
We are a team of scientists, engineers, and designers
We’re building a more sustainable future and we want you to join us.
Our Team

Andy Davies

A little about me
I love cruising around the city on my bike and run a boutique bike design business in my spare time. I also enjoy travel, a good hike, and when I can combine all the above I’m living my best life.
My role here
As a member of the Mechanical Engineering team, I am responsible for chilling, carbonating, and in general helping make things work.
Why I joined Cana
Being able to store virtually any kind of beverage on my countertop piqued my interest. Cana's ability to basically side step the environmental impact of producing, shipping, and packaging all the single use beverages, had me sold. The amazing team is a great bonus.

Bradley Kolb

A little about me
A Chicago native, I came to CA because I enjoy being outside and staying active. When I am not at work, you will often find me on the tennis courts with friends or part of a competitive USTA team. I also enjoy biking and traveling the world with my wife.
My role here
I am responsible for the end to end supply chain starting with the procurement of materials through the assembly and test, delivery, and customer support to ensure that Cana provides a high quality product to all our customers.
Why I joined Cana
I am excited about the opportunity to find suppliers and partners for a product that is going to revolutionize the production of beverages. It's great to be able to do that while working with an outstanding team and having a positive impact on the environment.

Callan Porter-Romero

A little about me
I grew up in Oakland, CA in a multi-racial household where I developed a love for science and science fiction. In my spare time, I enjoy painting and facilitating mural projects around the Bay Area.
My role here
As an Associate Scientist II on the Flavor Chemistry Team, I lead projects that target different beverage categories. Lots of tasting and learning and enjoying.
Why I joined Cana
There is room for personal growth and trust to lead. Plus the mission of the company is crazy cool.

Callie Robertson

A little about me
I'm a Bay Area native with a BFA in Industrial Design. I love the design-build process, from jewelry metal arts to vanlife conversions.
My role here
My role is Hardware Technician and Fabricator so I work very closely with the device and running demonstrations.
Why I joined Cana
I love working at Cana because I’m constantly learning new things from a bunch of really amazing people!

Casey Wingfield

A little about me
I am a California native that has worked in the field of laboratory automation for about 20 years. When I am not tinkering with robotics, you can find me either at home gardening or woodworking, or out at a baseball game or enjoying good food and good beer.
My role here
As the Head of Automation, I am responsible for supporting the flavor and analytical chemistry teams with laboratory automation that can help them develop amazing beverage flavors as fast as they can.
Why I joined Cana
It is important for me that the work I do has a meaningful impact and Cana's vision to reimagine the way the world produces and consumes hits that mark. I get to go to work each day championing automation in order to create a groundbreaking product that helps the environment.

Cecile Viray

A little about me
A passionate foodie with experience working in food quality and sensory science. I ensure that the consumer’s voice is at the center of innovation and drives product development. In my spare time, I love exploring new recipes to cook, taking care of my plant babies, and occasionally playing video games with friends.
My role here
As the Associate Scientist, Sensory, I use sensory science and consumer data to help drive the development of molecular beverages.
Why I joined Cana
I joined Cana to build a product that pushes the limits of food science and technology to make magic -- one glass at a time.

Christian Bergstrom

A little about me
Born in Sweden and grew up in New York City before migrating to California. I love going to house and techno shows, traveling, coffee, and cocktails.
My role here
Defining the user experience at Cana
Why I joined Cana
I was impressed by the possibilities of impacting the everyday experience of beverages but also of the effects it can have on the supply chain and our environment. Being able to drink anything with a touch, get creative with the flavor and contents, and reduce harm to the environment felt transformative and something I’d love to have an impact on.

Christopher Alvarez Villa

A little about me
I am interested in science, chemistry and their applications to help solve environmental issues. I also enjoy traveling, hiking and playing video games.
My role here
I work in the Chemistry team, developing assays, producing and interpreting data in samples of interest.
Why I joined Cana
I joined Cana because we are able to make an impact on sustainability and have growth opportunities in the process.

