Food Tech Frontiers: Advancing Alternative and Sustainable Innovations

On April 1 at 6:00pm (In-person); 6:15pm PT (online)// April 2 at, 10:15 am JT (Online), we hosted a thought-provoking panel discussion on the future of food technology, bringing together industry pioneers at the forefront of innovation. As climate change and food security concerns continue to grow, the conversation highlighted the latest advancements in alternative proteins, including plant-based foods, cell-cultured seafood, and fermentation-driven solutions. Our panel represented three distinctive approaches to alternative protein, offering unique insights into how these innovations are driving sustainability, increasing efficiency, and shaping the future of our global food system.

SPEAKER
Kumiko Yoshinari, Ph.D., CFA (EVERY)
-Global corporate partnership and finance executive, with a proven track record in climate tech and agri-tech at 4 Silicon Valley companies. Currently at EVERY Company as Head of Strategic Partnerships. Expertise in sourcing capital and high-value deals with prominent global corporations, including top Japanese conglomerates. 
-Two decades at the International Finance Corporation (IFC, World Bank Group) in large scale project development and finance, including in clean energy. $2 billion in total value of funded projects. 
-Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA): Experienced in structuring and negotiating complex financial transactions.
-Multi-lingual and multi-cultural: Fluent in Japanese, French and English. Developed projects in over 15 countries. Lived in 6 countries. 

Lou Cooperhouse (BlueNalu)
Lou Cooperhouse is founder, President & CEO at BlueNalu, the global leader in the development of cell-cultured seafood, which will be healthy for people, humane for sea life, sustainable for our planet, and result in a food-secure solution for nations around the world. He is recognized as a leading global authority in food innovation and technology commercialization; and as a results-driven professional with the ability to build, develop and transform organizations and teams.   His 40-year career in the food industry includes extensive entrepreneurial expertise leading cross-functional teams in a wide array of settings, including new business startups, multinational corporations, foodservice and retail operations, non-profits and trade associations, and university food incubation programs.   A summary of Lou’s career experiences in entrepreneurship were featured in the cover story in Food Technology Magazine, titled “Oceans of Innovation”, in December 2023.

Kelly Pan (Impact Food)
Kelly Pan is the Co-Founder & CEO of Impact Food. She is a foodie turned entrepreneur on a mission to build a more sustainable and resilient food system. With a degree from UC Berkeley-Haas School of Business, Kelly has led multiple interdisciplinary teams and launched impact-driven projects, including a skincare brand and a pro-bono consulting organization for small businesses. Through Impact Food, Kelly envisions a future of food that can reliably feed a growing global population while keeping fish in the oceans.

MODERATOR
Charles Chen
Born and raised in California to a Japanese father and Taiwanese mother, Charles Chen has spent all of his life in food and beverage. Growing up in a restaurant family in Southern California led him to pursuing a career in fine-dining in Northern California. After managing notable restaurants like Spruce, Hakkasan and Tartine Manufactory, Charles moved onto consulting. This is where he would focus on many East-West projects like opening Tartine Bakery in Seoul, then working with Japanese companies like Suntory and ANA Airlines. After those projects, Charles would produce his first concept in Palo Alto, Maum, which garnered a Michelin-star in its first year of operations. The restaurant and consulting came to an abrupt stop due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but then he reinvented himself by creating the viral cheesecake brand, Basuku Cheesecakes. Over the past few years, Charles has been spending more time in Asia doing cheesecakes pop-ups in Japan and Taiwan. Most recently, Charles produced a wood-fire French counter restaurant in Kyoto which opened in February. Now he is back in the Bay Area producing cakes and developing ideas for his next projects.