Alternative Protein Symposium: Bridging Science and Society

Name: Alternative Protein Symposium: Bridging Science and Society
Start: 2026-04-09T00:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-04-10T23:59:59-04:00
Location: NC State University

Upcoming

April 9 – April 10 EDT

Join Bruce Friedrich and our Alt Protein Project leaders from NC State, Duke University, and Virginia Tech at the Alternative Protein Symposium: Bridging Science and Society.

Event description

The Alternative Protein Symposium: Bridging Science and Society convenes students, researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers for two days of big ideas and real-world insight.

Meat demand is rising. So is innovation. From plant-based breakthroughs to fermentation and cultivated meat, scientists and entrepreneurs are developing new ways to make the foods people love—using fewer resources and expanding what’s possible. This symposium dives into the science behind these advances and the broader questions they raise about food security, sustainability, economic opportunity, and consumer choice.

On Day 1, Bruce Friedrich, founder and president of the Good Food Institute, will share what it takes to move innovation from lab bench to marketplace. Through GFI’s work across science, policy, and industry, he helps accelerate research, secure public investment, and support companies building the next generation of protein.

With keynote talks, panels, and student research presentations, the symposium creates space for ideas to connect across disciplines. Supported by the Alt Protein Project at NC State, Duke University, and Virginia Tech, the event highlights the growing academic momentum behind protein diversification.

Event location

NC State University

840 Oval Dr
Raleigh, North Carolina 27606 + Google Map

GFI speaker

Bruce Friedrich

PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER

Bruce Friedrich serves as GFI’s chief thought leader and relationship-builder, working in close partnership with GFI’s global teams and food system stakeholders around the world.

Bruce is a TED Fellow, Y Combinator alum, and popular speaker on food innovation. He has penned op-eds for the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, Nature Food, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Wired, CNN, and many other publications. He has represented GFI on the TED Radio Hour, New Yorker Radio Hour, the Ezra Klein Show, Making Sense (Sam Harris), and a variety of other podcasts and TV programs. Bruce’s 2019 TED talk has been viewed more than 2.4 million times and translated into 30 languages.

Publishers Weekly selected Bruce’s book Meat as a top 10 new release in science, writing: “This packed account makes food science feel like an urgent and essential undertaking.” The book has also received praise from Nobel Laureate in economics Michael Kremer, former UNFCCC head Christiana Figueres, and CSIS director of global food and water security Caitlin Welsh, who penned the foreword. Says Welsh: “This book explains the imperative to transform our food systems, and lays out a game plan to get us there…. Meat is as important as it is enjoyable.” Find out more on the book’s website, MeatBook.org.

Bruce graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown Law and also holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University, the London School of Economics, and Grinnell College.