Catalyzing Innovation in Food & Health

Faculty Director, Innovation Institute for Food and Health

Justin’s scientific focus is on the design and discovery of enzymes of interest to modern society. He has engineered enzymes for a wide range of applications, including therapeutics, natural products, and nutrient bioavailability. Justin is a co-inventor on more than 100 global patents, published over 50 scholarly articles, co-founded eleven companies, as well as five major consortiums. Many of Justin’s companies have had great success. For example, PvP Biologics was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceuticals for $300,000,000, and Digestiva recently raised $18,000,000 and is on track to change the world by enhancing protein digestibility. Dr. Siegel was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in 2023. Justin studied chemistry at UC Davis before obtaining his PhD at University of Washington, where he worked in the protein design lab of Nobel Prize winner, David Baker.

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Entrepreneur & Investor

Dr. Brock Siegel brings a wealth of experience at the intersection of life sciences, innovation, and strategic investment to FHA. He was chair of Life Angels, the #1 biotech angel investment group in the world, with many successful exits. With a PhD in BioOrganic Chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where his research notably included work on enzymes that metabolize food, Brock has a foundational understanding of the science driving the food for health sector. His career is distinguished by significant leadership and entrepreneurial achievements. Brock was the COO of Solexa, which was later acquired by Illumina, a pivotal player in genomic sequencing. He is also a Co-Founder of Swan Genomics, showcasing his commitment to building and guiding early-stage life science ventures and an early investor in “ZeroIn” an enzyme based sugar alternative. Brock's expertise extends deeply into investment and advisory roles. He has served as a Managing Partner at BioInfleXion Point Partners, specializing in early-stage life-science investments. His board memberships have included companies like Akadeum Life Sciences and Blueprint Genetics, highlighting his ability to identify and nurture promising companies in the biotechnology and healthcare sectors.

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Director of Programs, Innovation Institute for Food and Health

At UC Davis, Kim works to bring promising research to market for human impact. Kim also serves as Chair of Research on the board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Kim is also on the deal f low vetting team for Astia Ventures and is a Chief Impact Officer at Start-Up Health. Kim has created several classes at UC Berkeley and served on the board of the Haas School of Business. She helped start and run the BioCube incubator in San Jose and Astia (formerly the Women’s Technology Cluster) in San Francisco, mentoring and supporting hundreds of start-up companies to successful growth and exit. She founded, ran, and sold her own software company AudioBasket after raising $26,000,000, and building and managing a team of 60 people. As a leading female CEO, Kim has been featured in five books and has appeared on the cover of US News & World Report. She has a BS in Marketing and Economics from Wharton, a BA in Psychology from U. Penn, and an MBA from UC Berkeley.

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Chief Innovation Officer, UC Davis

After a BSC and a PhD in Organic Chemistry at the University of Glasgow, George enjoyed a 15-year international sales, marketing, and management career in industry. He then held many leadership roles in economic development with the UK Government and universities before moving to the University of Edinburgh in 2016 as CEO of Edinburgh Innovations Ltd., the University’s commercialization company whose staff of 150 lead on business development, consultancy, venture capital, spin-outs, start-ups and student enterprise. In April 2024 George became the inaugural Chief Innovation and Economic Development Officer at UC Davis, which includes leadership of the 1 million square foot Aggie Square center housing top researchers and start-up companies in Sacramento.

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Principal, Impact Venture Capital

Aaron teaches and mentors start-ups as well as providing them with access to capital and customers, as the Director of the Student Start-Up Center at UC Davis. In his role, he sees and has access to many promising start-ups. As Principal at Impact Venture Capital, Aaron actively invests in tenacious founders developing solutions to major global challenges. His experience includes guiding startups, teaching entrepreneurship at UC Davis, and a background that spans economics, political science, international affairs with the US State Department, and direct community work with Habitat for Humanity. Aaron's current work as an investor, evidenced by board seats in various tech companies, and his passion for fostering ideas, uniquely positions him to identify and assist impactful ventures within the food for health sector. Aaron has an MBA from Harvard and a BA in Economics from BYU.

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Investment Advisor

David Hultman is a Senior Client Executive and Relationship Manager with deep expertise in advising ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, and foundation clients on investment strategy, capital allocation, and philanthropic impact. A proud alumnus of University of California, Davis (B.S., Agriculture & Managerial Economics), he has maintained strong ties to the UCD community—serving as Chair of the Audit Committee of the UC Davis Foundation and as a key connector between university innovation and private-capital channels. As a founding member of the angel-investment network, David leverages his investment advisory background, institutional-level fiduciary experience, and passion for translating academic research into commercial outcomes in the food & health sector. He brings strategic clarity, governance rigor, and a committed mission-orientation toward driving innovation in metabolic health and disease prevention.

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Managing Partner, Cornucopian Capital

Aryeh Ganz is the Founder and Managing Partner of Cornucopian Capital and co-founder (and Managing Partner) of Barnstorm Foundry—a venture studio focused on early-stage food, health and technology companies defining the “Medicine 3.0” era. He began his career as principal of the family office stemming from the sale of Slim Fast Foods and has since deployed capital and built platforms focused on personalized health and wellness, biosensing technologies, bioactives, and digital-health innovations. In his role with the angel network, Aryeh contributes his deep domain insight in metabolic health, his track record in investing, founding and scaling mission-driven companies, and his unique ability to bridge academic research with commercial venture outcomes. He is especially focused on backing teams and technologies that move the needle on preventive health and food innovation.

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Attorney and Principal, Dellenbach Venture Counsel Ltd.

Rob is a Silicon Valley lawyer who has represented high-growth ventures and their investors since 1989, advising on venture capital and private equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic intellectual property transactions in Silicon Valley and worldwide. Rob was a partner at Fenwick & West LLP and Reed Smith LLP and founded Dellenbach Venture Counsel Ltd. in 2013 to serve startup and growth-stage ventures, entrepreneurs, and their investors. He is a founder and director of NorCal Venture Forum. Rob speaks frequently on business planning, venture finance, intellectual property, and acquisition strategies, including at Stanford Law School, UC Berkeley Haas, UC Davis, and e2i.academy. Rob is licensed to practice law in California and is a member of the American Bar Association and the State Bar of California. He received his J.D. from Stanford Law School and graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. (Honors) from the University of Utah.

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Director of Operations, Food & Health Angels

Associate Business Development Project Manager at the Greater Sacramento Economic Council. Leads agriculture and food technology business development initiatives across the region. Supported companies to create over 170 jobs and generate millions in economic impact.

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