Uma Valeti

Dr. Uma Valeti is a cardiologist-turned-entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of UPSIDE Foods, a cultivated meat company focused on producing meat, poultry, and seafood directly from animal cells. After completing residencies at Wayne State and SUNY Buffalo, Valeti pursued three fellowships at Mayo Clinic, specializing in cardiology, interventional cardiology, and advanced cardiovascular imaging. During his tenure at Mayo Clinic, while researching heart muscle tissue repair with stem cells, Valeti recognized the potential for stem cells to grow animal muscle tissue, which led to his transition from medicine to food technology.

Valeti co-founded UPSIDE Foods, originally named Memphis Meats, in San Francisco with Nicholas Genovese and Will Clem. At UPSIDE Foods, he applies his clinical expertise and experience as a business leader and investor in food technology and medical device startups. Valeti has held leadership roles at the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology and has contributed to several startups in the medical and food tech sectors. His motivation for moving from medicine to food technology stems from a desire to impact public health and sustainability on a global scale.

Under Valeti's leadership, UPSIDE Foods has achieved several industry milestones, including being the first cultivated meat company to produce multiple species of meat, the first to establish a production facility, and the first to receive clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for human consumption. The company also completed the U.S. pre-market regulatory review process for cultivated meat, obtaining a Grant of Inspection from the United States Department of Agriculture for its cultivated chicken. UPSIDE Foods' cultivated chicken debuted at Bar Crenn in San Francisco through a partnership with chef Dominique Crenn. The company has raised over $600 million from investors such as Richard Branson, John Mackey, Bill Gates, Temasek, SoftBank, Cargill, Tyson Foods, and Whole Foods.

Valeti has been recognized by Foreign Policy magazine as a Global Thinker of the Decade and received the Genius Award from Liberty Science Center. UPSIDE Foods has earned industry accolades, including the New York Times Good Tech Awards, FastCo's Next Big Thing in Tech, and the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation by the National Association for Business Resources. The company is featured in the documentary "Meat the Future," which documents the development of cultivated meat. Valeti serves on the Advisory Council of The Good Food Institute and has been featured in Wall Street Journal, Aspen Ideas Festival, and SXSW. He also teaches cardiovascular medicine at Stanford University. As a keynote speaker, Valeti addresses topics such as heart health, medicine, healthcare, executive leadership, business leadership, and entrepreneurship, drawing on his background in science, business, and sustainable food innovation.