WHO WE ARE:

OSS addresses global health emergencies at the local level. By capitalizing on the creative spirit that defines Rhode Island, we are revolutionizing how we safeguard our environments. Launched in response to the global public health emergency, our team has developed a suite of products and services which can both inhibit pathogens and empower you, our clients. Prevention is protection—and protection is power.

OUR TEAM

Allyson E. Cote

CEO, CoFounder, Certified Compliance Officer

Cofounder and CEO. Multi-award winning public health entrepreneur. Maternal & Neonatal Health Innovations Expert, Developer and Distributor of Developing and Third World Med-Tech. Providence Business Loan Fund – Board of Directors // Providence Economic Development Advisory Committee

Todd Thomas

Cofounder & Chief Innovation Officer

Founder of Tinker|RI, RI’s non-profit Manufacturing Incubator, and 26 years of Architectural Design + Build and Project Management focusing on Medical, Hospitality, and Historic Preservation, Todd brings a variety of experience to bear in refining Ocean State Shield’s product line and reviewing our client’s spaces for the best possible application of Ocean State Shield’s products and services. Todd has also recently been active during the COVID-19 Crisis helping with Disaster Response and PPE production by the regional and national Maker community as part of his role as the New England Regional Representative for the Nation of Makers.

Fort Adams Trust Board of Directors, A&E Committee

Tinker|RI – President & Co-Founder :www.tinkerri.org
Nation of Makers – RI & N.E. Regional Rep :www.nationofmakers.us

Jessica Thomas

Science Advisor

Our Science Advisor and Environmental Sciences Specialist, Jessica Thomas, is an Adjunct Faculty member since 2015 at Roger Williams University in the Feinstein School of Social and Natural Sciences teaching amongst other things Physics & Physical Oceanography and has also taught at other regional universities. She is also currently in a Ph.D. program at UMass Dartmouth. She received a Master of Science degree in Hydrogeology from Renesselear Polytechnic Institute in 2002 where her research focused on contaminant fate and transport as well as surface water modeling. From there she worked in consulting before establishing her own land development firm in 2005 which focused on ecologically responsible practices. She has extensive experience in contamination cleanup, hot-site work, and employee and customer safety and regulatory compliance for on-site work.

Charlie Hill

Quality Engineering Advisor

Charlie is our Quality Engineering Advisor. He has an extensive background in highly regulated environments of Aerospace and Defense, developing, managing and improving quality management systems. He also has experience liaising between suppliers, design, engineering, and production teams to negotiate a finished product that satisfies competing needs (e.g. customer, aesthetic, financial, and functionality). He has also completed numerous continuous improvement projects, saving past companies millions by reducing waste.

He is excited to be joining the team, as he sees the need to provide high quality products to prevent the spread of COVID.

When he is not working, he enjoys spending time outdoors and on road trips with his Australian Cattle Dog, Cheyenne.

Our Advisory Board

Frank J. Catapano

Founder and CEO of Global Shield Solutions and SD Labs

Mr. Catapano is an experienced technology and business executive with a core background in mission critical system engineering and complementary sales, marketing, contracting, and global customer service skills.After transitioning from the datacenter infrastructure community in 2013, Frank founded Global Shield Solutions, an international manufacturing and services organization committed to educating customers on innovative solutions to create a heathier day to day environment and mitigate risk from harmful microorganisms in all types of facilities.SD Lab’score technology is a disruptive family of surface coatings that can continuously kill bacteria, mold, fungi, and viruses for up to a year or more per application. Mr. Catapano serves as the CEO and Managing Director of Global Shield Solutions, LLC.

Prior to launching SD Labs, Frank served as the Vice President of Operations at Validus DC Systems, where he directed the design and development of astate-of-the-art data center power delivery system and directed the organization from an engineering, service, sales, and manufacturing role, ultimately leading to the sale of the company to ABB in 2013.Inhis previous roles in the mission critical engineering industry, Frank led the development ofseveral manufacturer’s representative, equipment sales, equipment service, software, and facilitydesign organizations. Customers included some of the nations most critical telecommunications, financial services, data processing, and ecommerce clients including JP Morgan Chase, Amazon, ATT, Verizon, Merril Lynch, and numerous New York City based fortune 100 organizations.

Mr. Catapano possesses a BSEE from the University of Hartford and an ASEE in Electronic Engineering from Waterbury State Technical College and is active in a variety of charitable organizations including the March of Dimes, Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, and a number of local non-for-profit entities.

Dr. Joseph DeVito

Ph.D.

Dr. Joseph DeVito serves as the Chief Scientific Officer at SD Labs and is currently the principal and owner of Molosser Group, LLC, a consulting company that provides scientific and regulatory advice and services to the chemical, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries in the areas of antimicrobial product discovery and development.

Dr. DeVito earned his Ph.D. at the University of Connecticut Health Center in the field of Biomedical Sciences and applied his training in microbiology, molecular genetics and biochemistry to address the problem of drug-resistant infectious diseases.

Roger LaFlamme

Manufacturing Management / Inventions &Product Launches / Consumer Goods / Capital Equipment Mfg. / Start-Ups / Re-Structures / Private Capital Funding

An accomplished manufacturing business professional with extensive, manufacturing, operations, sales, marketing, and business development expertise within the manufacturing, telecommunication construction, specialty retail and agricultural services industries. Seasoned strategist with a proven ability to organize teams and create a work environment of cooperation and employee involvement. Held P&L responsibility for over 25 years.
Lead inventor in 20+ patents

Lead inventor in 20+ patents

From 2020-4/2021 Interim CEO Response Medical Products, manufacturer of surgical masks. Brought in to manage and mentor team to lead cost and quality improvement and complete large DOD contract.

Emily Eckert

Emily Eckert is a woman with a vision. With a degree in Global Economies, Human Rights, and the Environment, she was made to be a leader in the sustainability industry. As the Founder and CEO of GoViably, Emily brings a lifetime of environmental passion and commitment to the role. She also brings empathy, sensitivity, determination, and authenticity – traits born from her experiences as an adoptee, woman, and person of colour.

The obstacles she has overcome have equipped her to face challenges and thrive. As a child, she cared about animal rights, as a teen, she became a vegan, and as an adult, she became the leader of a company poised to transform business in ways that will help save this planet.