Controller
Darlene Boresch is the Controller at Molecule Labs, with responsibility for maximizing the return on financial assets by establishing policies, controls and reporting systems that keep the company fully compliant and running smoothly financially. Darlene is a CPA who brings a wealth of expertise in collecting, analyzing, and consolidating financial data to her role at Molecule Labs, drawing on over 13 years of varied career experiences. She has worked as a senior auditor for Ernst & Young, the accounting manager/acting controller for Eventbrite and the corporate controller for Matrixx Software. Darlene has also had her own consulting practice where she served as a consulting controller and accounting advisor, working with clients like Electric Movements (robotics) and Smith Health, Inc. – which included HIPPA compliance.
Darlene holds a B.S. degree in economics from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo. She is a Certified Public Accountant licensed to practice by the California Board of Accountancy (CBA).
Quality Engineer
Neil Valdoz is the Quality Engineer at Molecule Labs, responsible for implementing, controlling and optimizing the Molecule Labs Quality Management System. Neil is the quality monitor during all stages of the production process, including the creation and upkeep of documentation records for the purchase, assessment and maintenance of equipment, management of materials related to product manufacture and oversight of all working processes that collectively make up the company’s quality standards protocol. He joined Molecule Labs in June 2018, transferring skills and experience gained at BioMarin Pharmaceutical, where he worked as a Manufacturing Associate supporting both upstream and downstream operations while ensuring continuous improvement, process understanding, and GMP compliance.
Neil holds B.S. degree in chemical engineering from UC Davis.
Administrative Assistant
Olga Cantu is the Administrative Assistant at Molecule Labs, responsible for managing the company’s front desk reception, telephone coordination for the executive staff, and supporting office efficiency through anticipation and acquisition of supplies. Additionally, Olga is tasked with creating a new employment application and other personnel materials, producing them in bilingual form. She recently took on additional human resources work, scheduling interviews, aiding in the creation and maintenance of filing systems, and verifying in and out times for the production staff on a weekly basis for the preparation of payroll. Olga came to Molecule Labs early in 2018 having recently moved to the San Francisco Bay Area from Monterey County.
Quality Manager
Adira Urbina is the Quality Manager at Molecule Labs, responsible for implementing the quality management system for the company’s eLiquid products, including ensuring the safety and efficacy of those items in compliance both with the Molecule Labs Quality Manual and the ISO 9001:2015 certification audit regulations. On a daily basis, Adira deals with everything from personnel issues to process matters, manufacturing concerns to reviewing paperwork to make sure that the day’s products are ready for distribution. As the manufacturing output of Molecule Labs continues to increase, open and closed system filling is becoming a more critical priority. Adira came to Molecule Labs in August of 2017 from her positions as the Packaging Supervisor for Gimbals Candies andQA Supervisor for HelloFresh, a leading fresh ingredient meal kit provider. She also served as an analytical chemist, microbiologist and QC technician at ABCO Laboratories.
Adira holds a B.S. degree in chemistry from Mills College. She is also a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
Human Resources Administrator
Maria Ruiz is the Human Resources Administrator at Molecule Labs, responsible for placing hire announcements, managing recruiting and initial screening, making the hire decision for production staff workers, coordinating the benefits program for all personnel and verifying weekly hours and payroll for hourly staffers – currently over 200 people. Maria started with Molecule Labs in 2015 as a member of the production line team, but was quickly moved to become the assistant to our Master Flavorist, William Ruiz. In addition to her bilingual fluency, Maria’s natural interpersonal skills then led her to be promoted to the post of administrative assistant and receptionist when Molecule Labs moved into its new facility in Benicia.
Accounting | HR Manager
Rosie Serna is the Accounting / HR Manager at Molecule Labs, responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the accounting department – including analyzing accounting data, producing financial reports and statements and administering the weekly payroll record for over 200 people. Rosie is also actively involved in the hiring process, a daunting task of matching the aggressive business growth demands of Molecule Labs with the tight market of available and qualified employees in the Bay Area. She joined Molecule Labs in 2017, transferring her 13 years of increasingly responsible accounting skills at firms such as Ginger People Group, True Organic Products and Tanimura & Antle.
