Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Endolith
UW Major: Geoscience
Exactly 10 years to the day after defending her doctoral dissertation at UW–Madison, Liz Dennett MS’10, PhD’14 successfully secured funding for her start-up. That date also marked a decade since she climbed onto Lincoln’s lap at the top of Bascom Hill and, as tradition goes, whispered a wish into his ear: to become a positive force in the world.
Dennett is the founder and CEO of Endolith, a Denver-based start-up using technology to extract copper in a way that’s cleaner, smarter, and far more sustainable than traditional methods. The process uses microbes, which she calls “nature’s oldest miners.” But Dennett is transforming more than just the science of mining.
Endolith’s core mission is about equity as much as sustainability. Growing up in rural Alaska, Dennett was surrounded by the beauty of nature as well as the unpredictability of periodic power outages. Increased access to clean energy — the kind she and her team are building — can have a measurable impact around the world, especially in developing countries where a lack of reliable electricity disproportionately affects women and children.
Dennett is also rethinking who has a seat at the table. Endolith’s workforce includes people from a wide range of backgrounds, and more than 60 percent are female (compared to an industry average of 15 percent). And she’s passionate about reframing mining’s role in the transition to renewable energy. “Historically, people think mining is dirty, but it’s the backbone of sustainability,” she says. Copper connects the clean energy transition — from wind turbines to EVs to electric grids — and the demand is only growing. Between now and 2050, the world will need more copper than humanity has used throughout history.
Mining can spark complex — and occasionally uncomfortable — conversations. Dennett credits the “Midwest kindness” she encountered at UW–Madison for teaching her how to have civil and productive dialogue.
She first visited Wisconsin to explore graduate programs and says everything just clicked. “There was something about the department, the authenticity of the people, and the community I wanted to be part of,” she says.
While earning her master’s degree and doctorate in geoscience, she also immersed herself in other parts of campus life: volunteering at the Geology Museum, taking a science journalism course, and teaching spin classes for University Recreation and Wellbeing. The breadth of those experiences helped her grow into a confident leader who can connect with diverse audiences and communicate complex ideas.
Dennett remains deeply connected to her alma mater, serving on the Department of Geoscience Board of Visitors and the advisory committee of the College of Letters & Science’s SuccessWorks career center. Last year, she was a lead donor in helping the UW Geology Museum purchase a unique piece of natural history: the Vienna Meteorite. “That might be the coolest thing I’ve ever done as a grown-up,” she says.
From clean energy to corporate culture to global impact, Dennett is proving that power is more than a resource — it’s a responsibility. And she’s using her power to lead with purpose and make a difference through science and innovation.