Joseph Kao

Joseph Kao traces his sense of altruism and environmental mission back to the years he spent living in Taiwan with his grandmother, a refugee from the Chinese Communist Revolution.

“She told me stories about how her dad, a doctor, risked his life to save the people in their town by staying behind to let others escape first,” says Kao. “He died because of his sense of duty as a doctor. Stories like that really instilled in me a sense of altruism.”

Besides, he adds, “it happens to be built into my Chinese name as well — Renheng “仁恆” where Ren (or “仁”) means altruism and Heng (“恆”) means perpetuity.” Kao’s grandmother survived her exile by collecting recyclables and still-functional castoffs from the streets, “converting a lot of the resources that people consider trash into survival tools.” Post-war, she continued recycling with her son and young grandson in Taiwan, and “that’s why I’m focusing my startup on this idea of circular economies.”

Your careers at Meta and Apple seemed to be going well. What convinced you to apply to the Stanford MSx Program?

Apple was great for four years because I was always on the frontier of technology innovation. I was working on the Apple Vision Pro lens module. I was the first material scientist brought into the smart glasses program and grew my team to 10 people in less than two years. But it’s a big organization, and I was eager to drive more impact and innovation in a new venture where I can contribute my material science expertise in a more efficient way.

You arrived at Stanford GSB hoping to launch a bioplastics startup to disrupt the packaging industry. How have your goals evolved since then?

My parents were chemists, and my interest in garbage and trash motivated me to study material science. My PhD work was focused on biodegradable plastics. But while I was at Apple, and during the pandemic, I learned more about recycling.

What did you learn?

I saw how my garbage collector mixed the recyclables and the trash when they picked it up. in my community. I called the local recycling company and learned that only about 5-10% of what we put into our recycling bin is really recycled. That’s why I started this recycling group during the pandemic. I also started a mission to find the local recycling center and work with the community to collect and transfer recyclables to that center, including plastics, glass, and other household recyclables.

What got you interested in battery recycling?

Because of my plastics background, I was introduced to Apple’s zero-waste initiatives. One of the big things they were thinking about was how to recycle the band for the Apple Watch. Apple wants to make sure they’re using 100% recycled materials by 2030. Another initiative I was lucky to be part of is e-waste recycling, which provides consumers with the option to recycle their electronics. That’s where I got intrigued by this field of battery recycling.

So now you imagine building a business around that circular system?

In the past year, I’ve looked into all the verticals — from textiles to e-waste to EV batteries — and the startup I’m building is focused on reusing and giving a second life to EV batteries. That’s where I see a lot of my core values, technical expertise, and passion start to come together.

Should companies play a larger role in environmental leadership?

Some companies may not have the resources to do this work, but the big players can drive the willingness to buy those products with sustainable materials and technologies. Many companies complain that it’s impossible to achieve the desired financial returns and environmental impacts simultaneously. I don’t buy that. There’s always a solution if you look deep and hard.

Name three specific things an average person can do to cultivate a recycling culture.

I always advocate for the three Rs of circular economies — recycle, reduce, and reuse. Many people have this idea that recycling is always the best thing to do, but also consider reducing and reusing your waste. I created a forum in a chat group where people could, for example, exchange and upcycle materials. Check those platforms because maybe there’s someone interested in using your waste. The second thing is reducing. You don’t always have to buy new things. You can find second-hand products as long as they function. That’s what I learned during my upbringing in Taiwan. The third thing is finding the right recycling channel. No one sorts or cares about where the recyclables are going. If you can help do the sorting right at the source, then we can create the circularity of all kinds of materials.

How did Stanford GSB help you reach your goals?

I’ve learned to view problems from the consumer and business perspective. How do you communicate to consumers, and how do you design a tool to help them recycle more easily? As an engineer, I didn’t think much about that. Communication matters. My marketing and consumer behavior classes convinced me that more than 80-90% of Americans want to recycle, but it’s just not convenient to do so. They don’t know what to do. So, when you build a platform to help people recycle, it’s critical to embed convenience and education in your business model. Business school also showed me how to evaluate the financials.

Are there any specific classes at the GSB that proved particularly influential?

Managing Growing Enterprises with David Dodson. A privilege of being a founder or leader in a small growing startup is that you get to shape the culture and hire, and sometimes even fire, the right people to preserve that culture. Professor Dodson brought in amazing guests, and he himself is a leader at building all kinds of companies. We spent almost half a quarter just focusing on how to hire the right people to make sure the company culture aligns with your values. That’s definitely the kind of manager and leader I want to become.

You’ve taken silent meditation retreats in Thailand, Bali, and Mongolia. Why do those appeal to you?

My parents are Buddhists, and in Taiwan the silent retreat is very popular. I was forced to do it when I was young, but it grew on me over the years. As I get older and gain more responsibilities in this materialistic world, it’s important to focus on what I really want to accomplish. That goes back to why I’m here at Stanford. A job in big tech is great. It can be fulfilling, and you get paid well. But what do you want to contribute to the world? I can listen to my inner voice through meditation at these silent retreats to learn more about myself. At one point, I was confused about why I existed in the world. Self-reflection made me come back to school and do something that matters.

Photos by Elena Zhukova