Panelists speaking at the Bioeconomy-focused "Open Question" event

Grand Challenges and the Exploratorium partner for new conversation series on Earth’s wicked problems

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UC Davis Grand Challenges and the Exploratorium in San Francisco have joined forces to host Open Question, a new conversation series that highlights interesting perspectives and cutting-edge research around the world’s most wicked problems.

Each Open Question event is held during the Exploratorium’s After Dark, adults-only nightlife event and features a panel of UC Davis faculty experts and industry partners. The inaugural event was hosted on July 25, 2024 and focused on the Bioeconomy with 4 panelists:

  • Dan Kurzrock – founder and CEO of Upcycled Foods, Inc., a pioneer in upcycled food innovation and food system circularity. He holds a BA from UCLA, where underage homebrewing started it all, and an MBA in sustainability from Presidio Graduate School.
  • Dr. Ned Spang – director of the Robert Mondavi Institute and faculty lead for the Food Loss and Waste Collaborative at UC Davis. His research focuses on how to understand and improve linked food, energy, and water resource systems.
  • Zane Starkewolfe –  co-founder of Optimized Foods, leveraging biology to create sustainable, nutritious foods from agricultural sidestreams. With a PhD in chemistry from UC Davis and a background in biotechnology, venture capital, and climate sustainability, he drives innovation in the food industry.
  • Dr. Ruihong Zhang – professor in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at UC Davis. Dr. Ruihong Zhang is a leading expert in the fields of bioprocessing and bioenvironmental engineering and is a fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

A video recording of the July 25 event is available here.

Upcoming events will focus on Extreme Environments (September 26), Artificial Intelligence (January 23), and Health Tech (March 20). Find more information about the event series here.