Colin Specht

A little about me
A chemist by training but applications scientist at heart, I enjoy trying to understand complex challenges to create tangible real-world applications. In my spare time I enjoy travel, brewing beer and adventure sports.
My role here
At Cana I work on understanding what makes up the complex beverages that people enjoy daily.
Why I joined Cana
I chose to join Cana to work towards the mission of reducing the environmental impact of human consumption. What I love about working here is the culture of open communication, debate, teamwork, and trust.

Daniel Dengrove

A little about me
Prior to joining Cana I spent 10 years living in New York City learning to appreciate four seasons and eating way too much pizza. I’m excited to be back in CA where I can play outdoors with my daughter all year long and eat way too many tacos.
My role here
As the Head of Business Development & Strategy I oversee Cana’s partnerships and business strategy functions. Much of the work is cross functional and I truly enjoy the opportunity to work with some of the most talented scientists, engineers, and designers.
Why I joined Cana
The work we do at Cana neatly threads my career in biotechnology, consumer products, and business innovation with my passion for the environment. We have to reform every industry to reduce the impact of climate change and Cana is going to lead the way for the beverage industry.

David Chen

A little about me
I hail from California's Central Valley and spent the past 6 years starting up a testing lab in the cannabis industry. Some people eat to live, I live to eat. And play video games, I do that too.
My role here
As the lab manager at Cana, I am responsible for ensuring smooth lab operations, along with helping the lab grow. My goal is to make sure the scientists and team here at Cana get the support they need to succeed.
Why I joined Cana
I am always drawn towards passion and innovation. What I saw at Cana was an abundance of both, and I knew I had to be a part of the team.

Denisse Martinez

A little about me
I come from Mexico and am a recent wine industry escapee. Unsatisfied with just drinking wine, I joined Cana to learn what makes up the wine I drink. When not exploring real and fantasy worlds through travel and books, I relax by listening to weird history and true crime podcasts.
My role here
As part of Cana, I tame analytical equipment and create methods to identify the chemicals that make up the world around us.
Why I joined Cana
I enjoy working at Cana because it satiates a life-long curiosity about how our world works and gives me the opportunity to add to it. All while being encouraged to try more wines. 🍷

Drishti Majithia

A little about me
I love to create new products and get immense satisfaction seeing the formulations come to life!! When I'm not in the lab developing new flavors, you'll find me in my kitchen baking delicious eggless treats or outdoors in the woods somewhere leading to um..nowhere..:p
My role here
As an associate scientist, I'm responsible for creating new beverage formulations that are SO tasty as to always leave you wanting more!
Why I joined Cana
An aim for a sustainable future led by amazingly brilliant minds in the industry is something that gets me going here everyday.

Elijah Kashi

A little about me
Born in San Francisco and raised on the east coast, in my free time you can generally find me playing soccer, tinkering on my 3D printers or puttering around in my garden. Despite repeated attempts at conversion by friends and family I remain loyal to all Bay Area sports, especially the Giants and 49ers.
My role here
I am a mechanical engineer at Cana. My primary responsibilities include the pneumatic and bulk fluid subsystems; My secondary responsibilities include resident DJ and head of the Cana social event planning committee.
Why I joined Cana
I love the environmental impact that Cana is aiming to accomplish, along with the team that is being built to achieve it. I genuinely enjoy coming in to work each day and am constantly inspired by the efforts and ingenuity of my teammates. It doesn't hurt that the device we are building is straight out of a sci-fi novel.

Jesse Kaiser

A little about me
I'm a data scientist turned strategist, who loves my friends and family just slightly more than my high femme dog, Jolene. (She has flaming locks of auburn fur.)
My role here
As Chief of Staff to the CEO, it's my job to make sure the Leadership team at Cana is as efficient and effective as possible. Something I enjoy about my role is that I get to work with nearly every member of the team in some capacity. It's an amazing learning experience, both to learn from people who have such deep functional expertise, and to learn from leaders who are building Cana's community and culture.
Why I joined Cana
When I started looking for a new job, I said I wanted to do something "at the intersection of business, technology, and climate change". Kinda feels like I nailed it.

