Parendi Birdie has thrived in startups for the past 15 years and is currently building her fourth, Asentia. Parendi has been at the forefront of the alternative protein industry since 2013. She earned a degree in biochemistry from the University of Kansas, with the goal of advancing the sector. She then helped build two leading alternative protein companies from the ground up: GOOD Meat and Mission Barns. Throughout her career, Parendi has established and led multiple functions, including...

Noga Golan is the Founder and Managing Director of Alt Protein Careers, a company that provides an industry job board, career resources, career coaching, and recruiting services to the alt protein industry. She is also the co-founder of Alt Protein Israel. Noga has an MBA from Stanford University and previously worked in private equity investing. Noga is passionate about the alternative protein industry and even has her own pet chicken named Silkie. Noga’s advice is to do informational...

Noa Weiss is an AI and machine learning consultant and the founder of GreenProtein AI, a non-profit initiative by Food System Innovations leveraging advanced AI technology to optimize plant-based meat production through the modeling of the extrusion process. She has 13 years of experience in the field of data science and machine learning, worked for corporates such as PayPal and unicorns such as Armis Security, and has a Bachelor's degree in Computational Cognitive Science and Psychology and...

Dr. Bryan Quoc Le is a food scientist, food industry consultant, and author of the book 150 Food Science Questions Answered. He earned his PhD in Food Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he studied the effect of plant-based flavors on mammalian tissues. He has served as a technical consultant for companies and organizations in the food industry, such as TurtleTree, Black Sheep Foods, Blue Diamond, DecoPac, and The Good Food Institute. Bryan's advice to job seekers is to...

Florine Kremer is a researcher of alternative proteins at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands. She has a bachelor’s degree in Consumer Behaviour and a masters in Sustainable Food Consumption, both at Wageningen University. With a minor in Climate Change and an internship in Marine Biology in Kenya, she has a very diverse background. She now works in applied research for the Consumer Behaviour department, where her work varies from monitoring protein intake on a national...

George Stiffman, AKA the Tofu Guy, is a tofu evangelist and author of the book, Broken Cuisine. Through his travels in China, where he worked in Buddhist restaurant kitchens, apprenticed under a fifth generation tofu master, studied at a Chinese university, spoke at food industry conferences, and ate across numerous cities, towns, and villages, he was able to learn more about the various different types of tofu (yes, there are more varieties of tofu beyond silken, soft, firm, and extra firm)....

Brenna Taylor is the Senior Supply Chain and Logistics Manager at Rebellyous Foods, a plant-based chicken startup based out of Seattle. Her role there has evolved from Operations Coordinator to Supply Chain Manager to her current position. Prior to working at Rebellyous Foods, Brenna was the Corporate Campaigns Coordinator for The Humane League. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology with a Minor in Political Science from Old Dominion University and an MBA with a focus on supply chain...

Rebecca Bradley is the Chief Marketing Officer at Terra Bioindustries, a Canadian based company that upcycles spent grain to make plant-based protein ingredients and sugar feedstocks for fermentation. She has a masters in biotechnology and a bachelor's degree in biological sciences (with a specialization in plant science), both from the University of Guelph. In 2021, Rebecca and her partner won the Proteus Innovation Competition, where over a 4 month period, they developed an abstract, a...

Bryce Rogers is a Project Engineer at Edge Foods, a New York based cell culture media and growth factor B2B startup for cultivated meat companies. He previously worked for High Impact Engineers and has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California. Natalie Fernandez is a recent mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Waterloo seeking roles in the alternative protein industry. She also co-founded the Waterloo Alt Protein Project....

Anirvan Guha is the Head of Formulations at Multus, a London based company that develops custom ingredients and growth media for cultivated meat companies. He has a masters in biomedical engineering from the University of Michigan and a PhD in Physics from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Anirvan's work on designing artificial systems that mimic nature has been published in top scientific journals such as Nature and Advanced Materials, and now he is using that experience to help...

Katie Nehmer is the Sales Manager at Plant Based World Expo North America where she is responsible for bringing companies to the annual exposition event held in September in New York City. Previously, she was the Sales Support Specialist at Plant Based World Expo Europe. Katie has a BA in Human Geography from the University of Brighton in England and has done extensive fieldwork in North Africa, Greece, and Scotland. Her advice is to build relationships with people in the industry on...

Sandra Einvall was a marketeer at Brave New Food, an Dutch organization that connects food innovators together to accelerate the transition to a sustainable food system. However, she recently transitioned to working full time on Fikat, the sustainable Swedish plant-based treat startup she founded in 2021. While studying graphic design, Sandra started the Vegan Student Association Utrecht and grew it to be the biggest vegan student association in the Netherlands. During this time, she also...

