David Kay is the first employee and Director of Communications at UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats), the world's first company developing a way to produce delicious meat directly from animal cells without raising and slaughtering billions of animals. David leads the company’s external communications and public relations strategies, as well as its state and local policy function. David played a key role in the founding of The Association for Meat, Poultry and Seafood Innovation (AMPS Innovation), the world's first trade coalition for the cultivated meat, poultry and seafood industry. He now sits on the Board of Directors for AMPS Innovation. David has spoken at or been quoted in CNN, Reuters, USA Today, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast and SXSW, and has given the keynote address at the Cultured Meat Symposium, Cell Agri, and the Food Innovation Summit. Most recently, David successfully helped advocate for the passage of a $5 million budget allocation in the state of California to support academic research on cultivated meat – the first time a state in the US had ever provided funding for cultivated meat. David is also on the Board Directors at Animal Place, was appointed by the Mayor of Berkeley to serve on the Animal Care Commission, and is a singer and member of the Leadership Committee in the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. Prior to joining UPSIDE Foods, David studied political science at Stanford University.

Bill Aimutis is Executive Director for the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab managed by North Carolina State University on the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis. Bill’s team works with entrepreneurial and multi-national companies on plant-based food product development and scale-up in a pilot plant. Prior to his current position, Aimutis was a Research Fellow and Global Director of External Innovation for Cargill, Inc. Bill retired from Cargill in September 2018. Bill received a Bachelor of Science degree in Food Science at Purdue University and graduate degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the Food Science Department. Bill is a Certified Food Scientist, Fellow of the American Dairy Science Association and the Institute of Food Technologists, and a Distinguished Agricultural Alumnus from both Purdue University and Virginia Tech. Additionally, he was awarded an Outstanding Food Science Award from the Food Science Department at Purdue University, and the Ronald O. Ball Lectureship Award from the University of Alberta. Aimutis has served on several industry advisory committees and corporate scientific advisory and managing boards.

Norbert Wilson is the Professor of Food, Economics, and Community at Duke Divinity and the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. He is also the Director of the World Food Policy Center at Sanford School of Public Policy. Professor Wilson’s research touches on several food issues, such as access, choice, and food waste. Before joining Duke Divinity School, Wilson was a professor of food policy at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy (2017-2020). He was also a professor of agricultural economics at Auburn University (1999-2016). In addition, he was an economist/policy analyst in the Trade Directorate (2004-2006) and the Agriculture Directorate (2001-2002) of the Organization of Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) in Paris, France.

Nigel Barrella (Trinity '07) is a regulatory lawyer with a focus on innovative foods, including alternative proteins. Currently in private practice, he previously served as Regulatory Counsel at The Good Food Institute, advocating for sensible regulation and adoption of alternative proteins. He continues this work today, advising innovative food producers as well as nonprofit organizations on the developing legal and regulatory landscape.

Lili Pond Miller serves as the Government Affairs Manager for Food Solutions Action, a nonprofit (501c4) dedicated to catalyzing public sector support for the alternative protein industries. A graduate of Purdue University, Lili got her political start in the Indiana Statehouse and solidified her love for policy while working for the California State Senate. Lili has always hoped to find herself at the intersection of food and politics, and now has that opportunity everyday lobbying at the federal level. Seeing the urgent need for public investment, Lili is passionate about working to create a synergistic relationship between government and organizations pursuing sustainable and secure protein innovation. Her unique coastal and midwestern background translates to her a nuanced ability to work with stakeholders across the political spectrum, bringing together lawmakers of all different platforms and constituencies to transform our food systems for the better.