Endeavor

08 GEOFF'S TIMELINE IN ENDEAVOR full circle Geoff Horst August 2015: selected to Endeavor Connected to dedicated mentors to address business challenges related to governance and international sales Began selection process 08 Introduced to people in the global animal nutrition industry, including the sixth biggest poultry producer in the United States Introduced to potential capital sources and acquirers MARCH 2015 Attended Scaling Entrepreneurial Ventures program at Harvard Business School | OUR MODEL | full circle | As one of Endeavor Detroit's first entrepreneurs to successfully pass the selection process and the first to have his company get acquired, Geoff Horst is a trailblazer in the Endeavor Detroit community. His experience with Endeavor recently came full circle as he experienced all stages of being an Endeavor Entrepreneur. After receiving his B.S. in Oceanography from the University of Michigan, Geoff went on to earn his M.S. in Marine Biology from California State University, and then returned to Michigan for his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Michigan State University. From there, he channeled his passion for finding solutions to tough problems affecting the environment and human health into establishing Algal Scientific, a company that was originally built with the intention of harnessing the power of algae to clean wastewater. Initially, Algal Scientific planned on selling the leftover algae from their cleaning process as biomass for fertilizer. However, upon further testing on that specific species of algae, Geoff and his team realized the algae was better suited as a dietary supplement than fertilizer. "is led to the production of an algae-based beta- glucan, a potent immune supplement for humans and animals. Geoff spent a decade growing Algal in Michigan while securing customers around the world to incorporate the supplement in animal feed. "e new algae used as the base of Algal Scientific's unique beta-glucan manufacturing technology was the same technology that was acquired by Kemin Industries in March of 2017. Kemin Industries is a global nutritional ingredient company that uses science to create solutions and products. While much of Geoff's success can be attributed to his hard work, passion, and dedication, Geoff also relied on the support of the Endeavor community. He took full advantage of the services and opportunities available to Endeavor Entrepreneurs. After selection, he quickly enrolled in the Scaling Entrepreneurial Ventures program at Harvard Business School—an Endeavor exclusive program—created and headed by Lynda Appelgate, an Endeavor Detroit Board Member and Mentor. After the HBS program, Geoff leaned on the Endeavor Network to create meaningful connections and leveraged the guidance of several Endeavor Mentors for support through the acquisition process. "From the beginning, I've believed in the model of Endeavor. By fully utilizing Endeavor Detroit's services and network, I was able to make meaningful connections that prepared and led me to a major business milestone for Algal," said Geoff. "I look forward to seeing how the technology we've created will have a greater impact on the world through Kemin." Now an Endeavor Entrepreneur Alumnus, Geoff has given his pledge and continues to support Endeavor Detroit. He has been a selection panelist and serves on the board and mentors biotech startups in Ann Arbor and Detroit.

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