A plant-based
growth story

Our approach to plant-based foods is unique – and it’s leading to innovations that have the potential to radically change the industry. We’re backed by a seasoned leadership team, along with a world-class board of directors, advisors and investors. Together, we share a singular focus: improving the taste and nutrition of plant-based foods.

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leadership

Our leaders combine their passion for plant-based foods with their deep experience across the food, agriculture, biotech and technology industries.

Jonathan McIntyre Chief Executive Officer
Formerly Head of R&D at Indigo Agriculture, SVP R&D at PepsiCo, and SVP at DuPont- Solae, Jon has more than 25 years in life sciences and consumer products. He’s an accomplished executive with broad experience leading technology teams, discovery and development scientists, culinary chefs, and commercial leaders. He has a passion for servant leadership, a track record of developing talent, and believes that biotechnology will propel the next food revolution through affordable, sustainable and accessible ingredients. Jon is a member of Motif’s Board of Directors.

Michele Fite Chief Commercial Officer
Michele brings nearly 30 years of diverse experience across food and consumer goods, including infant formula, weight management, sports nutrition, medical foods and dietary supplements. Formerly President of Dairy and Culinary with Kerry Ingredient and Flavors, she has held leadership roles at a number of companies, including DuPont, Solae and Nestle. Michele was the founding CEO at Cadena BioSciences, a start-up focused on gut microbiomes. Michele has deep, proven experience heading global strategy, planning, operations and P&L responsibility for multi-billion dollar portfolios.

Michael Leonard Chief Technology Officer,
SVP Research and Development
Formerly VP and Head of R&D for White Space Innovation and Commercialization at Kraft Heinz, Mike brings more than 16 years of industrial science and technology experience to lead Motif’s technical strategy and build out its R&D capabilities. Previously Mike was Vice President of Process Technology for Global Snacks R&D at PepsiCo, and he held leadership roles in process and protein ingredient research, business development and strategy at IFF and DuPont Nutrition and Health. Mike has a proven track record leading global teams to deliver innovation across developing and emerging markets.

Janet Collins Head of Regulatory,
Government & Industrial
Affairs
Formerly Executive Vice President for Science and regulatory affairs at CropLife America, Dr. Collins, brings over 30 years of experience in food and biotechnology regulation to Motif FoodWorks. Prior to CropLife America, Dr. Collins was Director of Corporate Regulatory affairs at DuPont, and the Director of Global Advocacy and International Organizations at Monsanto. As the former President of the Institute of Food Technologists, Dr. Collins is a recognized leader in agricultural advocacy and regulatory affairs with a deep understanding of the U.S. meat and dairy industries.

Elizabeth King Vice President,
People & Culture
Formerly HR lead at Capsule8 and Nuance Communications and previously Operations and HR at RSA and BMC software. Beth brings over 12 years of experience growing and cultivating strong corporate cultures across a mix of technology and R&D organizations. Beth has proven ability to operate at scale, having supported 600+ person teams, as well as operating from the ground up, having developed and scaled entirely new HR infrastructures. Beth brings hands-on operations experience and a practical approach to attracting and growing teams to be successful.

Indra Nooyi
Indra Nooyi is the former Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo (2006-2019); a Fortune 50 company with operations in over 180 countries. In this role, she was the chief architect of Performance with Purpose, PepsiCo’s pledge to do what’s right for the business by being responsive to the needs of the world around us. Currently, Mrs. Nooyi is a member of the board of Amazon and sits on the Audit Committee. She is a member of the International Advisory Council of Temasek, an independent director of the International Cricket Council and is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. She is also a Dean’s Advisory Council member at MIT’s School of Engineering and a member of the MIT Corporation. Additionally, she is the Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership at West Point where she helps enhance the ability of both the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership and the U.S. Military Academy to fulfill the mission of developing leaders of character.

Walter Robb
Walter Robb is an investor, mentor and advisor to the next generation of American food companies. Robb has dedicated his career to bringing healthier, more sustainable food to more people, and striving to bring purpose and values to business. As former co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, Robb has a long and varied entrepreneurial history, ranging from natural food retailer to farmer to consultant. Robb joined Whole Foods Market in 1991 and in 2010 was named co-CEO along with John Mackey, at which time he joined the Whole Foods Market Board of Directors. In 2017, Robb transitioned his leadership focus to mentoring and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs through the creation of Stonewall Robb Advisors. Robb also serves on the Board of Directors for Union Square Hospitality Group, Aphria (NASDAQ: APHA), Apeel Sciences and Hungry.

