TerraSafe Appoints Dr. Julie Willoughby as CEO to Lead the Global Transformation of the Packaging Industry

YOUNGSVILLE, N.C., Oct. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TerraSafe Holdings, Inc. ("TerraSafe" or the "Company"), the technology engine powering the next generation of plastic-free barrier packaging, announces the appointment of Dr. Julie Crowe Willoughby as Chief Executive Officer.

Dr. Willoughby, who joined TerraSafe in 2024 as CTO,  steps into the CEO role to lead the company's next phase of growth—scaling its portfolio of bio-based packaging materials into global commercial markets. Under her leadership, TerraSafe will redefine how packaging protects products, people, and the planet.

"Julie has a unique combination of deep technical mastery, entrepreneurial vision, and creative leadership that this industry needs," said Thomas Mastrobuoni, Chair of the TerraSafe Board, and Chief Investment Officer at Big Idea Ventures' Generation Food Rural Partners Fund. "Her appointment marks an inflection point in TerraSafe's trajectory—and a decisive step toward making plastic pollution obsolete."

Reimagining the Future of Packaging

As regulators, brands, and consumers demand plastic-free solutions, TerraSafe is developing packaging designed to protect rather than pollute—a critical evolution for a $400B global market.

By integrating a defensible IP portfolio of coatings, films, containers, and surface treatments, TerraSafe layers natural barriers to match the performance of plastics—using only green and clean chemistry. 

Since its founding by Big Idea Ventures' Generation Food Rural Partners Fund (GFRP) in 2023, TerraSafe has rapidly advanced under Dr. Willoughby's technical leadership:

• Established a 60,000-sq-ft R&D and manufacturing facility in Youngsville, NC
• Developed 10+ patent families of high-performance bio-based materials
• Launched two commercial products leveraging TerraSafe's polysaccharide film technology
• Raised $13.3M to date, including a new $2M Series A lead investment from GFRP

A Visionary at the Intersection of Science and Design

Dr. Willoughby is a chemical and biomolecular engineer, polymer scientist, and serial entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience across the chemicals, coatings, pulp & paper, packaging, textiles, life sciences, and fashion industries. Her cross-disciplinary expertise bridges hard science with market-ready innovation—a pillar of TerraSafe's strategy.

Before joining TerraSafe, Dr. Willoughby served as Chief Scientific and Commercialization Officer at Circ®, where she scaled its textile-to-textile recycling technology from lab to semi-commercial production, helping earn recognition as a 2023 Earthshot Prize finalist and 2024 Fast Company Most Innovative Company.

She previously led materials and manufacturing innovation at Nike, served as faculty at NC State's Wilson College of Textiles, and held senior R&D roles at Dow Corning (now Dow Silicones) and MeadWestvaco (now Smurfitt WestRock)—laying the foundation for her deep understanding of industrial manufacturing and circular material systems.

Her expertise spans surface chemistry, polymer physics, renewable feedstocks, and advanced coatings, with her research sought after by organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Willoughby holds a PhD in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering from North Carolina State University and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Kentucky.

"I grew up in the chemicals industry," said Dr. Willoughby. "That experience gives me a deep respect for its power to shape the world—and a conviction that it must evolve. My work is about creating a new generation of materials that perform better because they're designed with people and the planet in mind."

A Pivotal Moment for Investors and Industry

Dr. Willoughby's appointment comes as TerraSafe opens its Series A equity round to expand manufacturing capacity and accelerate commercialization with global food and beverage brands.

With a proven IP engine, on-shore production, and a team uniting deep materials science with scalable execution, TerraSafe represents a rare opportunity for investors seeking de-risked exposure to the bioeconomy's next industrial revolution.

"The materials revolution has arrived," said Dr. Willoughby. "We're ready to bring it to market."

About TerraSafe Holdings, Inc.
TerraSafe is a materials innovation company building the next generation of packaging designed to protect rather than pollute. By integrating natural barrier chemistries from renewable resources, TerraSafe creates high-performance, plastic-free coatings, films, and rigid substrates for the food and beverage industry. Founded by Big Idea Ventures' Generation Food Rural Partners Fund, TerraSafe's mission is to accelerate the profitable, sustained transition to a global bioeconomy.

About Generation Food Rural Partners

Generation Food Rural Partners ("GFRP" or the "Fund") is a RBIC-licensed investment fund, built by Big Idea Ventures and designed to drive economic growth and development in rural communities in the US. The Fund invests in the area of food, agriculture, and protein technologies to form new companies based on intellectual property. GFRP is backed by members of the Farm Credit System, including Farm Credit Services of America, CoBank, Compeer Financial and Mid-America Farm Credit. GFRP is a part of Big Idea Ventures ("BIV"), a global investment leader within the food-tech, agri-tech, and materials science sectors. For more information, visit our website.

SOURCE TerraSafe