Warehouse Manager
Carl Rice is the Warehouse Manager at Molecule Labs, responsible for maintaining all warehouse operations including shipping and receiving, material handling, and controlling inventory levels. Additionally, Carlwas instrumental in coordinating and implementing the facility’s access control and security camera systems.Carl became a member of the Molecule Labs team in 2014, moving from a similar role at MG4 Manufacturing – a company owned and operated by the founder of Molecule Labs.
Carl studied criminal justice and corrections at San Joaquin Delta College.
Creative Manager
Christina Wilson is the Creative Manager at Molecule Labs, responsible for managing the company’s brand, creative development and product assets, specifically with regards to labeling, product and packaging design, specifications analysis and regulatory compliance, plus FDA product registration and updates. Christina keeps Molecule Labs and its clients current and ahead of the curve with regards to the expanding and changing environment of compliance. She joined the creative team at Molecule Labs in 2014, transitioning from the retailer side of the industry with Modern Vapor where she served both as general manager and graphic designer.
Christina holds a B.S. degree in digital arts and design, graduating as class valedictorian, from Full Sail University.
Master Flavorist
William (WillYum) Ruiz is the Master Flavorist at Molecule Labs, responsible for isolating and blending natural and artificial food grade flavorings to create certain smells and tastes for the company’s eLiquid products. He is a professional chef by training, with a fondness for Italian cuisine, and has concept developed and managed specialty-dining experiences for Hilton Hotels, Hyatt Hotels and Kimpton Hotels.
William acknowledges that food flavoring combinations are different from those developed for vaping – but fortunately he has a gifted palate and can successfully transition between the two. His approach to flavor development involves recipe testing with many tweaks and revisions along the way. This method allows for client refinements to be made before Molecule Labs releases a final flavor product.
Senior Account Manager
Art Chambers is the Senior Account Manager at Molecule Labs, responsible for strategic liaison and communications that ensure a successful outcome for company clients. He also brought the initial idea of developing a vape-based business to the attention of Molecule Labs founder. Art delivers over 20 years of experience as a project manager, general manager, contractor, account executive and sportsman to managing key client partnerships for Molecule Labs. He is detail-oriented, has excellent rapport-building skills and works as the consultative conduit between the company and client to achieve a positive outcome for both.
Winning multiple world championships as a professional Jet Ski racer, Art credits his success in building productive business relationships to the attributes and accomplishments of his competitive nature.
Art studied geology at San Francisco State University.
Director of Quality
Paul Wold is the Director of Quality at Molecule Labs, responsible for assuring that our quality standards are upheld while managing the company’s implementation and consistent adherence to ISO and FDA regulatory guidelines, laboratory practices, and advertising/marketing activities. He is a proven quality, engineering and operations executive with over 20 years experience in pharmaceutical, technology and manufacturing settings. Paul is perfecting the Molecule Labs quality management system, addressing both manufacturing and overall operating processes.
Paul embraces the attitude that making quality the company’s top priority is the best way to launch, manufacture and sell a product. He is problem solving orientated – discover the root cause and take appropriate and timely corrective action – and feels that striving for maximum quality while pursuing dependable delivery go hand-in-hand.
Paul transfers a broad array of corporate experiences to his role at Molecule Labs, including senior quality and operations management roles with companies such as Fontem Ventures U.S., Inovar, and IOMEGA.
Paul holds a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering technology from Weber State University. He is also a Certified Quality Auditor (CQA).
