Prior to co-founding EcoSynthetix, John led a venture capital organization, started up the North American operations of a European software company and helped positions in the agricultural biotechnology and petrochemical industries. In 2011, he was named Entrepreneur of the Year in Clean Technology from Ernst & Young; an award recognizing individuals making the greatest contributions to sustainable development or clean capitalism in Canada. He was also named Innovator of the Year by Price Waterhouse in 2011.