# Shujan Bertrand > Chief Design & Sustainability Officer, Comice | Founder, Aplat | Chair of Industrial Design, CCA | Circular Design Strategy Location: San Mateo, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/shujan I’m an industrial designer, founder, and design leader working across circular product systems, craft, and emerging technologies. As Founder of Aplat, I built a zero waste design and manufacturing company in San Francisco, leading all aspects of the business from product design and circular manufacturing to brand, sales, and community partnerships with chefs, farmers, bakers, and winemakers. I currently serve as Chief Design and Sustainability Officer at Comice, an early stage startup developing intelligent tools that help fashion brands manage excess inventory, recover value, and reduce product waste through circular pathways. Alongside this work, I serve as Chair of Industrial Design at California College of the Arts, where I led a curriculum transformation integrating circular design, emerging technologies, and industry collaboration. I’m also helping guide students and faculty through a period of transition as the college prepares to close in May 2027. Across my work, I explore how design can connect craft, technology, and systems thinking to help industries make things more responsibly, supporting human health and the future of our planet. Shujanbertrand.com Aplat.com ## Work Experience ### Founder @ Aplat Jan 2014 – Present | San Francisco Every day is Earth Day at Aplat. A thoughtful zero-waste design collection for the home, garden, and outdoor gatherings. Aplat products are made for people and the planet, changing how we live at home and how our industry manufactures. I founded Aplat in 2014 to celebrate gathering around the table and living with nature's ecosystem through circularly designed products that inspire zero-waste living. I built the company from the ground up, overseeing everything from design, branding, sales, and marketing to production, supply chain, and financial planning. Rooted in circular systems, Aplat’s zero-waste strategy is driven by mathematical engineering: using origami principles and golden ratio formulas to ensure perfect pattern designs that fold into functional volume without plastic, metal, or hardware. I work closely with large-scale retailers, developing co-branded products for exclusive collections. Based in San Francisco, Aplat products are made with 100% organic or upcycled cotton and are biodegradable textiles cut and sewn to reduce pre-production waste while refining cost-efficient methods that bridge manufacturing steps closer to the design process. My work has been recognized by retailers nationwide, including the IDEA Gold Award (2021) and NY Now Best in Show (2018), and Aplat holds a U.S. Design Patent (D885,737). ### Chief Creative & Sustainability Officer, Founding Team @ Comice Jan 2025 – Present | San Mateo, California, United States Comice connects brands, recyclers, and resellers to recover value, reduce waste, and track impact. Comice bridges both sides of the circular economy. Through one platform, brands upload inventory once and let AI route it across resale, repair, upcycle, recycle, and donation channels - while vendors receive clean, enriched data and qualified matches that fit their requirements. Comice automates matching, streamlines communication, tracks outcomes, and generates ESG-ready reports for brands and partners alike. ### Industrial Design Chair, Associate Professor @ California College of the Arts Jan 2023 – Present | San Francisco, CA Leads program strategy, operations, and a full curriculum redesign aligned with WASC and AICAD accreditation. Built a new learning framework bringing together circular design, life centered systems, material craft, creative technologies, and emerging AI tools. Design and development of new CoLAB studios that bring industry partners into the classroom through sponsored projects and future facing research themes. Partners with college leadership on student experience, faculty development, marketing and recruitment, budgets, alumni engagement, and sponsored collaborations. Teaches upper level thesis studios and mentors students through complex design, systems, and business challenges. ### Angel Investor @ The Council Jan 2023 – Present | San Francisco Bay Area The Council Angels is a consortium of 100+ female founder angels. We invest in founders who are reshaping outdated industries. We believe in a world where top tier fintech products help the 99% grow their wealth and build businesses. Where everyday people have