FoodTech Insights: Deep Dive on the Policy Landscape Under MAHA
We can't solve the climate crisis without addressing our food system.
Join us for an evening exploring how U.S. policy is shaping the future of food and where the smart bets are emerging, presented by Replicator VC, with special guests from Morrison Foerster, Mission Barns, and Michroma.
From surprise FDA approvals for cultivated meat to artificial food dyes making headlines, the regulatory landscape is shifting fast. Initial concerns around policy disruption are giving way to a more nuanced picture, with real momentum and new opportunities in FoodTech.
We’ll kick off with a talk by food regulation and policy expert Brian Sylvester (Morrison Foerster, former USDA), followed by a candid panel featuring leaders from FoodTech startups Mission Barns and Michroma, moderated by Steve Simitzis (Replicator VC).
We’ll wrap with drinks and plant-based bites in 9Zero’s club space. This is a unique opportunity to meet investors, founders, and regulatory experts shaping the future of food.
Speakers
Brian Sylvester, Partner at Morrison Foerster, FDA + USDA Practice
Bianca Lê, Head of External Affairs, Mission Barns
Ricky Cassini, CEO & Co-founder, Michroma
Steve Simitzis (Host and Moderator), GP & Founder, Replicator VC
Bios
Brian P. Sylvester is a partner in Morrison Foerster's FDA & Healthcare Regulatory and Compliance Group. He is the head of Food Regulatory and an influential thought leader and practitioner in food tech regulation. Brian counsels clients across the full life cycle of regulated products, serving global brands, startups, life sciences companies, investors, and trade associations. In the area of food and beverage, Brian develops regulatory strategies to commercialize a range of food tech innovations, including transgenic crops and alternative proteins, such as cultivated meat and fermentation-derived food ingredients, among others. He has been recognized by a number of legal industry awards and publications such as Chambers USA, Bloomberg Law, and The National Law Journal. Chambers USA reports that Brian “is widely noted as an expert in regulatory issues relating to novel food technologies, with significant experience advising on USDA and FDA regulations.”
Bianca Lê is a cell biologist and science communicator working at the forefront of the cultivated meat industry. She is Head of Special Projects and External Affairs at Mission Barns, where she helped secure the first-ever regulatory approval for cultivated pork. Bianca holds a PhD in biomedical research focused on cardiomyocyte development and is the founder of Cellular Agriculture Australia.
Ricky Cassini is the Co-Founder and CEO of Michroma, a biotech company producing sustainable natural ingredients using precision fermentation. Michroma’s flagship product, Red+, is a high-performance, fungi-based colorant designed to replace synthetic dyes like Red 40 and Red 3. Prior to founding Michroma in 2019, Ricky was a strategy consultant and taught Operations and Logistics at Austral University. He holds degrees in Business Administration and Industrial Management, is an IndieBio alumnus, a Forbes 30 Under 30 in Food & Drink honoree, and was recognized as an MIT Innovator Under 35 LATAM.
Steve Simitzis is the Founding Partner of Replicator VC, and Partner at Solvable Syndicate, investing in early-stage startups to accelerate the transformation of our food system. Steve is a 3x exited founder with a background in pet food at Mars Petcare and Wild Earth, and launched Cell Valley Labs, an incubator for foodtech and bioeconomy startups. He is also Investor-In-Residence at Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture helping with commercialization of new spin-outs in next generation food and materials.
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