MetaMixis Inc. engineers bacteria for the production of renewable specialty chemicals.

Interview with Keith Mewis, member of the MetaMixis team

Keith Mewis & Dominique Williams

Can you tell us about the objective of your team?

The objective of our team is to provide a way to transform or modify lignin to add value to an otherwise low-value, but abundant natural resource.

What is your role?

My role in the team is as a subject matter expert/technical support.

What is the most valuable lesson you have learned from the LLP sessions so far?

The most valuable lesson I have learned from LLP so far is that the customer always comes first. Customer research is the keystone to a successful business model, always ask what can help the customer solve a problem they have.

What are some of the challenges that you (and the rest of your team) have encountered during the sessions?

Some of the challenges we’ve faced so far are the difficulty of getting commercial and industrial employees to interview or discuss their problems with us. This takes a lot longer than we expected, but the ball has started rolling now, so hopefully that momentum will continue.

Can you share with us some of the highlights of your participation in the LLP?

Highlights for me include interacting with the mentors – they all have very good, very relevant advice and experience in similar fields. On top of that, they are all very personable and helpful!

As we approach the end of the LLP sessions, what are you hoping to achieve?

By the end of the sessions, we are hoping to have at least one (but hopefully more) solid customer relationships in place.

For more information on the Lean Launch Pad, please click here.

For more information on MetaMixis Inc., take a look at the LLP Alumni Spotlight Interview with Cameron Strachan, Co-Founder & CEO.