Josh Godshaw

A little about me
When I’m not mixing chemicals in a lab coat, I’m most likely to be found exploring the Bay Area in a (homemade) tie-dye t-shirt. My favorite places include any sunny spot where I can enjoy a sneaky pint, any Asian restaurant where I can enjoy spicy noodles, and any sports bar (my own living room counts) where I can enjoy a big game.
My role here
I work on the chemistry team developing quantitative methods and systems that help us make delicious beverages, bringing together flavor chemistry, sensory science, analytical chemistry and data science.
Why I joined Cana
I joined Cana because I was excited by the opportunity to help build an innovative product that has the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the beverage industry. As part of working toward that goal I get to spend each day exploring my interest in the chemical composition of foods and beverages.

Judith Denery

A little about me
I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, exercising- dancing, hiking and biking, and doing science everywhere possible which spills into my hobbies: baking, cooking, gardening indoors and outdoors, crafts, and traveling. I also make sure to have time for volunteering and participating in community events that combine these interests- such as leading our elementary school’s annual science fair and coaching the robotic team, participating in our town’s annual sand sculpture competition (reigning champion!), and charity themed races and events.
My role here
At Cana, I lead the Analytical Chemistry team. Our team works to understand what makes a beverage a beverage- from a chemical perspective. And then turns that information into the blueprints for the creation of amazing mind blowing products.
Why I joined Cana
I joined Cana because I am driven by scientific challenge - pushing the bar of what we think is possible to effect positive changes in the world. I am particularly concerned about the impact that humans have had on our planet and the potentially irrevocable changes we have made. Working in meaningful ways to help create solutions is hugely motivating - and entirely possible.

Karen Brohard

A little about me
Happiest outside with barbell, bicycle, or lawn games.
My role here
Lead Program Manager for our software, firmware and science teams.
Why I joined Cana
I enjoy finding creative, scrappy solutions to innovative, tough problems. Thinking outside the box with friends is a team sport.

Kelly Crawford

A little about me
I am a California native, who majored in biological sciences at University of California Santa Barbara. When I am not working, I like to spend time outdoors with my family and friends.
My role here
I am a lab technician, primarily assisting the flavor chemistry and sensory department.
Why I joined Cana
I believe in Cana’s mission statement and our ability to positively impact the future and am proud to be a part of this passionate team.

Marian Farah

A little about me
I am a farm girl from Syria. “Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish" is my life motto. I have a PhD in Bayesian Statistics, and I spent the last 10+ years building machine learning and data science solutions for complex and fun scientific applications focused on sustainability. I like reading science fiction novels, vacationing by beautiful beaches, and watching Rupaul’s Drag Race at viewing parties in the Castro.
My role here
I lead Cana's data science strategy and ecosystem, from data quality to deploying machine learning algorithms that guide novel flavor and beverages design.
Why I joined Cana
I am not only inspired by Cana’s mission, but I am also inspired by its values – Be bold and resilient; do good for the planet; and trust each other. I am also here to build the world’s best flavor chemistry platform using machine learning/AI.

Matt Ambauen

A little about me
I'm an avid home purveyor of tiki cocktails who also enjoys building movie props and training his dog, Leia.
My role here
Previous work in ocean robotics, drones, and kitchen automation equipment has prepared me for taking on the management of the Mechanical Engineering team.
Why I joined Cana
I enjoy taking on engineering challenges that have never been done before—big swings that can impact the world in a positive way. Cana is doing just that, with a talented team and big vision of the future.

