Future Food-Tech San Francisco 2027 Exhibitor List

Abi is an attorney, author, and lifelong food allergy sufferer. She was named to Business Insider's 2019 Top 100 Coolest People in Food & Drink. Her work has been published in several well-known periodicals and journals, including Forbes and The Atlantic, and her research has been featured in The Economist. Abi authored two guidebooks on corporate social responsibility, published by Patagonia & Yale. She holds advanced degrees from Vermont Law School and Yale University, and is the co-inventor on two issued patents. Abi is committed to making the world a safer place for the food allergy community, and using business as a force for good.

Dager has more than 15 years of experience in the global food industry, leading and developing new businesses and products across multiple categories for some of the world’s most renowned brands. With broad international experience, he focuses on innovation, healthier nutrition, and connecting brands with evolving customer needs through science-driven, market-ready solutions.

Dr. Tia M. Rains is an influential voice in food and nutrition and the current Global Co-chair for the International Life Sciences Institute. A scientist with more than 25 years of experience across the food and beverage industry, she is known for her evidence-based leadership in reshaping public understanding of food industry topics, most notably misunderstood ingredients such as eggs and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Until recently, Dr. Rains was Vice President of Science, Innovation & Corporate Affairs at Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc., where she led the R&D, Marketing and Corporate Communications teams. Before joining Ajinomoto, she held senior roles at Kraft Foods, the Egg Nutrition Center, Biofortis Clinical Research, and Merieux NutriSciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a B.S. in Food Science and Nutrition from Arizona State University.

Frédéric Destaillats, PhD, is the VP of Strategic Development at Checkerspot, which develops fats and oils not easily or sustainably sourced from nature, at commercially relevant scale & cost. A recognized expert in lipid science and technology, he specializes in leveraging scientific innovation to enhance human and animal nutrition. Frédéric earned his PhD from Université Laval in Québec, Canada, and has over two decades of experience translating cutting-edge research into real-world applications. His contributions to the field are reflected in an extensive body of work, including approximately 100 peer-reviewed publications and more than 50 patents, driving new possibilities in sustainable and high-performance lipid solutions.

Manmit Shrimali is the CEO & Founder of Turing Labs, pioneering the world's first built-for-R&D AI platform transforming CPG product innovation. With multiple patents in AI algorithms, he spearheaded the development of the first AI platform specifically designed for food scientists and recently launched a groundbreaking domain-intelligence assistant. Having secured $19M in funding from Y Combinator and leading Silicon Valley investors, he partners with global CPGs to revolutionize R&D through AI-driven solutions. Manmit is a frequent speaker at leading industry conferences, sharing insights on making R&D a strategic advantage.