Michelle Ruiz — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

CEO & Founder of Hyfé
Founded Hyfé in 2021 to transform food processing waste into valuable chemicals
Raised $11M from investors like MIT's Engine Ventures and Synthesis Capital, and U.S. Department of Energy grants
Chemical engineer with nearly a decade of experience at ExxonMobil
Named to Inc.'s 2025 Female Founders 500

Biography

Michelle Ruiz is the CEO and Founder of Hyfé, a company she established in 2021. Hyfé focuses on transforming food processing waste into valuable chemicals, aiming to replace petroleum-based products. Ruiz, a chemical engineer, brings nearly a decade of experience in process engineering and capital project execution from her time at ExxonMobil.