Michael Uman

A little about me
I’m a motivated software engineer who enjoys working on leading edge technologies with experience in the field. I’ve worked for some of the big names in the industry, including JVC, Sigma Designs, Wunder-Bar and IBM developing video games, video and audio decoders, IoT devices, and AI infrastructure.
My interests include music, especially Classic and Prog Rock (and a little Heavy Metal), classic cars including Ford Mustangs and VW vans, Philosophy and History, Sci-Fi (especially Star Trek) and of course my hobby of electronics. Way back in the foggy past I attended RPI for my BSCS and learned a lot in the years between.
My role here
Developing the firmware to power the Cana One experience.
Why I joined Cana
The company has excellent spirit and the teams I work with are always friendly and professional.
Nick Dane
A little about me
If it has wheels, wine or a wagging tail, I’m in. Longtime partnerships addict.
My role here
I lead talent and brand partnerships making everyone’s wildest beverage dreams come true
Why I joined Cana
I try to land at the intersection of cause and capital having worked with some of the best and brightest from The Parker Foundation to the United Nations - the way that Cana is taking a practical approach to mitigating the impact that single-use plastics has on our environment, is worth popping a bottle over

Nicole Appleton

A little about me
I'm an outdoorsy Californian who's just as much a fan of type-2 fun as relaxing at home with a glass of wine and a good memoir.
My role here
As part of the strategy and GTM team, I'll be thinking through the ambiguous problems of how we get Cana to market, given we're doing something that's never been done before.
Why I joined Cana
I nerd out about all things consumer insights and sustainability and was looking for a company doing something at the forefront of technology that was both cool AND making the world a better place. Icing on the cake was that I loved chatting with everyone that interviewed me.

Pawel Matkowski

A little about me
I am an avid traveler with 64 countries visited to-date and some thrilling adventures along the way. To detach from work, I enjoy two ‘extremes’ where cell range is rarely attainable: skiing in winter and scuba diving during the warmer days. Outside of that, family, our dog and some other geeky things make up my days.
My role here
I lead Product, UX and Engineering Project Management Teams to solve complex problems in innovative ways.
Why I joined Cana
To reimagine the universe and make an impact one can at a time with an amazing Team.

Sam Shaffer

A little about me
I moved from Atlanta, GA to attend college in California and haven't left! In my free time I like to travel, hike, and explore the bay area!
My role here
As an Associate Scientist, I am expanding our QC program and developing various methods to test beverages.
Why I joined Cana
I joined Cana because I am excited about the chemistry behind the development of this product and its solution to a major environmental issue. I come to work every day excited to learn and tackle challenges.

Sean McCommons

A little about me
I like being at the leading edge. Finding innovative ways to solve a problem is my creative outlet.
My role here
I'm a Senior Electrical Engineer.
Why I joined Cana
Less energy usage! Less waste!

Shaun Lind

A little about me
Originally from the Land of Enchantment, I’ve now lived a decade in the Land of Milk and Honey. I love live music, cycling, hiking, and camping to name a few.
My role here
Leading and building UX Product Design at Cana.
Why I joined Cana
At Cana we get to imagine a world where customers get more than they thought possible and at the same time reduce their impact on the environment. We have a bold and creative vision, and it’s a privilege to work with similarly bold people to bring it to life.

Valeria Rizzi

A little about me
Outside of work, you'll likely to find me still immersed in the food world, in the form of cooking, eating or both. In pre-COVID times, you could also find me salsa dancing or exploring the area.
My role here
As an associate scientist in sensory, I get to translate people's experience with a beverage into information to help guide product developers.
Why I joined Cana
I love being able to apply and explore different techniques and possibilities. not to mention being part of something so futuristic and sustainable; it's a win win all around.

Yash Deshpande

A little about me
Born and brought up in suburbs of Mumbai (India), moved to US after completing my master’s in computer science. Big time cricket fan, spend most of my weekends on the cricket field with youth cricketers. My dream is to see US cricket team win the World Cup.
My role here
I just love working in startups and building things ground up. My previous experience in IoT and building consumer products has prepared me for taking the role of leading the software team.
Why I joined Cana
What Cana is set to build is not easy, and that makes it more exciting. There is no cookie cutter method that can be followed to achieve our goals. Working here brings technical challenges to you and solving those with innovative ideas is fun especially when you have an awesome team fully committed to the cause. Debate and commit is our mantra!!!

Come change the world.
Want to solve the world’s biggest problems? Be a part of the solution and help us make an impact.