Indra Nooyi serves as a Senior Strategic Advisor for Rethink Food. She is PepsiCo’s former chair and CEO. She retired in 2019 after 24 years with the company, half of which she spent in the top job. As CEO, she thwarted a bid to break up PepsiCo, nearly doubled sales and introduced healthier products and environmentally friendly practices. Nooyi joined the board of Amazon in 2019. Nooyi grew up in India and got an MBA from Yale before becoming one of corporate America’s few female CEOs in 2006.

Steve Ells serves as a Senior Strategic Advisor for Rethink Food. He is the Founder, former CEO and Executive Chairman of Chipotle Mexican Grill. Ells founded Chipotle in 1993 with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast-food experience. Ells revolutionized the idea of fast food, spearheading a wave of healthy, sustainable, quality food chains: Chipotle was one of the most technologically advanced companies of its time, making sustainability and nutrition affordable.

Prior to launching Chipotle, Ells had a hands-on experience by being a sous chef under Jeremiah Tower for two years in one of the most prominent restaurants in San Francisco. This experience prompted him to fund his ultimate dream a sustainable business with his ‘Food with Integrity’ initiative.

Ells has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People and has won many awards including a Silver Plate award by the International Foodservice Manufacturer Association and CEO of the Year from ColoradoBizmagazine.

Ells is a Board Member of the Cazoo Group Ltd, Ajax I and the Urban Land Institute. Ells attended the Culinary Institute of America and received his BA from University of Colorado. While at Chipotle, Ells has created a scholarship for CIA students those who share his philosophy for sustainability.

An entrepreneur, technologist, innovator, and business leader, Dean’s leadership has helped diverse early-stage and established companies deliver on their long-term strategies.

Dean most recently served as President and CEO at Tyson Foods where he was responsible for charting the long-term vision for the company including steering the integration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and the development of alternative proteins throughout its operations. During his four-year tenure with the company, he also served on the Board and executive leadership team. He joined Tyson from the high-tech incubator at Alphabet, the company formerly known as Google [X], where he served on the leadership team and led moonshot projects across multiple industries including sustainable food (as co-founder of Tidal) and robotics (as co-founder of Intrinsic).

Dean was previously managing partner of SEED Ventures, a group investing in and developing early-stage healthcare technologies. He also has served as a consultant to Cleveland Clinic Innovations, SVP of Business Development and Strategic Marketing at OrthoHelix, co‐founder and CEO of Connective Orthopedics, and Vice President at Highland Capital Partners. He currently serves on the Boards of Vergent Bioscience (where he was a co-founder and founding CEO), OMeat, and on the Advisory Board of Shiru.

Dean is a former platoon sergeant and squad leader in the U.S. Marine Corps. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and Public Relations from Miami University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Moira Cullen serves as a Operating Advisor on Design for Rethink Food. An internationally recognized design strategist, writer and educator, named one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company and among the most influential designers in the past 50 years by Graphic Design USA, Moira has forged a career leading strategic creative solutions that effectively honor the essence and heritage of organizations, institutions and brands.

From Fortune 500 to B Corp, her leadership has advanced and elevated design at some of the world’s most iconic brands method products, PepsiCo, The Hershey Company, and The Coca-Cola Company where she led development of the Coca-Cola visual identity system that won the first Grand Prix for Design at the 2008 Cannes Lions Awards.

At Hallmark Cards, she built and led the corporate design group that leveraged design as a strategic asset. She was Chair of Communication Arts at Otis College of Art and Design; design manager at Pentagram NY; and creative director for Japanese fashion retailer Taka-Q.

She is a frequent keynoter and speaker on design and branding. Her essays and criticism have been published in leading design publications and anthologies. She was past president of AIGA The Professional Association for Design’s Los Angeles and Kansas City Chapters; president of AIGA’s Center for Brand Experience; served as a director on AIGA’s national board, and is an AIGA Fellow.

She holds an enduring belief in design’s (soft) power to engage hearts and minds . . .

Richard Demato is an Operating Advisor on Supply Chain for Rethink Food. He is the GM & Head of Transformation at Simon Data, a customer data platform (CDP) and Gartner 2020 Cool Vendor that enables top brands such as Tripadvisor, ASOS, Venmo, Unilever, Betterment, Vivino, Blue Apron, BarkBox and Wyndham to unify all of their customer data, dynamically manage audiences, and deliver hyper-personalized customer experiences within and across all channels.

Richard brings over 20 years of experience as an operator, entrepreneur, executive, consultant, and advisor for leading multinationals and disruptive startups. His focus is partnering with CxOs and senior leaders across the value chain to design and implement data-driven strategies, operating models and product/service innovations that transform what’s possible for a company, their customers, and the world. This includes leading complex global initiatives spanning strategy & planning, commercialization & growth, organizational design, change management, product development, strategic partnerships, and innovation pilots for companies such as Danone, SodaStream, Martin Brower/McDonalds, Alpha Industries, Make Up For Ever, and Sony.

