBEY Climate Technology Research Team. Her team—alongside Ramil—supported Barefoote Metals Co. in developing early‑stage business strategies. In this capacity, she researched potential corporate partnerships, conducted competitive‑landscape analyses, sized markets (TAM/SAM/SOM), and identified funding opportunities.
Ramil Ibrahim
M.B.A./M.E.M. candidate, Yale School of Management/Yale School of the Environment
Currently a joint degree graduate student at Yale School of Management (SOM) and the Yale School of the Environment (YSE), Ramil is pursuing his MBA/MEM with a focus on renewable energy, infrastructure investment, and climate finance. Prior to Yale, Ramil has pursued a nontraditional career at the intersection of impact and finance. He started his career in East Africa – first in Kenya with Acumen, an impact venture fund, then in Uganda with One Acre Fund (1AF), a microfinance institution
for smallholder farmers. Since returning to the US, Ramil has worked primarily in the development finance sector specializing in climate resilience and affordable housing development – with Capital Impact Partners, Nonprofit Finance Fund, and Nuveen/TIAA. For his summer internship, Ramil worked with two government agencies: NYC Housing Development Corporation & US International
Development Finance Corporation.
At Yale, Ramil is Chief Investment Officer of Yale’s student-run Meng Impact Investing Fund, as well as 2nd-Year Lead for SOM’s First Generation/Low-Income Student Association and Social Impact Consulting Club. Ramil is also involved as a Climate Tech Research Assistant at the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale (CBEY), as a Student Ambassador with SOM’s Office of Inclusion and Diversity, and as a Teaching Fellow/Assistant for Financing Green Technologies, the Yale Urban Design Workshop, and Global Social Entrepreneurship. Ramil is a Consortium Fellow, Toigo Fellow, SOM Dean’s Scholar, and YSE Berkenstein Climate Leader Fellow. Ramil holds a Bachelor’s degree from New York University in Sociology and Music. He is also a certified
yoga teacher (RYT-500).
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From October 2024 to March 2025, Ramil served as a researcher for the CBEY Climate Technology Research Team. He supported Barefoote Metals Co. in developing early‑stage business strategies. In this capacity, he researched potential corporate partnerships, conducted competitive‑landscape analyses, sized markets (TAM/SAM/SOM), and identified funding opportunities.
To learn more, see our Mission Page or Contact Us now to discuss your project.
