Austin Watling

Based in Missoula, MT | Joined Biomimicry 3.8 in 2015

JOB SCOPE Austin administers computer systems, software, and hardware. He responds to technical support inquiries from both internal and external sources, and assists in updates and changes to website content.

HISTORY Before joining Biomimicry 3.8, Austin worked as an Apple Certified Support Professional in Missoula, where he also attended the University of Montana majoring in physics and mathematics. He brings a deep understanding of most computer systems and processes, as well as an ability to identify and solve almost any problem.

FAVORITE ORGANISM AND WHY Kingfisher. Kingfishers are a perfect example of beauty and precision

HIDDEN TALENT Rock Climber

FAVORITE QUOTES “Natural science does not simply describe and explain nature; it is part of the interplay between nature and ourselves.” – Werner Karl Heisenberg

Brittany Jerlinga

Based in Denver, CO | Joined Biomimicry 3.8 in 2020

JOB SCOPE Ms. Jerlinga is a writer, researcher, and “biologist at the design table” specializing in making biological insights relevant. She also coordinates, creates, and executes engaging professional training programs.

HISTORY In conjunction with her work with Biomimicry 3.8, Ms. Jerlinga teaches “How Nature Works” at Arizona State University, bringing nature’s genius to light and inspiring new generations of biomimics.

She earned her first master’s degree from the University of Southern California where she focused on the power of storytelling to teach tricky biological concepts. In 2019, Britt received her master’s in Biomimicry from Arizona State University and is member of the fifth Biomimicry Professional cohort.

FAVORITE ORGANISM AND WHY I have a thing for all organisms who makes copious amounts of mucus. It’s so multifunctional and misunderstood. White’s Tree Frogs, for example, protect from desiccation using dead skin and slime.

HIDDEN TALENT Illustration! Digital, pen and ink, colored pencil, marker, you name it.

FAVORITE BOOK Ishmael, House of Leaves, The Disappearing Spoon. I love a mix of history, horror, and science.

Cheyenne Lewis

Based in Missoula, MT | Joined Biomimicry 3.8 in 2020

JOB SCOPE Cheyenne supports B3.8’s visual storytelling through the creation of graphics and illustrations.

HISTORY Cheyenne worked as a graphic designer at the University of Montana before coming to Biomimicry 3.8. She graduated with a BFA in graphic design from Montana State University in 2019.

FAVORITE ORGANISM AND WHY Glass tree frogs – it’s super cool how you can see their insides through their bellies!

COMFORT FOOD Ice cream, always, especially mint chocolate chip!

FAVORITE MOVIE Finding Nemo

Dr. Dayna Baumeister

Based in Missoula, MT | Co-founded Biomimicry 3.8 in 1997

JOB SCOPE As partner and co-founder, Dayna does anything and everything at Biomimicry 3.8, including covering the broad niches of ideation, strategy, and education. She inspires clients as a biologist at the design table, as well as created and runs the professional training programs.

HISTORY Before Biomimicry 3.8, well…it’s hard to remember a time before Biomimicry 3.8. Janine and I had our first conversation in January 1998, just two months after her book was published. It’s been a wild ride ever since.

FAVORITE ORGANISM AND WHY You can never ask a biologist their favorite organism—what would all the ones I didn’t mention think of me?

FAVORITE BOOK Currently reading (multiple times—it’s so rich): “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer

RIVER, LAKE, OR OCEAN? Ocean, hands down. Floating over a vibrant, thriving coral reef.

FAVORITE QUOTE I put Einstein’s quote about same thinking = same results, different thinking = change the world on my email signature years ago and have never changed it for a reason. Read more in Dayna’s bio

Janine Benyus

Based in Missoula, MT | Co-founded Biomimicry 3.8 in 1997

JOB SCOPE As co-founder of Biomimicry 3.8, Janine guides the vision of the organization, as well as works to lead research and ideation. History: Janine is a natural history writer who has published five books, including “Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature,” which popularized the term biomimicry and set the stage for the practice to become an innovation tool used worldwide. Read more in Janine’s bio

Jessica Smith

Based in Rapid City, SD | Joined Biomimicry 3.8 in 2008

JOB SCOPE Jessica works on visual communications/strategy and branding.

HISTORY Before working with Biomimicry 3.8, Jessica served as marketing assistant for the University Center at The University of Montana. She was also a naturalist at Custer State Park in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

FAVORITE ORGANISM AND WHY Sloth. When Jessica saw one in the wild, she was more excited by it than any other animal she’d seen, and it was sleeping nonetheless! If this species were to go extinct, Jessica would be heartbroken.

FANTASY TRAVEL DESTINATION In her fantasy, she would shrink to the size of a flea and travel through her backyard.