As GM & Head of Transformation at Simon Data, Richard helps leaders reimagine their customer data & marketing technology ecosystem to implement a seamless architecture that nurtures long-term, trusted customer relationships. Internally, he has transformed Simon Data’s GTM function, with a focus on developing strategic accounts, integrating marketing & sales, and partnering with Google’s Global Marketing VP to launch a private community for CxOs, advisors, and investors. Previously, he was the COO of GoodOps, a supply chain & sustainability consultancy that partners with high growth startups and global enterprises to architect, accelerate, and scale responsible operations. He was also the Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of The Workshop, a leading global brand experience design agency, the CEO of COMMON, a creative accelerator for social enterprises and projects where he partnered with AdWeek’s Creative Director of the Decade, a founding partner at UFUSE Visionary Strategy Management, a global consulting firm whose clients included top creators in Film & TV, and the Motion Picture Literary Department Coordinator and agent trainee at Endeavor, where he worked for the legendary Ariel Emanuel.

Fascinated by the compounding power of community and collaboration, Richard has built a vast global network of executives, investors, and entrepreneurs at the vanguard of today’s most disruptive industries. He thoughtfully taps this network to foster meaningful relationships, thought leadership opportunities, and actionable solutions that enable leaders to accelerate their own careers and business growth.

Richard is an Advisor to Rethink Food VC and has been a speaker and facilitator at Summit Series, Retail Ascendant, Nexus Global Summit, PTTOW, WORLDZ, the National Innovation Summit for Arts + Culture, Tony Hsieh’s Downtown Project, and The New York Supply Chain Meetup. His work and insights have been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, MarTech Today, and GOOD Magazine.

In 2014, Richard was selected as one of GOOD Magazine’s GOOD 100, which honors 100 ‘global citizens and creative changemakers who are moving the world forward.’

Divya Demato serves as an Operating Advisor on Supply Chain & Digital Transformation for Rethink Food. She is the CEO & Co-Founder of GoodOps, a supply chain consultancy partnering with companies to architect, accelerate, and scale sustainable operations.

Since 2003, Divya has driven innovative solutions across the value chain for companies at various stages of growth, such as Walmart, Danone, One Kings Lane, Martin Brower/McDonalds, Westwing/Rocket Internet and Pricesmart.

Divya’s work at GoodOps includes establishing fair labor standards for factory workers and piloting advanced technologies to improve environmental impact. As an outcome of extensive on-the-ground audits in Africa for a leading US brand, Divya co-designed a new social impact measurement platform, ACCOUNTABLE, to bring factory workers to a living wage, featured in Fast Company & Forbes. Divya piloted an autonomous truck test between a top L4 provider and a top 5 global food distributor, to reduce carbon emissions & improve road safety. She has co-written white papers on Blockchain, AI/ML, Autonomous Vehicles & Warehouse Automation, and co-authored a chapter in Vehicle Road Automation 5. Divya is also building GoodList, a sustainable sourcing platform to connect brands with verified ESG suppliers adhering to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Divya has been an operator, entrepreneur, executive, consultant, and advisor for internationally recognized startups and multinationals around the world. She brings a vast global network of executives, investors, and entrepreneurs at the vanguard of today’s most powerful industries.

Divya is a winner of Supply & Demand Chain Executive’s Women in Supply Chain Award in 2020. She is an Advisor to Rethink Food & Radiant Ventures; Chairwoman Emeritus for Nexus Global; and, a Mentor for Unreasonable Group. Divya has spoken at FASHINNOVATION, CPO Rising, NextGenChef, Nexus, YWCA: Labor Trafficking, Techstars, Home Delivery World, Automated Vehicles Symposium, and The New York Supply Chain Meetup.

Divya is fluent in Spanish, moderate in French.

Dr. Jess Krieger serves as an Operating Advisor on Science for Rethink Food. She is the CEO and co-founder of Ohayo Valley, a cultivated steak company. She is one of the cultivated meat industries earliest pioneers and visionaries, and was the first scientist in the world to build a career exclusively in cultivated meat science in 2010. The main focus of her scientific and entrepreneurial pursuits is the intersection of sustainable food systems and climate science. She is an expert in biotechnology and the alternative protein industry, with deep experience in cell biology, cell line and bioprocess development, tissue engineering, food science, and cultivated meat science. She is a graduate of the New Harvest fellowship program, the world’s first organization to fund cultivated meat research in academia. In 2019, she co-founded Artemys Foods as Chief Science Officer and developed the Artemys Burger, a cultivated beef burger. In 2020, Dr. Krieger co-founded Ohayo Valley to develop the world’s first cultivated wagyu ribeye. She is also the founder of the Women of Cellular Agriculture organization (WOCA), which supports women in STEM pursuing careers in cellular agriculture and cultivated meat. She has undergraduate degrees in neuroscience and a PhD in biomedical sciences.

Lisa Mann serves as an Operating Advisor on Marketing & Talent for Rethink Food. She is the Managing Director and CMO of Raines, a talent advisory and executive search firm, that is on a mission to maximize human potential. At Raines, she works closely with senior leaders of Fortune 1000 companies, start-ups, VC and PE firms those being disrupted and the disruptors on business strategy, marketing and talent management solutions to drive exponential growth.

