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

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.