This woman is revolutionizing the age old cement-making process

Leah Ellis's start-up, Sublime Systems, is revolutionizing the cement industry by replacing traditional fossil fuel-fired kilns with a greener, more modern electrochemical approach. This innovative method eliminates the need for high-temperature combustion and fossil fuels, resulting in a significant reduction in carbon emissions.

Cement is the world's second-most consumed material after water, with an enormous demand of 3 tonnes per person annually. As the global population continues to grow, cement production is expected to increase exponentially, posing a serious environmental threat due to its substantial carbon footprint.

Sublime Systems' pilot plant has successfully demonstrated the viability of their electrochemical process, producing 100 tonnes of cement per year. However, this quantity remains a mere fraction of the industry's massive demand. The company's mission is to scale up production to a million tonnes per year to achieve a meaningful impact on global CO2 emissions.

Dr. Ellis encourages aspiring innovators to step outside their comfort zones and explore solutions to pressing problems, even without being an expert in the field. She emphasizes that groundbreaking inventions often emerge from unexpected sources, and that a fresh perspective can lead to transformative breakthroughs.