Director of R&D
As Director of R&D at Molecule Labs, DJ Roohk Ph.D. is the driving force behind the research and testing standards that ensure the stewardship quality of the company’s nicotine products. He is a recognized entrepreneurial scientist, regulatory compliance expert, and corporate strategist with 15+ years experience in the eLiquid and biopharmaceutical industries. DJ also has a solid background in manufacturing scale-up and product commercialization. He has been working specifically on proprietary nicotine research since 2013.
DJ joined Molecule Labs in 2016. He has a broad mandate of responsibility at the company, ranging from eLiquid/nicotine products concept and development to evaluating open and closed systems for continuous improvement. Additionally, DJ defines the protocols for product testing, operating procedures and the related training of personnel. He maintains a rigorous research schedule to stay abreast of the worldwide regulatory environment.
DJ holds a B.A. degree in molecular biology and a Ph.D. degree in endocrinology from UC Berkeley.
VP of Operations
Chad Smith is the multi-talented VP of Operations at Molecule Labs, with dual responsibility for maintaining quality production performance and to diagnose and triage issues to determine their impact on manufacturing operations – being poised to fix things quickly. He is a seasoned process and efficiency executive with a background in manufacturing, packaging and sales. Chad joined Molecule Labs in February of 2018. He brings more than a decade of varied career experiences to his role at Molecule Labs, including both senior management and entrepreneurial roles with companies such as EcoPac, Packaging 2.0 and Earthbound Farm.
Chad believes in keeping things simple and focuses on developing efficient processes while building a team-oriented workplace culture. He sees quality workforce performance as the key to success and subscribes to the view that as the dynamics of your business evolve it’s best to eliminate operating systems that don’t add value.
Chad holds a B.A. degree in international relations and a MBA degree from Stanford University. His top priorities are quality first and production performance second.
Chief Executive Officer
Chris Sweat is the results-driven CEO at Molecule Labs, with responsibility for managing the growth and positioning of the company to become America’s premier eLiquid manufacturer. Chris joined Molecule Labs as the CFO in January 2016 before stepping up to the CEO post in December of the same year. His management strengths include implementing financial controls and processes, productivity improvements, focus on informed decision making and creating a quick-to-adapt organization. The primary focus of Chris’ effort is to prepare the Molecule Lab leadership team and staff to serve major clients worldwide.
He brings over 14 years of varied corporate experiences to his role at Molecule Labs, including senior management roles with companies such as Earthbound Farm, Sustainable Packaging Partners and True Organic Products.
Chris holds a B.S. degree in finance from Florida Atlantic University and an MBA degree from the Rady School of Management at UC San Diego.
President | Founder
Michael Guasch, President and Founder of Molecule Labs, is a serial entrepreneur and successful business executive. With more than 25 years of progressively responsible experience, he has directed as many as 400 employees in chemical-related companies with revenues in excess of $200 million. He has led companies from the startup, survival and turnaround phases into extreme growth modes. One of his companies StoneTech Professional, Inc. was listed to the INC 500 as One of the 500 Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in the United States in 2002, 2003 and 2004. This notoriety led to the negotiations of the sale of StoneTech Professional to DuPont Chemical. DuPont contracted Mike to be the manufacturer for the company, which he did under the corporate name of MG4 Manufacturing, Inc. for approximately 10 years.
A colleague, Art Chambers, approached Mike in late 2013 with the idea of investing in a vape shop. Mike’s long history with chemical manufacturing and his due diligence review confirmed that the vape industry was indeed a comfortable fit for his experience and competencies. However, rather than entering the retail sector, Mike decided to develop the business as a contract manufacturing company that doesn’t compete with its customers. Fast forward 6 years under Mike’s direction and vision to find Molecule Labs today as one of the world’s leading eLiquid laboratories, with a primary focus on quality product manufacture, research and the development of flavors – while meeting full FDA regulatory compliance and ISO 9001:2015 certification standards.
While Mike attended Foothill College in pursuit of a degree in business he never graduated. Though he doesn’t have formal training as a chemist, Mike became a chemist through self-directed study, mentored by and working side-by-side with multiple staff Ph.D. chemists.