FAVORITE QUOTE “Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water. Yet, for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it. The soft overcomes the hard, the gentle overcomes the rigid. Everyone knows this is true but few can put it into practice.” – Tao Te Ching

Maria O'Farrell

JOB SCOPE: Maria works with Biomimicry 3.8’s project partners and clients in the dual role of project manager and researcher on a multitude of different biomimicry innovation projects including Project Positive.  Additionally she is developing systems of research hygiene and asset databases.

HISTORY: Maria O’Farrell has diplomas in green building and renewable energy technologies and acted as both program and project manager over the nationally awarded Renewable Energy Technologies Diploma Series for over five years at the NC Solar Center in the College of Engineering at NCSU. She has additionally worked on two multimillion-dollar solar programs for the US Department of Energy.

Maria holds degrees in Zoology and Botany and is one of only eight biologists to be recognized as a Certified Biomimicry Professional.   She has one of the first Masters of Science in biomimicry in the country from Arizona State University. She has worked on projects with Herman Miller, Kimberly Clark, Burts Bees and SERA architecture, as well as contributing to the “Ask Nature” database doing biological research and distilling design principles as a contractor with the Biomimicry Guild, LLC. In this role Ms. O’Farrell utilizes her biological knowledge and research abilities to offer large organizations design insights that will inspire innovative and sustainable solutions to a variety of design challenges, from the way we make truly innovative products to how we embed resilience into our organizations. Ms. O’Farrell works as a consultant to bridge biological understanding and organizational needs by translating biological principles to effectively link to relevant design challenges. Using the biomimicry design methodology, Ms. O’Farrell helps develop products and processes which are sustainable, innovative, effective, energy efficient, and life-friendly. Ms. O’Farrell plays a unique role as a biologist that takes complex biological data and translates it into language digestible by any department, from marketing to R&D.

FAVORITE ORGANISM AND WHY: mimic octopus because of their intelligence and their astounding ability to adapt so seamlessly to almost any environment

HIDDEN TALENT: Landscape and Wildlife Photography https://maria.smugmug.com/

FAVORITE QUOTE: “I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.”- John Cage

Mark Dorfman

Based in New York, NY | Joined Biomimicry 3.8 in 2007

JOB SCOPE Mark manages, designs, and conducts research, primarily for projects with a chemistry-related challenge.

HISTORY Mark spent the past several decades as a research scientist for public-interest, not-for-profit environmental organizations (primarily INFORM, Inc. and the Natural Resources Defense Council) with a focus on green chemistry and clean water issues.

FAVORITE ORGANISM AND WHY Cyanobacteria. They were the first creatures, some 3+ billion years ago, to develop photosynthetic technology. We still haven’t figured out how to completely reproduce it.

FAVORITE BOOK “Freedom at Midnight” by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins

HIDDEN TALENT Swing dancing Read more in Mark’s bio

Melissa Fryday

Based in Missoula, MT | Joined Biomimicry 3.8 in 2012

JOB SCOPE Melissa assists with finance and accounting.

HISTORY Melissa was a stay-at-home mom for eight years before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Montana in 2008. Before coming to Biomimicry 3.8, she worked in public accounting.

FAVORITE ORGANISM AND WHY The bumblebee. Aerodynamically it shouldn’t be able to fly, but nobody told the bumblebee, so it goes on flying anyway.

FAVORITE SPOT Seeley Lake, Montana, preferably the River Point Campground beach.

FANTASY TRAVEL DESTINATION Melissa has always wanted to see New York City at Christmas time.

Nicole Hagerman Miller

Based in Missoula, MT | Joined Biomimicry 3.8 in 2012

JOB SCOPE Nicole is responsible for the strategic direction of the company.  She also works closely with clients and partners to identify the best opportunities to effectively integrate and apply biomimicry.

HISTORY Prior to joining Biomimicry 3.8, Nicole served as the Managing Director for the Montana World Trade Center, and as the Director of Sourcing for Overstock.com. Her professional experience in sustainability reporting, environmental and social compliance, global supply chains, private label development, social entrepreneurship and economic development supports her efforts to introduce biomimicry as a platform to mitigate risk, build resilience and advance innovation.

FAVORITE ORGANISM AND WHY Mycelium—it continues to blow my mind there is an entire network of communication below the forest floor working to maintain the health of the ecosystem.

COMFORT FOOD Pizza—I make it at least once a week. In the summer, I harvest fresh basil, arugula, and veggies from my garden. Delicioso!

RIVER, LAKE, OR OCEAN? Ocean Read more in Nicole’s bio

Rachel Hahs

Based in Oak Park, IL | Joined Biomimicry 3.8 in 2021

JOB SCOPE Rachel uses her wide diversity of skills to provide high quality research and content development support for B3.8 projects.

