Dana Hicks
NaneXPure – MICRO Spring 2023
Published September 13, 2023
As part of our ‘Meet Our Founders’ series today, we introduce Dana Hicks, CEO of NaneXPure based in Huntersville, NC. NaneXPure produces IX nanoresins that remove PFAS, PFOA, and other emerging contaminants better, faster, and more cost-effectively than currently used materials. We sell to solutions providers and to manufacturers of cartridge filters.
Q: What problem are you trying to solve and what influenced you to start your company?
A: Remove PFAS from drinking water and wastewater. Decrease the number of single use filters in appliances and keep millions of spent single-use filter elements out of landfills. Reduce total cost of ownership of water-consuming appliances over the 15-20 year expected lifetime of the appliance.
Q: What are you most excited about right now? What keeps you up at night?
A: Most excited about: NaneXPure’s application for a new STTR grant and getting that grant application completed and submitted before Sept 29th. Keeps me up at night: 1. Working to get the grant proposal done and submitted; 2. Concerns about climate change and global warming.
Q: What does the road ahead look like for your company?
A: Bright, with significant upside potential.
Q: How will your NC IDEA grant funds advance your company?
A: Help us to improve website content and layout, Enable us to attend WEFTEC 2023, survey the competition, possible channels to market, and potential end use customers to introduce NaneXPure to professionals.
Q: What other passions do you have besides your business?
A: Hiking, kayaking, and ziplining. International travel. Visiting national parks. Attending live music concerts and live theater and other performing arts.
While visiting Huntersville, Dana recommends:
- If visiting my hometown Huntersville, Charlotte, or some other town in greater metro Charlotte, I would suggest that they:
1. Take a guided Segway tour of the 4 wards of uptown Charlotte to learn about history, architecture, and the layout of the city and to experience the activity of the city core
2. Visit Camp NorthEnd, NoDa, NC Music Factory, SouthEnd, and/or Plaza Midwood to see the blend of modern newly constructed buildings with old mills and warehouses that have been redeveloped and repurposed as apartments, offices, retail, and restaurants.
3. Visit and stroll through Freedom Park.
4. Visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame in center city and Charlotte Motor Speedway to get an impression of the history and economic impact of NASCAR racing.
5. Visit Davidson College, just voted the most beautiful college campus in the USA!
6. Visit the UNC-Charlotte campus which has grown and modernized and is now one of the top schools in the Univ of North Carolina System.
7. Visit the US National Whitwater CenterI would suggest they eat at:
1. Lancasters, Macs Speed Shop, or some other casual NC barbecue restaurant.
2. Dresslers Restaurant in Birkdale or Metropolitan (just south of uptown Charlotte) which is the best, most consistent food and fine dining experience in metro Charlotte.
3. Optimist Hall, where one can get flavors from all over the world in one place.
Support NaneXPure and Dana by:
- 1. Keep NaneXPure and our products in mind. Facilitate a warm introduction to people in your networks who may have interest in collaborating with us, buying IX nanoresins from us.
2. Introduce us to prospective investors in our company.
3. Get in touch with us after our “Meet the Founder” pitch.
4. Educate yourselves and others about the presence of PFAS, PFOA, and Gen-X in certain bodies of water and the importance of removing these compounds.
