About us

As Founder and CEO, Dillon drives PlantSwitch's vision of building the future of plastics. His notable accomplishments include Forbes 30 Under 30, National Merit Finalist, Poets and Quants Best and Brightest Business Major of 2020, and Division I Athletic & Academic Scholarships. Dillon played collegiate golf at SMU, where he graduated with a degree in Finance and Alternative Asset Management.

Maxime Blandin's journey is as diverse as his talents. Fueled by dreams of professional golf, he moved to the US from Martinique when he was 13 and soon earned a scholarship at Southern Methodist University, where he honed both his golfing skills and his academic prowess with a major in Economics. Post-college, Maxime took his talents to the European Tour, playing professional golf and building a global network. But it was his reunion with former teammate, Dillon, that marked the inception of PlantSwitch. Leveraging his extensive experience in distribution, Maxime plays an integral role in the company. His knack for sourcing strategic partners, securing investors, and connecting with customers ensures that PlantSwitch is not just innovative but also market-forward.

Wayne du Toit is a dynamic operations leader with a proven track record in transforming businesses and driving growth. With expertise in setting up new manufacturing and aftermarket businesses across multiple regions, Wayne has scaled the global operations of numerous organizations. His 12 years in Asia honed his ability to build international partnerships and grow operations significantly, supporting over $150M in business growth. Known for strategic and tactical leadership, Wayne excels in creating high-performing, accountable cultures worldwide.

An experienced, entrepreneurial director and innovative researcher, with broad subject matter expertise in thermoplastic and thermoset resin selection, development and processing, with a history of accomplishment in the fibers, films, containers, and composites industries and demonstrated fundamental expertise in rheology, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics. Drives success through a balanced approach to solving technical challenges, combining advanced statistical and numerical analyses with "hands-on" experimentation, critical evaluation, and sound engineering judgement.

Christian Malcolm brings over 30 years of experience in packaging sales and product development. As Co-Founder of Fruit Pak and Founder of Malcolm Innovations, he has a proven track record of creating innovative packaging solutions, with over 200 million containers sold. Christian's expertise spans managing sales and product development at Cool-Pak/Bunzl and other prominent companies, driving significant revenue growth and developing key client relationships. His background in Business Administration from the University of Southern California underpins his strategic approach to business and product innovation.

Dr. Bhagia, Senior Development Scientist at PlantSwitch, is renowned for his profound contributions to bioprocess technologies and biomass conversion. His expertise in biomacromolecules and renewable product development has established him as a leader in sustainable materials. Dr. Bhagia formerly led biocomposite research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and holds a PhD in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from UC Riverside. Having contributed to over 60 peer-reviewed papers, his prolific work in chemical and environmental engineering underscores his deep commitment to advancing the field of sustainable technology.

Active in the development and introduction of innovative Fresh Food for 40 years, and has influenced some of the leading agricultural manufacturers, distributors, food service, restaurants, and retail grocers in the transformation to a more “fresh format.” An advocate for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), led the development and adoption of MAP packaging to extend usable shelf life for many fresh products across multiple retail and food service channels.

Chad Mickles, with over 23 years in the plastics industry and an NC State Engineering degree, oversees injection molding operations at PlantSwitch. At CPP Global, one of the largest cosmetic packaging manufacturers in the US, he led process improvements and managed key departments, significantly reducing costs and enhancing production efficiency. An expert in injection molding , Chad's proficiency in process optimization and Six Sigma lean tools has driven substantial operational advancements.

Kim Critcher is an accomplished leader with over 15 years of experience in marketing, business management, product development, and project execution. With a proven ability to lead cross-functional teams in global organizations, Kim has successfully delivered award-winning products and driven significant revenue growth for multimillion-dollar companies. Her expertise spans strategic planning, operations management, financial analysis, and cost-effective procurement. Additionally, she specializes in building and maintaining strong relationships with Asia-based manufacturers and suppliers to drive product innovation and optimize supply chains.

Lauren McDougall has been progressing a career in the food and packaging industry since 2012, and has been on the launch team for many new retail brands. Coupled with a background in sustainable packaging, Lauren has worked on innovative sales and marketing strategies for “MIST Stone Paper” and fully compostable packaged salad kits, and value-added produce. In 2015, Ms. McDougall was brought on as a marketing consultant for Veg-Fresh Farms rebrand and design of a new line of retail snacking tomatoes, “Gems,” which later progressed into a full-time marketing manager role. Overseeing the new retail line packaging development, complete website overhaul and redesign, as well as rebranding with a new company logo, Lauren was an integral piece to revamping Veg-Fresh’s image and substantial increase in annual sales. Following her role at Veg-Fresh Farms, Lauren began consulting for additional food companies, and brands in the health and wellness sector, where she gained valuable insight into creative social media marketing strategies, influencer marketing, and public relations. In 2019, Lauren was brought onto the Boskovich Farms development team to strategize and create a new line of fresh salad kits, as the category has grown tremendously. With an immediate knack for trending flavors and cost reduction of ingredients, Lauren worked closely with RnD and operations to assist in developing the first line of salad kits with fully compostable packaging and restaurant inspired flavors, under the Fair Earth Farms brand.

Sydney Cole, an accomplished Development Scientist at PlantSwitch, is a recent graduate in Polymer Science and Engineering from The University of Southern Mississippi. At the NSF Center for Sustainable Polymers, she significantly contributed to the development of bio-sourced polyurethane networks, emphasizing sustainable synthetic pathways. Sydney's academic excellence is evident in her numerous accolades, including being a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar Nominee and a recipient of the Mississippi Eminent Scholar Grant. Her dedication to her field is further highlighted by her role as an Honors College Discovery Scholar and the awards she received, such as the CIEF Polymer Science and Engineering Scholarship Endowment.

Nicholas began his journey with our company as an intern in 2022, quickly proving to be an indispensable asset through his strategic networking, deep understanding of economic and financial systems, and expertise in finance and real estate. His education in Economics, Finance, and Computer Science from Southern Methodist University has equipped him with the analytical skills to identify and leverage new business opportunities, playing a critical role in our day-to-day operations and company growth. Nicholas's keen market insights, technical acumen, and passion for technology have made him a key player in enhancing client relations and operational dynamics, aligning closely with our company's core values and future success.

A Haitian native who grew up in the inner city of South Boston with professional experience centering around community outreach, particularly with organizations that have a significant community impact, such as Boys and Girls Club of America, Patriots Foundation with Josh Kraft.