Before Raines, Lisa had a 30+ year career in the food industry leading many iconic brands, such as Oreo, KIND and Quaker Oats. Her last position at PepsiCo, President of the Global Nutrition Category, combined her love for food and commitment to health and wellness.

Over the past 10 years, Lisa has worked with many founder-led growth companies in the food and health and wellness categories. She advises these passionate entrepreneurs on core marketing, product innovation, and sales strategies so these emerging businesses turn into sustainable enterprises. For example, Lisa is a Board Member of SunFed Ranch, an emerging beef company that delivers domestically produced and regeneratively ranched grass-fed beef that is good for the environment and our health.

Dr. Karin Rotem-Wildeman serves as an Operating Advisor on Food Engineering/Research & Development for Rethink Food. Currently the Chief Scientific Officer of the LIVEKINDLY Collective responsible for near, mid, and long-term innovation. Excited to join the mission of transforming the food ecosystem for good. Food technology and science have never been more important and front of mind for the future and safety of the global food landscape. Thrilled to be joining a tremendous leadership team and experienced and insightful group of founders. The future will be interesting for sure!

Known as a business-minded technical leader in the Food and Beverage Industry with 20yrs+ of experience driving innovation and commercialization. My career has primarily focused on Research and Development, though I have always operated at intersections with Marketing, Operations, Corporate Strategy, and Business Development. I have lived and worked in The Americas, Europe, and Asia and take great pleasure learning new cultures through the lens of food.

Began my career journey and foundational training at Nestle where I spent 3 years in the Food Service Division designing new product and process soup and sauce innovation. From Nestle, I joined PepsiCo, where I spent 18 years in a variety of positions Product Innovation, Process Development, R&D General Management, Innovation Strategy & Portfolio Management, and Venture Capital Investment. Fortunate to touch all key categories across my tenure which included: beverages, salty snacks, and nutrition. I graduated from PepsiCo as the SVP of R&D leading 9 Beverage Regional Innovation Centers located all over the world.

Most recently served as the Global Head of Research and Development for Godiva Chocolatier. Responsible for the strategy and delivery of the product innovation pipeline, brand excellence, technology and productivity. I led a broad group of technical functions including Culinary Creation, Sensory Science, Product Development, Process Commercialization, Package Engineering, Regulatory Affairs, and Quality Assurance across all channels. A beautiful brand with a rich heritage I was honored to have the chance to bring to life an innovation roadmap for the future with a talented and strong R&D team and great functional partners.

Tom is a partner with King & Spalding.  He has 40 years of experience as a trial lawyer specializing in intellectual property matters, in particular licensing, patent, antitrust, trade secret, trademark, copyright, , and other complex cases. He has tried many cases in courts across the United States, in the ITC, and in commercial arbitrations, representing companies from all over the world, universities, and inventors.  He has handled hundreds of patent, trade secret, licensing (including licensing audits), and trademark disputes.  The scope of his practice covers a broad range, from technology, electronics, software, gaming, semiconductors (design, fabrication, and packaging), industrial equipment, and transportation to agriculture, life sciences, medical devices, and drugs.  He has represented clients in federal and state court litigations, judicial and private arbitrations, International Trade Commission (ITC) investigations, and mediations.

Tom has extensive experience in trade secret matters.  He also has extensive experience with copyright matters in the technology industry involving databases, software, and other works. He also has experience with trademark and trade dress matters including invalidating the “386” trademark for microprocessors. He is experienced representing clients in indemnity issues and insurance issues relating to intellectual property.

Tom speaks frequently on patent issues.  He served on the Advisory Committee for the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology, a research center at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, and has spoken at its events.  He has served on the faculty of the Advanced Patent Law Institute,  as well as the annual Rocky Mountain Intellectual Property & Technology Institute. He has been ranked Chambers USA, Legal 500, Managing Intellectual Property since 2008, is named an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property, has been recognized for many years in editions of  The Best Lawyers in America, and is named among the “Top 75 Intellectual Property Litigators in California” by the Daily Journal.  He has been recognized as a leading lawyer in his practice areas by IAM Patent 1000, Super Lawyers, and Euro Money.

Prior to joining King & Spalding, Tom was a partner at Cooley LLP where he was a partner and former chair of the intellectual property litigation practice.

Tom received J.D. and B.G.S. degrees from the University of Michigan.

Recognitions include Best Lawyers USA 2023 (Litigation: IP, Litigation – Patent, Patent Law); Daily Journal Top 75 Intellectual Property Litigators in California; IP Star; Legal 500; Chambers USA; IAM Patent 1000; Best Lawyers in America; Northern California Super Lawyer; Euromoney Guide to Leading U.S. Lawyers: Intellectual Property; and Euromoney Guide to Leading U.S. Patent Law Experts.

Tom has been married for 31 years, lives in Northern California, and has two adult daughters.