Leah Bessa
De Novo Dairy, South Africa
Co-founder and Head of Research and Development for innovative Agritech start-up De Novo Dairy
Leah completed her PhD in Food Science at Stellenbosch University researching insects as an alternative to meat and has gained industry experience in food product development. She co-founded and lead the Research and Development for innovative Agritech start-up Gourmet Grubb (est 2016), which focused on creating functional, sustainable proteins from sustainably farmed insects. In 2021, she co-founded De Novo Dairy, which focuses on using precision fermentation to produce animal-free dairy proteins. She is also currently working with the UN climate champions regenerative agriculture team in the lead up to COP26.
De Novo Dairy, South Africa
Co-founder and Head of Research and Development for innovative Agritech start-up De Novo DairyLeah completed her PhD in Food Science at Stellenbosch University researching insects as an alternative to meat and has gained industry experience in food product development. She co-founded and lead the Research and Development for innovative Agritech start-up Gourmet Grubb (est 2016), which focused on creating functional, sustainable proteins from sustainably farmed insects. In 2021, she co-founded De Novo Dairy, which focuses on using precision fermentation to produce animal-free dairy proteins. She is also currently working with the UN climate champions regenerative agriculture team in the lead up to COP26.