transparent, efficient, and attentive healthcare experiences. Where managers and front-line employees in legacy industries have tools that save time, increase transparency, and take minutes to learn (vertical SaaS). ### Circular Design Council - Founding Member @ Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Jan 2024 – Present Founding member, IDSA HQ new category of leadership to help define the future of circular design within the industrial design profession. The goal is to establish shared language, leadership models, and measurable definitions around climate impact and ESG for our nonprofit community. ### IDEA Jury Chair @ Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Jan 2022 – Jan 2024 ### Deep Dive - Circular Design Advisor @ Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Jan 2021 – Jan 2022 ### Women in Design Keynote Speaker @ Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Jan 2020 – Jan 2021 ### IDEA Jury Member / Sustainability & Social Impact @ Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Jan 2018 – Jan 2020 ### Women in Design Co-Founding Member @ Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Jan 2014 – Jan 2018 ### IDEA Jury Member / Consumer Electronics & Lifestyle Product @ Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Jan 2012 – Jan 2014 ### IDSA Chapter Member @ Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Jan 2001 – Jan 2012 ### IDSA Merit Award - Art Center College of Design @ Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Jan 2000 – Jan 2001 ### Architecture + Design Accessions Committee @ SFMOMA San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Jan 2023 – Jan 2024 | San Francisco Bay Area ### Industrial Design Manager @ Astro Studios Jan 2006 – Jan 2016 | San Francisco Bay Area 10 years in total, with the design team, we explored advanced concepts. We successfully developed lifestyle consumer products for Fortune 500 companies - Samsung Electronics, Fujitsu Mobile, Microsoft Zune, Procter & Gamble Febreze, Intel Innovation, Green Dimes, NIKE, Disney Consumer Electronics, Mattel Barbie Consumer Electronics, Plantronics Headsets, Polaroid Corp, Dell Corp, Alienware, Herman Miller, Motorola, Hewlett Packard, and Good Technology. P&G 2-year retainer. Designed and created the home-air care Febreze brand. Established the designed language and developed the collection for 2009. 5 Design Patents #D622877, D623780…etc. ### Design, Research and Strategy @ Steelcase Jan 2012 – Jan 2015 | san francisco bay area User Insight, Design Research & Strategy ### Project based Industrial Designer @ IDEO Jan 2010 – Jan 2012 | Palo Alto, California Contract on a Project basis for Industrial Design and Design Research. ### Design Director Soft Goods @ Incase Jan 2008 – Jan 2011 | San Francisco, California Design Director of Soft Goods ### Industrial Design Consultant @ HTC Jan 2010 – Jan 2010 Design and Strategy Project ### Industrial Design Consultant @ Orange22 Design Lab LLC Jan 2010 – Jan 2010 Grid-it Design Project ### Design Consultant @ LUNAR Design Jan 2010 – Jan 2010 Consumer Goods Project ### Adjuncts Professor Industrial Design @ CCA Jan 2006 – Jan 2008 Sketching for Industrial Design Adobe Suite Visual Design Communication Presentation and Storytelling Branding ### Senior Lead Industrial Designer @ Siemens Jan 2004 – Jan 2006 | Munich Mountain View, California Munich, Germany and Mt View California. ### Lead Designer @ LG Electronics, Milan Italy Jan 2003 – Jan 2005 | Milan, Lombardy, Italy Mobile Phones Design Home Appliances Design ### Design Consultant @ Centro Ricerche Istituto Europeo di Design - CRIED SP Jan 2002 – Jan 2003 | Milan Area, Italy Istituto Europeo di Design Research Centre: CRIED. Served as Senior Designer leading Research and Strategy for European Market. ### Industrial Designer @ Astro Studios | Part of PA Consulting Jan 1999 – Jan 2002 ### Design Intern @ Continuum, Milan Itay Jan 1999 – Jan 1999 Design intern ### Design Intern @ BMW Group DesignworksUSA Jan 1998 – Jan 1998 Design consumer products and accessories ## Education ### Sustainability Studies Stanford University Graduate School of Business ### Bachelors of Science in Industrial Design ArtCenter College of Design ### Fine Arts California State Polytechnic University-Pomona ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/shujanbertrand - Website: https://www.shujanbertrand.com/ - Website: https://aplat.com/ - Website: https://www.instagram.com/aplatsf/ --- Source: https://flows.cv/shujan JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/shujan/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-05