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.

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 Deshpande leads GFI India’s growing team in the world’s second-most populous country.

Areas of expertise: India, Southeast Asia, startups, business strategy and strategic planning, grant writing, public speaking, and data analysis.

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.

Michael Ryan manages GFI’s legislative initiatives and executive branch funding advocacy.

Areas of expertise: Congress, appropriations, legislative procedure, legislative strategy.

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, 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 Entrepreneurship Specialist, 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

Ryan Dowdy spearheads technical analyses for GFI’s Science & Technology department and oversees SciTech’s Science & Technology Analysis Team (STAT).

Areas of Expertise: food science, fermentation, technical analyses, forecasting and modeling, public speaking, data science

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

Emily Hennessee works on legislative and regulatory efforts related to alternative proteins and represents GFI as Innovation Lead for Action Track #2 of the United Nations Food Systems Summit.

Areas of expertise: public health, food systems, sustainability, nonprofits.

Amy Huang helps lead GFI’s efforts to transform universities into engines of 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.

Arjun works with GFI’s university innovation team to transform universities into engines of alternative protein innovation via The Alt Protein Project.

Areas of expertise: university research programs, curricula development, community building and engagement, environmental science, public health

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.

Jen Lamy manages GFI’s cross-programmatic Sustainable Seafood Initiative to ensure that it proceeds strategically and with the input and involvement of key stakeholders.

Areas of expertise: alternative seafood, environmental policy, sustainable food systems, and strategic planning.

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.