This webinar will focus on an additional journey that some Activate Fellows partake while in the program; parenthood. Join us as we look at the unique perspectives and intersections these Fellows have taken as they care for their new companies and a new family at home.
Panelists:
Eric Bellefroid (Brekland, Cohort 2023): Eric Bellefroid is the founder and CEO of Brekland, an agricultural technology company building the tools to strengthen farmers’ resilience against climate change. After growing up on a 900-acre dairy and grain farm, Bellefroid completed a B.Sc. at McGill University and a Ph.D. in geochemistry at Yale University. Before starting Brekland, he worked at McKinsey & Company as an engagement manager focusing on business strategy and innovation in chemicals and agriculture.
Tim Wannier (Wild Microbes, Cohort 2022): Timothy Wannier is co-founder and CEO of Wild Microbes. He earned a Ph.D. in protein biophysics from the California Institute of Technology and was a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard, where he developed advanced microbial engineering tools and piloted them in more than a dozen bacterial species. With Wild Microbes, Wannier is translating his focus on microbial biodiversity to applications ranging from biological production of sustainable products to the engineering of soil microbes.
Nili Persits (Dottir Labs, Cohort 2023): Nili Persits, the founder and chief science officer of Dottir Labs, is pursuing her Ph.D. in electrical engineering at MIT. Her area of research focuses on the scaling of optical sensors to enhance the production of therapeutics. With a deep passion for integrating biology and engineering, Persits has previously served as an R&D engineer and project manager in the aerospace industry. Her qualifications include an M.Sc. from Tel Aviv University and over a decade of experience in the industry.
Applications are now closed for the 2024 Cohort. For more information about the fellowship, next year's application process, and to sign up for application updates, visit www.activate.org/apply.