CoCo Ree Lemery is a designer, educator, and director of Studio Kloak, working at the intersection of material research, lighting, and sustainability. A Professor of Industrial Design at the University of Illinois and a former corporate designer and US patent examiner, Lemery transforms overlooked waste into expressive objects. Her practice-based research focuses on regenerative material systems, including an ongoing obsession with turning common kitchen discards like onion skins into innovative biomaterials. Through conceptual exhibitions, Lemery challenges our perception of value, transforming everyday waste into sensorial design applications that connect directly to broader environmental systems.