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Multidisciplinary

Our team’s diverse expertise fuels a holistic approach, integrating social, physical, and life sciences alongside deep industry experience to address the complex challenges of sustainable food systems.

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Research-first

Our work is grounded in extensive research and we take a smart, pragmatic approach to food and sustainability. We specialise in ethical and sustainable food systems and, subsequently, each of our projects begins with a robust foundation of knowledge.

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Innovative

We leverage our deep industry expertise and the latest technology to deliver cutting-edge solutions. Our projects are executed to the highest standards, providing our clients with a competitive edge and access to untapped potential.

Meet the team

We are a multidisciplinary team of food systems academics with over four decades of combined industry experience at the intersection of food and sustainability, our mission is rooted in transforming research insights into actionable and data-driven strategies.

Alice Johnson of Rooted Research Collective

Alice Johnson

Chief Scientific Officer

Alice Johnson is a PhD scientist specialising in cultivated meat bioprocessing, alt protein research writer, amateur mycologist, and the co-founder of Vegan Sisters. With a robust blend of research, industry, and hands-on experience, Alice has channelled her career into advocating for ethical and sustainable food systems.

Her work has garnered international recognition, including appearances on BBC News and publications in a variety of outlets, including The National Geographic, Green Queen, and The Biochemist. When she’s not in the lab or typing away at her keyboard, Alice can be found exploring woodland realms in search of fungi or discovering the best vegan cuisine across the world, which she eagerly shares on her website.

Jessie Barker of Rooted Research Collective

Jessie Barker

Chief Behavioral Officer

Dr. Jessica Barker is a behavioral scientist bringing over a decade of post-PhD research experience spanning environmental and public health issues. She uses this research to drive behavior change to achieve a more sustainable and equitable food system.

Her academic training has given her deep expertise in the most rigorous research methods to understand human behavior, and she has worked across the public and private sectors deploying her research skills for social impact. For example, at the UK’s Behavioural Insights Team, she worked on projects including redesigning menus to encourage plant-based food consumption and with clients including the UN Environment Programme.

Outside of work she tackles the biggest behavior change challenge of all: being a parent to young twins. And for that she needs all the creativity she can muster from a run, bike ride or hike.

Marlana Malerich of Rooted Research Collective

Marlana Malerich

Chief Program Officer

Marlana Malerich is a PhD candidate at Sussex University Business School where she is focused on evaluating meat and alternative meat-eating habits in Europe, industry responses, and consumer behaviour. Marlana brings extensive experience at the intersection of food and sustainability, focusing on project management, program development, and partnership engagement. She has served as an adjunct assistant professor, and designed a unit on animal agriculture and the future of protein — with an emphasis on a just transition.

At Rooted Research Collective, Marlana harnesses her project management and partnership-building skills to support the development and implementation strategic programming and stakeholder engagement.

When she’s not talking about food, Marlana enjoys cooking, gardening, reading science fiction, attending theater, and spending time with her 9-year-old rescued English bulldog, Mugsy.

Lucy Johnson of Rooted Research Collective

Lucy Johnson

Chief Ethics & Policy Officer

Lucy Johnson is an advocate for animal rights and a scholar of political thought, with a BA in Politics and an MA in Global Justice. Their academic pursuits at the University of Sheffield were deeply influenced by the works of Peter Singer, which fostered a commitment to examining the ethical underpinnings of human consumption of animal products and advocating for the extension of rights to non-human animals.

Her career led her into the world of digital marketing, where she founded a vegan digital marketing agency and launched multiple blogs focusing on vegan food, lifestyle and travel. A lover of travel, Lucy delights in discovering the world’s best vegan cuisines. Back home, she finds joy in nurturing Percy, her cherished sourdough starter.

Advisors

Meet the Rooted advisory board: a group of distinguished experts with extensive experience and research interests spanning food systems, climate change, public health, animal welfare, data analysis, policy, governance, regulation, and more. Their invaluable guidance helps steer Rooted Research Collective towards informed and impactful action.

Steve Simitzis headshot for Rooted Research Collective

Steve Simitzis

Technical Advisor

Steve Simitzis is a partner and lead at Solvable Syndicate, investing in early stage startups to accelerate transformation of our food system. He brings 25+ years experience in Silicon Valley as a founder, technology leader, and data storyteller. He is also a venture studio builder and mentor at accelerators such as Brinc and Big Idea Ventures.

As a multi-time CTO in diverse markets like social media, healthcare, entertainment, and e-commerce, he entered foodtech to apply his experience as a technologist to his 25+ year mission as a plant-based vegan. Most recently he was CTO/CMO at Wild Earth, where he led digital marketing and built the company’s data science team, and launched Wild Earth’s foodtech incubator Cell Valley Labs as a special project.

When he’s not thinking about the animals in our food system, he’s kept busy with mediating the cat/dog sibling rivalry between the animals in his home.

Jack A Bobo an advisor for Rooted Research Collective

Jack A Bobo

Food Systems Advisor

Jack Bobo is the Director of the University of Nottingham’s Food Systems Institute. Prior to joining the Institute, Jack served as the Director of Global Food and Water Policy at The Nature Conservancy and as the CEO of Futurity, a food foresight company. Recognized by Scientific American as one of the 100 most influential people in biotechnology, he also served as the senior advisor for global food policy at the U.S. Department of State.

Jack is the author of the 2021 book ‘Why smart people make bad food choices’ and a global thought leader. He has delivered more than 500 keynote speeches in 50 countries on the future of food. Degrees include: J.D., M.S. in Environmental Science, B.S. in biology and B.A. in psychology and chemistry.