Bowie Benson, MSE Bachelor class of 2017, has been honored with the title of Knoxville’s 40 under 40 for 2021. Benson, co-founder of Carbon Rivers, launched his company and built a superstar team in Knoxville. Carbon Rivers, a small business founded by engineers and scientists, is the first company in the world to up-cycle glass fiber from wind turbine blades into sustainable composites that go to manufacturers to be reused in other equipment and technology. The company is dedicated to provide innovative products, ideas, and solutions for automotive, energy, safety and security industries in both the public and private sector. Carbon Rivers was founded to take advantage of market opportunities in advanced materials that will lead to a more sustainable and more technology driven future.
Bowie Benson, co-founder and CEO, manages the daily operations of over fifty projects that include ballistic armor systems, aerogels, enhanced 3D printing materials, and lightning strike abatement. He has more than a decade of experience in polymer manufacturing and has participated in several projects with the Department of Energy (DOE). Some of this experience in the field was under Oak Ridge National Laboratory where he was the project liaison for the Recycled Composites initiative.
Benson, and Carbon Rivers, have a history of collaboration beyond his B.S. as well. Benson has partnered with UT in 2020 to further develop and commercialize the novel glass fiber recovery technology for the purpose of handling retired wind turbine blades. In an interview done with David Goddard when the partnership happened, Benson said, “Having the opportunity to collaborate with the bright minds at UT, like Dr. Ginder, and catalyze new solutions for our country’s plastics waste problem, is a Volunteer’s dream come true.”
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