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
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.
Upcoming events
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Developing continuous cell lines for cultivated seafood
Dive into GFI’s new guide for practical solutions to overcoming shared challenges in fish and crustacean cell line development.
Business of Alt Protein: The Science of Charisma for Founders, Leaders, and Professionals
Join charisma expert Olivia Fox Cabane, who will share research-backed techniques for building trust, communicating with confidence, and increasing your influence in high-stakes interactions.
The Science of Alt Protein: Growth factors—Driving cultivated meat cost and scalability
Learn how researchers are developing innovative approaches to reduce growth factor costs and make cultivated meat production more affordable.
The Future of Meat: Technology, Sustainability, and the Meats of Tomorrow
Bruce Friedrich heads to The Commonwealth Club for a conversation about Meat—and why rethinking how we produce meat could shape the future of food.
Fish & CHIPS: Collaborative Huddle for Ideation & Problem Solving
Calling all cultivated seafood researchers and innovators! Join us for our next collaborative huddle on September 29th at 11:30 am ET.
Fish & CHIPS: Collaborative Huddle for Ideation & Problem Solving
Calling all cultivated seafood researchers and innovators! Join us for our next collaborative huddle on September 29th at 10:30 pm ET.
