The Future of Food is rapidly evolving, with food increasingly being viewed as a form of medicine capable of preventing and treating chronic diseases. This panel will explore the cutting-edge of personalized nutrition, medically tailored meals and groceries, and functional ingredients that harness the power of food to increase longevity and vibrant living. But access to healthy food options remains a challenge, so we’ll also dive into strategies for addressing food deserts and ensuring nutritious sustenance is available to all.
You’ll hear from a mix of dynamic experts across academia, entrepreneurship, and investment: Amber Flores, a PhD Student at UC Davis working on gene editing for more sustainable and nutritious crops; Dr. Chris Rhodes, Founder of Mimio Health leveraging his nutrition PhD to make fasting and longevity available to the masses; Justin Siegel, Associate Professor at UC Davis pioneering enzyme engineering for therapeutic, nutritional and industrial applications; and Wes Selke, Founding Partner at mission-driven venture capital firm Better Ventures. Join us for an insightful look at the future of using food as medicine and addressing food accessibility challenges.
###########
Amber Flores, PhD Student @ UC Davis (moderator): Amber Flores has always sought out experiences that unite her passion for science with her interest in business and entrepreneurship. Her current desire to improve food systems and agriculture is manifested through her PhD work in Plant Biology, where she is using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to improve nitrogen use efficiency and carotenoid content in lettuce to improve its sustainability and nutritional value. She’s completed the UC Davis Business Development Fellows Program, is pursuing a Designated Emphasis in Biotechnology, and has already completed a 3-month commitment with Ohalo Genetics, a plant breeding startup. Here she not only contributed scientifically but also to the team organizational structure and protocols. She is a recipient of the prestigious National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP), and is engaged with PREP@UC Davis, a program that assists students with minority backgrounds to engage with biomedical research and related programs.
Chris Rhodes, Founder @ Mimio Health: Dr. Chris Rhodes is the co-founder and CEO of Mimio Health. He has a PhD in nutrition and has always been fascinated by how we eat affects our health and longevity. Dr. Chris Rhodes’ scientific curiosity has always led him back to longevity. Mimio was inspired by his doctorate research and study of the underlying biology of fasting and its impact on longevity. Through the lens of human optimization, Dr. Rhodes and his team designed Mimio to make the benefits of fasting and longevity available to the masses – enabling his vision for a world where people live vibrant, fuller, and longer lives a reality.
Justin Segal, Associate Professor @ UC Davis: Justin Siegel is an associate professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at the UC Davis Genome Center. He received his B.S. in Biochemistry from UC Davis in 2005 and his Ph.D. in Biomolecular Structure and Design from the University of Washington in 2011. His scientific focus is in the design and discovery of enzymes of interest to modern society. Through strong industrial and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Siegel has engineered enzymes for a wide range of applications, including therapeutics development, natural product production, enhancing nutrient bioavailability, and fuel or chemical production. He is co-inventor on more than 100 global patents, has over 50 publications, and is a founding member of six companies (Bio Architecture Labs, PvP Biologics, Digestiva, Peak B, New Syn, SFS Advisors), three international consortiums (Rosetta Commons Board, FoodShot Global, Innovation Institute for Food & Health), and two national consortiums (D2D Cure, AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems).
Wes Selke, Founding Partner @ Better Ventures: Wes enjoys rolling up his sleeves to help mission-driven entrepreneurs realize their vision for building high-growth world-changing companies. Wes has over 20 years of venture capital and investment experience with Better Ventures, Good Capital, William Blair, and Ernst & Young’s Mergers & Acquisitions group. He earned an MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and a BBA from the University of Michigan. Wes has volunteered with organizations around the globe, which has fueled his passion for applying his business skills to build a better world. He lives in Oakland, CA with his wife and three young kids and enjoys cycling, Michigan football, and hazy IPAs (the best Saturdays involve all three).
