CEO
NEXTILES, DETROIT
EMPLOYEES: 10
REVENUE: NA
COLLEGE: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Madeline Walker Miller’s passion for the world around her and her dedication to a practical education led her to where she is today, as CEO of Detroit-based NexTiles.
The company is a full-scale recycler, which is to say it takes one person’s trash and turns it into another’s treasure — or at least a useful, environmentally friendly product like fill material for punching bags or pet beds. Miller says the waste can also be converted into fake snow or fake cotton.
The daughter of an engineer and a retired policeman-turned-entrepreneur, Miller’s interest in ecologically friendly practices began early.
“I always had an interest in the natural environment,” Miller says. She explains that during her childhood, she recalls examining leaves and grass under a microscope.
That interest in how the world was constructed aligned with her parents’ demand that she study something in the STEM field. During much of her time at Spelman College in Atlanta, Miller followed in her mother’s footsteps, studying engineering. However, her curiosity about all things green led her to switch to environmental science following a chat with her mom.
“After explaining to my mom why (I wanted to make the switch), she was open to the move from engineering,” Miller says.
However, changing majors late in her undergraduate career made finding a well-paying job “nearly impossible,” so her college adviser suggested she obtain a master’s degree.
In pursuit of that goal, she attended the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, where she earned her Master of Professional Science degree in coastal zone management.
That led her to an exploratory journey to discover what types of microplastics are in clothing and textiles, and the impact they have on the environment. Perhaps more importantly, she wanted to know who quantifies the impact on air quality. After a search, she found one company that fit the bill, and she secured an internship with New York-based Fabscrap.
Her time there revealed just how big the problem of environmental waste is, and she decided to do something about it.
Returning to Detroit, she acquired a warehouse on the east side and formed NexTiles. The new company began collecting recyclable materials, largely from automotive companies. The materials were hauled to the warehouse, where they were sorted and converted into useable, green materials. Initially, the company dealt with building materials and thermal insulation, before expanding into other fill materials.
“We’re a full-scale recycler instead of a cool startup, but it works for us,” Miller says.
While operating a company might be enough for most entrepreneurs, Miller made a decision to continue her education, and just recently earned her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability.
The drive for continuous improvement feeds into Miller’s passion to empower young Black people and people of color to embrace environmentally sustainable behaviors and leadership.
NexTiles plays a critical role in those efforts, and allows her to pursue her goal of developing sustainable housing materials, such as insulation, that will be sold at large retailers like Home Depot or Lowes, and becoming one of Detroit’s leaders in sustainable housing.
— Michael Strong
