Meet our experts

Bruce Friedrich directs GFI’s strategic planning and execution in the United States and globally.

Areas of expertise: alternative proteins generally, GFI’s global programs and strategy, bicycling in heavy traffic.

Ilya leads all aspects of GFI-U.S.’s programmatic and administrative operations, working alongside the U.S. leadership team to ensure GFI is executing towards maximal impact in transforming our food system while building an inclusive, equitable culture where every team member can thrive.

Areas of expertise: strategic plan implementation, program leadership, infrastructure and operations

Jessica Almy, J.D., leads GFI’s Policy team in setting legislative and regulatory strategy to promote fair policies and public research for plant-based, cultivated, and fermented foods.

Areas of expertise: regulation, legislation, science and public policy, public health, environmental law, food policy.

Liz Specht oversees GFI’s Science and Technology department to build a roadmap for accelerating alternative protein research while empowering scientists to execute on this vision.

Areas of expertise: plant-based meat, fermentation, technical analyses, forecasting and modeling, synthetic biology, public speaking.

Caroline Bushnell leads GFI’s Corporate Engagement team in their work with companies and investors around the world to accelerate the alternative protein industry.

Areas of expertise: food industry, alternative protein ecosystem, market trends, consumer insights, CPG marketing, emerging industry opportunities.

Sheila Voss oversees GFI’s strategic awareness and action campaigns, data-driven storytelling, and communications-related partnerships.

Areas of expertise: plant science and sustainability, agricultural education, biodiversity and climate change messaging.

Varun leads the GFI network of organizations across Asia – a hugely important region for the global protein transition.

Areas of expertise: Asia, Global South, international development, industry building, business strategy and strategic planning, and public speaking

Nir Goldstein leads GFI Israel, pushing plant-based and cultivated meat innovation in what is often called “Startup Nation.”

Areas of expertise: food tech entrepreneurship, business strategy and development, policy, intellectual property.

Gus Guadagnini leads GFI Brazil, building partnerships with many of the world’s leading meat and agricultural companies.

Areas of expertise: Brazil, plant-based proteins, entrepreneurship, startups, strategic planning, project management, marketing.

Richard Parr, MBE, leads GFI Europe, advancing smart protein development in dozens of the world’s most advanced economies.

Areas of expertise: the European Union (EU), the UK, food policy, policy analysis, nonprofits.

Mirte Gosker leads GFI Asia Pacific as Acting MD, accelerating the markets for plant-based and cultivated meat through research and innovation.

Areas of expertise: entrepreneurship, business strategy and development, project management, people management, philanthropy.

Erin Rees Clayton, Ph.D. oversees our plant-based protein, cultivated meat, and fermentation research funding efforts.

Areas of expertise: scientific research, plant-based meat, grant writing, research project management.

Christina works with GFI’s university innovation team to build the alternative protein workforce needed to reimagine our protein supply.

Areas of expertise: university programs, curriculum development, academic support, chemical engineering

Marika leads GFI’s Sustainable Seafood Initiative work with startups, investors, conventional seafood companies and other key players in order to increase investment in and production and sale of alternative seafood products.

Areas of expertise: conservation, marine ecosystems, nonprofits, strategic partnerships.

Claire Bomkamp is focused on cultivated seafood and driving forward GFI’s Sustainable Seafood Initiative.

Areas of expertise: the science and technology of cultivated seafood, cultivated seafood startups, research, and university programs, scaffolding, science communication, fish puns.

Laura Braden works on domestic and global regulatory issues affecting cultivated meat and plant-based foods.

Areas of expertise: U.S. and global regulation, patents, litigation.

Laine serves as an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Manager, helping to position GFI as a valuable resource for emerging companies in the alternative proteins sector as they launch and scale.

Areas of Expertise: entrepreneurship, strategic planning, team building, market validation, mentorship

Carolyn Englar crafts compelling stories to advance alternative proteins and transform the global food system.

Areas of expertise: global communications, media strategy, public relations, relationship management

Amy Huang oversees GFI’s efforts to transform universities into engines for alternative protein research and education.

Areas of expertise: university programs, academic ecosystem-building, global health, design thinking, effective altruism, public speaking.

Emma Ignaszewski manages projects to catalyze corporate innovation that will radically transform the food system and deliver alternative protein products that compete on the key drivers of consumer choice: taste, price, and convenience.

Areas of expertise: retail, strategy, marketing, communications.

Maia Keerie oversees GFI’s media relations and thought leadership campaigns and works with leading U.S. and international news outlets to elevate alternative proteins within the media.

Areas of expertise: strategic communications, media management, journalism.

Kelley McGill represents GFI on Capitol Hill as one of the organization’s federal lobbyists.

Areas of expertise: legislative research and drafting, food law, agricultural and environmental policy, strategy development.

Priera Panescu is focused on analyzing plant-based meat and proteins and how to best expedite their progress.

Areas of Expertise: food and agriculture systems, materials science, polymer chemistry, plant-based ingredients

Elliot Swartz analyzes scientific progress and bottlenecks in cultivated meat.

Areas of expertise: stem cell biology, neuroscience, cultivated meat.

Zak Weston works with manufacturers, suppliers, and upstream companies to scale innovation and infrastructure investment throughout the alternative protein supply chain.

Areas of expertise: supply chains, infrastructure, ingredients, foodservice, and contract manufacturing.