Angel Li is committed to inducing positive societal change for the planet, people, and animals. She has 7 years of solid experience managing a EU-funded sustainable protein project as well as community initiatives to shift the public towards a plant-based diet. As a GRI certified sustainability professional with a master’s degree in Sustainable Development, she strives to influence food policy and collaborate with various partners to transform the food system. Prior to becoming Plenitude...

Chris Bryant is the Director of Bryant Research, a research organization based in the United Kingdom, which focuses on shaping better food choices through social science. Chris has a BA in Business Management, a Masters of Science in Policy Research, and a PhD in Energy, Environment, and Resilience. Chris was also the Director of Social Sciences for the Cellular Agriculture Society and currently co-organizes the Research to End Consumption of Animal Products (RECAP) Group. Taking on the...

Nate Crosser is a Principal at Blue Horizon, a global food, agriculture, and bioeconomy impact investment firm based in Zurich. To date, they have deployed over $850 million into an ecosystem of over 75 companies across 6 continents. Nate also writes the environmental biotechnology newsletter, Fifth Industrial, and previously worked at the Good Food Institute, a biotechnology incubator, and holds a Juris Doctor in Commercial Law. Nate’s advice is to think creatively and look for ways to link...

Frederik Lau is a Master's student of biotechnology and engineering writing his thesis on cultivated meat. In addition, Frederik was a facilitator for the Alternative Protein Fundamentals Programme organized by the Cambridge University Alt. Protein Society as well as Leaf, a program teaches youth how to use their future careers to do good. He is also a local radio host on a philosophy show and the fellowship director for Effective Altruism Denmark, where he organises and manages online...

Mathilde Do Chi is a food law/regulatory affairs consultant and started her own consultancy agency called Vegan Food Law. She has gained expertise in Europe, Asia, and North America food law/regulatory affairs in both the private and public sectors through working with the FAO of the United Nations, Japanese government, French government, NGOs, global consultancy firms, multinationals, and law firms. Mathilde has a Diploma in Food Psychology, a Masters of Laws in both International Trade...

Laura Hackl is a Tech Advisor to start-ups, such as Plant Provisions and Terrabio, where she helps develop plant-based sustainable food products including recipe design, scale-up, and nutrient composition. Laura is based in Vienna, Austria, and currently serves as Research Advisor for USAID Advancing Nutrition. In this role she designs scientific studies, orchestrates stakeholder collaborations, and leads activities on food fortification, anemia/micronutrients, and diet quality. Laura has a...

Ahmed Khan is a cellular agriculture consultant and the founder and editor of CellAgri, a news and research startup that aims to be a hub for the emerging field of cellular agriculture. He is also the co-founder and member of the board of directors of Cellular Agriculture Canada, a non-profit organization advancing and promoting the cellular agriculture industry in Canada. Ahmed has previously spoken about cellular agriculture in Canada, England, Singapore, and the United States. He first...

Pia Voltz is the Founder & CEO of Tälist, a company focused on offering a range of talent solutions for alternative protein businesses. These include recruitment, headhunting, executive search, training, and consultation to improve hiring processes. She is also the Co-Founder & Board Member of Cellular Agriculture Germany and a Member of the Board of Advisors for Animal Advocacy Careers. Prior to founding Tälist, she worked as a consultant and project manager for various industries,...

Ella Wong is the Head of Design and Operations at The Good Growth Co., which is a Hong Kong based market research and service design consultancy for alternative protein companies, animal welfare nonprofits, and social impact funders in Asia. Ella has a background in business development, public relations, program management, and user experience design at tech startups. In this episode, Ella’s advice to alternative protein job seekers is to network, never burn bridges with past connections,...

Luke Spajic is a Plenitude Project Coordinator at ENOUGH, a mycoprotein company, where he also leads ENOUGH's policy work. He was a member of the UN Food Systems Summit sustainable consumption leadership team, has worked as a Consultant at the UN World Food Programme, and has led multiple campaigns to elevate healthy and sustainable diets at COP26 and other global forums. Luke has been published in Nature Food, The BMJ, and The Lancet Planetary Health. He also led an open letter campaign...

Ching Zin is a Food Safety Specialist at UPSIDE Foods, one of the most prominent startups in the cultivated meat space. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science from UC Davis. Ching has extensive experience in product development and food safety through working in various food-related organizations. Her advice is to take time to figure out what you want and who you are, build self-confidence, be relentless towards your goals, and be bold in exploring and learning. Below are...

Erin Zhang is a former Business Development Executive at Green Monday, a key driver of the alternative protein industry in Asia. While studying Environmental Policy at Occidental College, she worked at Green Initiatives and China Alternative Protein Solutions. The advice she offers is to be confident in yourself and express your passion. Below are links to the resources discussed in this episode: OmniFoods Erin’s Instagram food blog Green Monday’s LinkedIn page  Green Monday’s...