Michael Bonney
Michael Bonney is the current Chair of Kaleido Biosciences' Board of Directors, a clinical-stage healthcare company leveraging the microbiome to treat disease and improve human health; previously he served as the company's CEO. Bonney is the former president and CEO of Cubist Pharmaceuticals, which, under his leadership, grew into a leading antibiotic company and was acquired by Merck. Prior to Cubist, he held leading roles at Biogen and Zeneca Pharmaceuticals. Bonney chairs the boards of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Magenta Therapeutics and serves on the board of Bristol Myers Squibb.

Brian Kelley
Brian Kelley is Chairman and CEO of PearlRock Partners and the former president and CEO of Keurig Green Mountain Coffee, where he revolutionized new category innovation and product expansion. Before Keurig, Kelley served as President of The Coca-Cola Company's North American operations. Prior to Coca-Cola, Kelley was the CEO of SIRVA, Inc. His earlier experience includes Ford Motor Company, The General Electric Company, and Procter & Gamble. Currently, Kelley also serves on the Board of Trustees of College of the Holy Cross.

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advisors

Dr. Jason Kelly
Dr. Jason Kelly is Co-Founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks. Ginkgo is a synthetic biology company that programs cells for customers in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and energy industries. The company recently raised over $430M to expand their automated genetic engineering foundries. They have a $100M joint venture with Bayer to develop microbes for self-fertilizing crops, a $160M partnership with Roche to develop antibiotics and with Motif for making animal-free protein ingredients. Prior to Ginkgo, Jason received B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology and a PhD in Biological Engineering.

Jason Kakoyiannis
Jason Kakoyiannis focuses on corporate development at Ginkgo Bioworks where he helps catalyze new operating companies like Motif. Prior to joining Ginkgo, Jason held strategic growth roles at Givaudan developing global products and brands with Unilever, Natura, Estée Lauder, and others. He began his career as an M&A attorney at Shearman & Sterling in public company transactions and takeover defense. He was a curatorial fellow at the Whitney Museum of Art and currently advises several biotech startups. Jason received his BA from Brown University, MA from Yale, and JD from USC.

Olu Beck
Olu Beck is the Founder and CEO of The Beck Group NJ, LLC, a boutique strategy and management consulting company that works with PE firms to drive purpose and shareholder value. She is a member of the Board and sits on the Audit Committees of Freshpet, Inc. and Hostess Brands, Inc. Prior roles include CEO of Wholesome Sweeteners, Inc.; CFO of Uncle Ben's; and other senior executive roles at Fortune 50 companies Mars, Inc. and Johnson and Johnson. She has broad management experience leading U.S. and global teams to attain transformational growth in competitive categories by investing in and leveraging innovation. She was named as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Women CEO’s of the Mid-Market in the USA by CEO Connection in 2017 and 2018.

Chris Rivest
Chris Rivest is a partner at Breakthrough Energy Ventures working with innovative food and agriculture companies that have the potential to significantly improve the sustainability and profitability of the global food system. Chris has 15 years of experience across multiple biotech and technology startups in a wide variety of fields. Chris has founded three companies, served in a multitude of executive roles (CEO, COO, Board Director, VP Business Development, Head of R&D), and raised more than $70 million in venture capital. Chris received his Bachelors of Science from MIT in Mechanical Engineering.

Jonathan McIntyre
CEO of Motif FoodWorks and former head of R&D at Indigo Agriculture, SVP R&D at PepsiCo, and SVP at DuPont- Solae, Jon has more than 25 years in life sciences and consumer products. He’s an accomplished executive with broad experience leading technology teams, discovery and development scientists, culinary chefs, and commercial leaders. He has a passion for servant leadership, a track record of developing talent, and believes that biotechnology will propel the next food revolution through affordable, sustainable and accessible ingredients. Jon is a member of Motif’s Board of Directors.

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our board
of directors

Dr. Jason Kelly is Co-Founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks. Ginkgo is a synthetic biology company that programs cells for customers in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and energy industries. The company recently raised over $430M to expand their automated genetic engineering foundries. They have a $100M joint venture with Bayer to develop microbes for self-fertilizing crops, a $160M partnership with Roche to develop antibiotics and with Motif for making animal-free protein ingredients. Prior to Ginkgo, Jason received B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology and a PhD in Biological Engineering.

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LINELatest press releases

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May 13, 2021
Motif FoodWorks Gains Exclusive Access to Transformative Plant-Based Technologies
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April 06, 2021
Motif FoodWorks Strengthens Leadership Team with New VP of Business Development and Partnerships
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December 17, 2020
Motif FoodWorks opens new home for plant-based food innovation.
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