• Justin Siegel, Faculty Director, IIFH
• Abigail Stevenson, Chief Science Officer, Mars, Inc.

• Panel Moderator: Kim Fisher, Director of Programs, IIFH
• Harold Schmitz, Founding Partner, The March Group; Venture Capital: Coming of Age in the Food System
• Rao Unnava, Dean, UC Davis Graduate School of Management; Creating Transformational Business Leaders
• Justin Siegel, Faculty Director, IIFH; Academic Research: Embracing a Use-Inspired Research Approach

• Keynote: Christian Brix Tillegreen, BioInnovation Institute @ NovoNordisk Foundation
• Panel Moderator: Harold Schmitz, Founding Partner, The March Group
• Heather Leidy, Associate Professor, UT Austin; Satiety and Weight Management: Synergies of Food and GLP-1
• John Melo, CEO, Digestiva; Better Protein for All
• Victor Friedberg, Partner & Founder, New Epoch, Investing in Conscience Consumer Growth

• Panel Moderator: Emily Fritz, Head of Nutrition, Digestiva
• Rachael Mack, Director of Performance Nutrition, UC Davis Athletics; Unmet Needs of Performance Athletes
• Courtney McHugh, Former Vice President, UTA Ventures; Building Companies that Address Women’s Health Needs
• Roberta Holt, Cooperative Extension Specialist, UC Davis Nutrition; Nutrition & Metabolic Health

Discover the delicious potential of upcycling, where sustainability meets sensory delight as Vine to Bar’s Ralph Jerome leads us through an enlightening tasting of Vine to Bar premium dark chocolate with the natural sweetness and bright fruit notes of upcycled WellVine Coastal Chardonnay Marc; a real food prebiotic that your gut microbiome will love as much as your taste buds.

• Justin Siegel, Faculty Director, IIFH

Conclude a day of insightful discussions as we come together at the Robert Mondavi Institute Good Life Garden, alongside a dynamic group of partners who share our passion for innovation and collaboration. Engage with the brilliant teams behind Caffree, Digestiva, Engage3, EvodiaBio, Grange.ai, Nucicer, one.bio, Optimized Foods, PIPA, Rivalz, UC Davis Brewing & Sensory Science, UC Davis Global Tea Institute, UC Davis Grand Challenges, UC Davis Olive Center, and more!

Plus, don’t miss the chance to stop by and check out the incredible work our Innovator Fellows are doing at UC Davis.

• Justin Siegel, Faculty Director, IIFH
• Congressman Ami Bera, U.S. House of Representatives
• Fiona Ma, California State Treasurer

• Panel Moderator: Darren Logan, VP Research, Mars, Inc.
• Jorge Leal, CEO, Magdalena; Carbon Efficient Feedstocks to Unlock the Circular Bioeconomy
• Peggy Furth, Co-Founder, Sonomaceuticals, LLC; Upcycled Chardonnay: More Valuable than the Wine? 
• Selena Ahmed, Global Director, American Heart Association; Foodomics to Embrace Food Culture and Diversity

• Panel Moderator: Charlotte Biltekoff, Professor, American Studies and Food Science and Technology
• Gitta Coaker, Professor, UC Davis Plant Pathology; UC Davis Grand Challenges in Sustainable Food Systems
• Ralph Jerome, Venture Partner, The March Group; Sustainable Business Models: A 21st Century Food Industry Model 
• Ilias Tagkopoulos, Director, USDA/NSF AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems; AI at the Center

Moderator: Justin Siegel, Faculty Director, IIFH

Join us for an intimate conversation with John Fieldly, CEO, Celsius Holdings, Inc, John Foraker, Co-Founder & CEO, Once Upon A Farm & Annie’s Organics, and Kat Cole, CEO, AG1 on the pivotal role of C-Suite leadership in guiding new food products through the toughest challenges. Hear personal stories of triumphs in branding, leadership, and market breakthroughs, offering a rare glimpse into what it takes to turn vision into reality. This session is designed to inspire and connect investors and entrepreneurs committed to shaping the future of healthy food.

• Justin Siegel, Faculty Director, IIFH

Open day for meetings and networking at your leisure.

Join us at the Rivalz™ Tailgate!

Pregame Davis style with delicious food, drinks, and mingling before the UCD Aggies take on the Cal Poly Mustangs! We’ve got the tickets covered, just bring your A-game!

Rivalz™ is changing the snacking game with nutrient-dense salty snacks that taste better, feel better and do better!