Food | Ag | Ideas Week
Event description
Food | Ag | Ideas, led by Naturally MN and partners, is an annual multi-day series of speakers, events, tours, and demo showcases to highlight innovative ideas, make connections across the sectors, invite leaders to join Minnesota’s entrepreneur and innovation ecosystem, and move our industry forward,
In 2023, the theme of FAI is focused on the Future of Food + Ag Innovation: Healthy People, Planet. Centering the ways in which the food system operates is critical to ensure the future and sustainability of our value chain.
Come ready to learn and network on October 9th and 10th for the two days of panels at the Minnesota History Center, and don’t miss out on the array of pre-conference events and experiences starting on October 3rd.
Meet the speaker
Priera Panescu, Ph.D.
LEAD SCIENTIST, PLANT-BASED
GFI
Priera’s role at GFI focuses on accelerating the plant-based meat industry through analyzing their plant-based protein landscape, identifying emerging technological solutions and bottlenecks, and communicating with other scientists about advancing alternative protein research. Priera has bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and math from the University of California, Santa Cruz as well as a master’s and a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles. Prior to joining GFI, Priera spent almost a decade focusing on polymer, formulation, and materials chemistry research. Particularly, she honed these skills for food security applications by creating novel sustainable agriculture materials and compounds.
Upcoming events
View all events
The Business of Alt Protein: Navigating global regulations for precision fermentation (PF)
Join us for The Business of Alt Protein: Navigating global regulations for precision fermentation (PF) on Wednesday, July 30th, 11 AM-12 PM ET / 5-6 PM CET.
The Business of Alt Protein: The importance of food within the defense industrial base
Join GFI’s next Business of Alt Protein webinar covering the importance of food within the defense industrial base.
The Science of Alt Protein: Innovations in cultivated meat and LLMs from rising researchers
Don’t miss our next seminar, where we’ll learn from two PhD students advancing innovative projects in alternative proteins.
iCAMP 25: Cultivated Meat & Alternative Protein Summit
Don’t miss Bruce Friedrich, GFI’s president and founder, as he joins iCAMP 25 to discuss the intersection of innovation, investment, and policy in accelerating sustainable protein solutions.
Building Your Alt Protein Career
Discover academic and industry career paths in the alternative protein sector, and get inspired by real-world experiences and actionable advice from our guest speaker.
NAPIC Inaugural Conference 2025
The NAPIC Inaugural Conference aims to convene a diverse group of stakeholders—including industry leaders, innovators, researchers, investors, and policymakers—to explore and advance the latest developments in alternative protein innovation.
GFI at Climate Week NYC
GFI is heading to Climate Week NYC! Join us as we spotlight how alternative proteins can help feed a growing population while protecting our planet.
Building Your Alt Protein Career
Discover academic and industry career paths in the alternative protein sector, and get inspired by real-world experiences and actionable advice from our guest speaker.
