Join us at the 20th Annual California Bioresources Alliance Symposium on March 11-12, 2026 at the UC Davis Aggie Square Innovation Campus in Sacramento, CA.
Bringing together leaders from industry, government, community organizations, and UC Davis research, this year’s theme, “Comprehensive Impacts from the Local to Planetary Scale,” will showcase how innovative bioeconomy solutions can drive meaningful change – from neighborhood initiatives to global strategies.
Agenda Updates
DAY 1 (In Person)
Time
8:30 – 9:00
Check-In & Networking Coffee
9:00 – 9:10
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Dr. Simon Atkinson
Vice Chancellor for Research, UC Davis
Maile Lono-Batura
Director of Renewable Resources, CA Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA)
Dr. Paul Dodd
Associate Vice Chancellor, UC Davis Grand Challenges
9:10 – 9:20
UC Davis Highlights — Research, Education, and Workforce Development Enabling the California Bioeconomy
Dr. Marcel Holyoak
Associate Dean, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, UC Davis
9:20 – 9:40
Opening Presentation: CalRecycle Zero Waste Plan
Zoe Heller
Director, CalRecycle
9:40 – 10:30
Panel Discussion — Linking Science to Policy and Implementation
Moderator: Dr. Marcel Holyoak
Associate Dean, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, UC Davis
Krystal Acierto
Vice President of Public Policy, BEAM Circular
Kate Gordon
CEO, California Forward
Zoe Heller
Director, CalRecycle
Heidi Sanborn
Executive Director, National Stewardship Action Council
Patrick Wright
Director, Governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force
10:30 – 11:00
Networking Break
11:00 – 12:00
Breakout Sessions
Track A: Food Upcycling, Byproducts & Waste Valorization
Moderators: Lauren Fondahl, California Bioresources Alliance
Dr. Paul Dodd, Associate Vice Chancellor, UC Davis Grand Challenges
Dr. Daniela Barile
Professor, Food Science and Technology, UC Davis
Stephanie Cain
Compost Planning Manager, People, Food and Land Foundation
Dr. Chris Simmons
Department Chair and Associate Professor, Food Science and Technology, UC Davis
Scott Smithline
Head of Organics Policy and Research, Mill
Dr. Ned Spang
Faculty Director, Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, UC Davis
Track B: Biorefining, Bioprocessing & Fermentation
Moderator: Dr. Boon-Ling Yeo
Professional Researcher, Air Quality Research Center, UC Davis
Jim Dunbar
General Manager, Lystek International
Dr. Somen Nandi
Adjunct Professor, Chemical Engineering, UC Davis
Dr. Ruihong Zhang
Professor, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, UC Davis
Dr. Steve Zicari
Director, Nutrient Solutions, Divert
12:00 – 1:30
Catered Lunch & Networking
1:30 – 2:00
Workforce and Design for California’s Emerging Bioeconomy
Dr. Christina Cogdell
Professor, Department of Design, UC Davis
Dr. Denneal Jamison-McClung
Director, BioTech SYSTEM, UC Davis
2:00 – 3:00
Breakout Sessions
Track C: Biomass Conversion, Pyrolysis, Gasification, and Biochar Production
Moderator: Michael Long
Principal, Long Thermochemical
Siddhartha Gadiraju
Product Director, CarboCulture Inc.
CJ Nord
Founder, Supply Chains for Good
Dr. Sanjai J. Parikh
Associate Professor, Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, UC Davis
Joel Thornton
Director, Corporate Development, Aries Clean Technologies
Track D: Compost, Biosolids & Related Topics
Moderator: Dan Noble
Founder, Noble Bioresources Inc.
Patrick Beckett
Vice President, R&D and Quality, BioFiltro
Maile Lono-Batura
Director of Renewable Resources, CA Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA)
Derek Manheim
Asst. Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Dr. Ramin Yazdani
Associate Professional Researcher, UC Davis Air Quality Research Center
Jeff Ziegenbein
President, Association of Compost Producers
3:00 – 3:15
Break
3:15 – 4:15
California Bioeconomy Roadmap Development Consultation
Kate Gordon
Chief Executive Officer, California Forward
Jake Higdon
Energy Transition Fellow, California Forward
4:15 – 4:30
Day 1 Debrief & Wrap-Up Discussion
4:30 – 6:00
Reception and Student Poster Presentations
DAY 2 (Virtual)
VIRTUAL (Zoom Link Forthcoming)
9:00 – 9:10
Welcome, Day 1 Summary, and Day 2 Overview
9:10 – 10:00
Keynote Presentations: International Bioeconomy Development Perspectives
Moderators: Dr. Paul Dodd, Associate Vice Chancellor, UC Davis Grand Challenges Sarah Olson, Director of Global Partnerships, UC Davis
Dr Florent Bernard
Science Counsellor, Delegation of the European Union to the United States
Dr. Kevin O’Connor
Professor of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, University College Dublin
Director, BiOrbic Research Ireland Centre for Bioeconomy
Dr. Volker Sieber
Founding Rector, TUM Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability, Technical University Munich, Germany
Padraig Walsh
Farm Zero C Project Manager, Carbery Group/BiOrbic
Dr. Peter Langborg Wejse
Programme Manager, Plant2Food Consortium, Aarhus University, Denmark
10:00 – 11:00
Panel Session – Infrastructure Needs, Gaps & Financing the Bioeconomy
Moderator: Matthew Hart
CEO, Momentum: Move Innovation Forward
Kara Leong
Executive Director, Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein (iCAMP), UC Davis, and Partnership Team, UC ANR Innovate
Josh Morejohn
Executive Director, Utilities & Engineering Operations, UC Davis
Mark Romney
Senior Vice President, Blue Rise Ventures
Dr. Keith Taylor
Associate Professor, Cooperative Extension & Community Economic Development, UC Davis
Karen Warner
CEO, BEAM Circular
11:00-11:30
Wrap-Up and Call to Action
Note: Speaker order within each session is alphabetical and does not indicate order of speaking during event.
Questions?
Please email our team at [email protected]
