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.

LINEMeet our
leadership

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

Michael Leonard Chief Executive Officer
Mike Leonard brings nearly two decades of experience in senior industrial science and technology roles in the specialty food ingredient and fast-moving consumer goods industries, with an emphasis on combining innovation, commercial execution, and organization-wide collaboration to deliver business results across developed and emerging markets. He served as Motif’s Chief Technology Officer from 2019 to 2022, where he developed the company’s technical strategy, built its R&D capabilities and delivered its first products. Prior to Motif, he held multiple leadership positions with Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, DuPont Nutrition & Health, and IFF.

Saloni Varma Chief Financial Officer
Saloni Varma brings 20+ years of diverse experience in strategic and operational finance to her role at Motif and currently also serves as the Chair of the Audit committee at Thorne Healthtech. She was formerly the CFO of ByHeart and prior to that she held leadership roles at various purpose-driven brands like Chobani, Dove, and Talenti, focusing on budgeting, forecasting, and execution on strategic opportunities. Saloni has also worked in investment banking in New York and Tokyo at UBS and began her career in accounting at KPMG in India. Saloni has a Masters in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School, a Masters of Accounting from University of Mumbai and is a a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India .

Janet Collins SVP 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.

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.

LINEMeet our
advisors

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.

Michael Leonard
Mike Leonard is Motif's CEO, and brings nearly two decades of experience in senior industrial science and technology roles in the specialty food ingredient and fast-moving consumer goods industries, with an emphasis on combining innovation, commercial execution, and organization-wide collaboration to deliver business results across developed and emerging markets. He served as Motif’s Chief Technology Officer from 2019 to 2022, where he developed the company’s technical strategy, built its R&D capabilities and delivered its first products. Prior to Motif, he held multiple leadership positions with Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, DuPont Nutrition & Health, and IFF.

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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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March 07, 2023
Motif FoodWorks Announces the Commercial Launch of APPETEX™
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March 06, 2023
Motif FoodWorks Partners with IngredientWerks on Research to Expand Technology Portfolio with Molecular Farming
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February 16, 2023
Food Tech Leaders Come Together to Form the Precision Fermentation Alliance to Champion a More Resilient and Sustainable Future
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