Changing leadership is always a perilous moment for a corporation. But when the change is unexpected, involves an heir with no operational experience in the business and is a woman in a male-dominated industry, the stakes are even higher.
Henry Ford designed the Model T to run on alcohol, which he called "the fuel of the future.” The oil crisis of the 1970s gave the idea some traction … but its viability was challenged again in 2006, when nearly 20% of the corn crop was diverted to ethanol production. Food or fuel? That was the question.
Mascoma Corporation’s breakthrough approach to ethanol production uses a range of widely available non-food waste materials, such as woodchips and corn stalks, to minimize the impact on the environment and the food chain.