HISTORY Prior to B3.8, Rachel was a sustainability professional and environmental scientist at URS/AECOM for 13 years where she provided client services, managed multi-disciplinary project teams, and provided technical support to deliver myriad sustainability and environmental program evaluation, development, implementation and reporting services for both private and public sector clients. As a systems thinker, Rachel’s professional experience led her to look for a more impactful place to intervene in the system. In 2013, Rachel was introduced to biomimicry and was immediately hooked. Rachel is a Certified Biomimicry Professional and holds a M.Sc. in Biomimicry from Arizona State University. Rachel is also a co-leader of the Biomimicry Chicago network.

HIDDEN TALENT: Furniture making.

FAVORITE QUOTE: “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein

Robyn Klein

Based in Bozeman, MT | Joined Biomimicry 3.8 in 2007

JOB SCOPE Robyn is Biomimicry 3.8′s fact-finding sleuth who works on project for our Innovation Services clients. Robyn finds the genius in nature, assisting built environment and product industry clients.

HISTORY Robyn is also an adjunct instructor in the Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology and teaches summer courses in plant identification, biomimicry, and ethnobotany at Montana State University in Bozeman.

FAVORITE ORGANISM AND WHY Black cottonwood trees. The connection between wolves and cottonwoods has been made in Yellowstone Park. Wolves move the elk around so they don’t browse all the young cottonwoods. This allows the young cottonwoods to grow, which has brought back a healthy riparian ecosystem with songbirds and beaver in the Lamar Valley.

FAVORITE QUOTE “The answers to how to live sustainably on our planet are all around us.” – Janine Benyus

FAVORITE BOOKS “Consulting the Genius of Place” by Wes Jackson.

HIDDEN TALENT 30+ years as an herbalist and medical botanist.

Seth GaleWyrick

Based in Hamilton, MT | Joined Biomimicry 3.8 in 2018

JOB SCOPE Seth leads projects focused on engineering and product design. He also facilitates workshops and loves teaching others about biomimicry.

HISTORY Prior to Biomimicry 3.8, Seth spent 14 years in product development with Bresslergroup, a Philadelphia based design firm.  There he managed design and engineering projects in a wide range of industries including medical devices, industrial equipment, and consumer electronics.  A growing focus on sustainable design led him to his first biomimicry workshop in 2014 followed by a Masters degree from ASU and participation in the 4^th Biomimicry Professional Cohort.

FAVORITE ORGANISM AND WHY Cattails – anyone who doubts that nature is an engineering genius just needs to check out a cattail leaf.  They are extremely strong yet flexible because their cross-reinforced box structure is prestressed with tensile cables just like we do in bridges and buildings.  Only cattails have been doing it for millions of years.

HIDDEN TALENT Photography

RIVER, LAKE, OR OCEAN? Lake (specifically, Flathead Lake, Montana) Read more in Seth’s bio

Theresa Scott

Based in Helena, MT | Joined Biomimicry 3.8 in 2015

JOB SCOPE is B3.8’s Director of Operations and provides project management and system coordination and support for the Biomimicry 3.8 project team.

HISTORY Before joining Biomimicry 3.8, Theresa worked for the State of Montana for over 20 years. Her experience with the state includes budgeting, project management, and IT systems support. Theresa graduated from the University of Montana with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a management emphasis and a computer science minor.

FAVORITE SPOT Her home on the eastern edge of the Helena valley. Not only is it a beautiful spot on the mountain, in the trees, and with a gorgeous view of the valley, it provides a wealth of opportunity to immerse one’s self in any of a myriad of projects and puttering.

FAVORITE FOOD Nachos, not only are they comforting, they can be a “perfect” meal when they include all of the food groups.

FAVORITE QUOTE “Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Victoria Kindred Keziah

Based in Boulder, CO | Joined Biomimicry 3.8 in 2020

JOB SCOPE Victoria works with the Biomimicry 3.8 teams to ensure that our biological intelligence and nature-based solutions meet the complex needs of our clients.

HISTORY She has a long history in client consulting, as well as a rigorous background in Biomimicry. She brings these two paths together in service of long-lasting, enriching relationships with our world-class clients as they navigate their journey into a regenerative future.

FAVORITE ORGANISM AND WHY I like the unsung, underground heroes … fungus, earthworms, bacteria. They create the conditions for everything green and beautiful to thrive.

RIVER, LAKE, OR OCEAN? Ocean. I live in the mountains of Colorado, and sometimes I crave salt air and water more than anything in the world. The sea is medicinal.

HIDDEN TALENT I am a “Bee Guardian!” I have adopted an unwanted honeybee swarm into a hive in my backyard. I love to witness the collective intelligence of this busy, buzzing super-organism on a daily basis. Read more in Victoria’s bio

Network