Who We Are
Our Team
Aicardo Roa-Espinosa, PhD
Aicardo Roa-Espinosa is the founder and President of Soil Net LLC. He received his Ph.D from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Biological Systems Engineering department. Under his leadership, Soil Net specializes in proprietary polymers and processes specific to the customer project. Dr. Roa-Espinosa is responsible for the research and formulation of polymer solutions for any material in a liquid and for the transformative development of new products for separated streams. Soil Net LLC uses proprietary technologies for the bio-conversion of liquids in reusable products. Dr. Roa-Espinosa is responsible for the development of proprietary technologies for the transformation of solids into value-added products, such as fertilizers, proteins, amino acids, plastics, and conversion of fiber to sugars.
Susan Byram, MSc.
Sue Byram is the financial officer for Soil Net LLC. She administered Soil Net’s major subcontract under the University of Wisconsin USDA grant. She is also responsible for invoicing, payables and receivables. Sue has a Master of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Toronto and extensive business management training and experience. She co-founded California Scientific Systems, grew it, and sold it successfully four years later. She then became Business Manager for crystallographic systems at Bruker, a global manufacturer of scientific instruments. Sue is proud to contribute to the growth of Soil Net LLC.
Samuel Roa-Lauby
Sam works at Soil Net as Lab manager. He started working in erosion control when he was still in high school and is considered as one of the most experienced members. He is the key to all Soil Net activities from bench scale work to actual operation. Sam works on all equipment at Soil Net regardless if it is the pilot-scale unit for demonstration purposes or the analysis lab for data. Working in the field, co-operating with our associated team is his favorite in Soil Net business. Sam is also the spokesperson of Soil Net when Dr. Roa is not around.
Michelle Pham, MSc.
Michelle Pham earned her Master’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has been working with polymer-based separation solutions since 2009, focusing on manure, sediment, and industrial effluent treatment. Over time, she has built experience in renewable energy, especially in biogas and ethanol production, along with the treatment of byproducts such as digestate and vinaza/DDGS. Michelle is also the main point of contact for international trade and communication, working closely with partners across different markets. She has been with the company since 2014 and continues to enjoy being part of the team.
Camilo Pérez, PhD
Camilo has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the National University of Colombia, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His expertise is in transport phenomena, rheology of suspensions and solid-liquid separation.
Juan Roa, MSc.
Software Engineer with over 9 years of experience in Full-stack development, data science, and cloud computing. Juan supervises the Digital Agronomist, a Data Science and Research project implementing Machine Learning and AI to improve crop yield by collecting real-time data from large fields.
Tatiana Quiñonez, MSc.
Tatiana holds a B.S. in Mathematics from Blue Mountain Christian University and an M.S. in Mathematics and Statistics from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She contributes to the Digital Agronomist project by performing statistical analysis, data modeling, and supporting the development and refinement of AI and RAG pipelines to support data-driven agricultural solutions.
Andres A. Trevino, PhD
Dr. Trevino has been involved in process modelling and technology assessment since his graduate work in the 1970s. He earned a BS in Chemical and Industrial Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM) in Monterrey, Mexico, an MS in Computer Science (1975) and a PhD in Chemical Engineering (1979) from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and has been providing international consulting services since 1980. He joined Soil Net LLC in 2025.
Donald Heilman
Don has decades of experience in water quality and wastewater treatment. He founded and led two nonprofits in Wisconsin focused on lake water quality and subsequently started and organized two farmer-led watershed groups working on best practices to reduce field runoff. He has worked in the wastewater treatment industry for 17 + years focusing on dairy manure management and food and beverage wastewater issues. Don joined the team in 2025 to assist with sales and marketing efforts.