Daniel is the founder of Alps2Ocean Foods, a Māori-owned agri-business pioneering sustainable beef production in Aotearoa. Driven by a vision to reshape the red meat sector, Alps2Ocean develops high-value brands and manufactured foods for export, starting with the all-natural Mīti beef bites.

Daniel’s diverse background in relationship management, technology sales, and a decade of hands-on farm management has provided unique insight into how data, science, and Aotearoa’s regenerative farming systems can meet growing global demand for low-carbon, high-quality nutrition.

Passionate about bull beef and animal welfare, Daniel is partnering across the industry to develop the Mataora system—transforming surplus dairy calves into a new young beef stock class. This system combines lamb-like production efficiency with the high-value ingredient approach of the dairy industry, creating a manufacturing beef ingredient scientifically proven as the most carbon-efficient of its kind.

Daniel is committed to working alongside farmers to ensure sustainable practices deliver better returns on-farm while safeguarding Aotearoa’s natural resources. Through collaboration with the sector and scientific validation, Alps2Ocean and Mīti demonstrate that a thriving red meat industry can align with environmental responsibility, securing New Zealand’s position as a global leader in premium, sustainable food production.

Andrew Fisher, a visionary entrepreneur, is dedicated to creating a sustainable future by closing the food and energy loop. His 17-year journey has led him to establish Eco Stock Supplies Limited, a company focused on diverting commercial food waste from landfills and repurposing it into high-energy feedstock.

Founded in 2007, Eco Stock Supplies Ltd has been at the forefront of salvaging the nutritional value of food waste to produce premium-quality stock feed. Under Andrew’s leadership, the company is committed to providing innovative food waste recycling solutions to the industry.

In a significant step towards sustainability, Andrew partnered with Pioneer Energy to form the Ecogas Limited Partnership, introducing anaerobic digestion technology to New Zealand. The flagship Reporoa Organics Process Facility (OPF) stands as the country’s first commercial-scale anaerobic digestion facility. Utilizing state-of-the-art technology, the Reporoa OPF processes up to 75,000 tonnes of food waste annually.

With a disciplined and visionary mindset honed by his service in the New Zealand Army and Special Air Services, Andrew is passionate about food waste recycling. He is continually working on product stewardship strategies to reduce and recover organics from waste, pioneering the industry with his innovative approach and re-engineering expertise.

An experienced scientist, Daniel has an R&D career spanning 30 years. The majority of this has been within the NZ public science system, where he led Scion’s Environmental Technologies research area for ten years.

His focus has been on technology innovation for resource recovery from waste materials. With expertise ranging from biological wastewater treatment to hydrothermal processing of solid wastes, Daniel has developed skills in process development from conception to laboratory and pilot testing and subsequent commercialisation.

Daniel now serves as Chief Science Officer (and is a co-founder) for Cetogenix - a climatetech start-up company focused on generating high value economic and environmental benefits through its proprietary organic waste-to-X conversion technologies.

Daniel was one of the original co-creators of the Bioresource Processing Alliance – and served extensively on the BPA SLG. He brings a unique perspective to the success of the Alliance as both an approver and ongoing recipient of project funding.

Trevor has spent most of his career as a senior executive in R&D, innovation, and technology commercialisation for the primary industries, bioeconomy, and clean technologies sectors, including as Research Director for AgResearch, Executive Vice President for FPInnovations in Canada, and as General Manager of Sustainable Design at Scion.

He has led deployment of technology spin-out platforms, served as Chair/Director for multiple Boards, and as strategic advisor for industry/academic research consortia. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor at University of British Columbia and University of Toronto and is an Executive-in-Residence for Foresight Canada – a cleantech accelerator.

In 2022, Trevor transitioned into entrepreneurship via his role as a co-founder and CEO for Cetogenix – a climatetech start-up company focused on generating high value economic and environmental benefits through its proprietary organic waste-to-X conversion technologies.

Trevor was one of the original co-creator/leaders of the Bioresource Processing Alliance – serving as establishment GM and as a member of the BPA Board. He brings a unique perspective to the success of the Alliance with respect to the principles of its formation and as a current recipient of project funding.

Julien has worked in both research and commercial organisations to develop and implement aquaculture projects that further the sustainability of the industry. His passion and current area of focus is full utilisation of marine resources, ‘No Seafood to Waste!’

In the past six years at New Zealand King Salmon, he has implemented several projects that have improved the company’s full fish utilisation from 74% to 93.8%, and he continues to build on the goal of 100% utilisation.

Mike Turner has been a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology for more than 20 years and has almost 50 years of commercial experience in bringing to market new and innovative Food/Nutraceutical opportunities into successful businesses in New Zealand, Europe and the USA.

His career started working in multinationals, and ended in a small private company.Taura Natural Ingredients in Tauranga gave him many highlights including the development of a unique low water activity drying operations that was a world first which allowed them to win many international awards.

After 28 years with Taura, he then purchased a small private business in Blenheim turning grape waste into a functional ingredient via an in-house developed water-based extraction. It was at this stage that his research relationship with Crown Research Institutes began.

NZ Extracts was purchased by a Japanese client in 2021.

Jessie is a seasoned business owner, director, and mentor with a 20-year journey in the private sector and corporate landscape, specialising in NPD, innovation, and strategy, primarily in the food industry.

Having ventured into entrepreneurship, she successfully founded and sold a food business called I Love Pies in 2018. With a passion for sustainability and a desire to make a difference, she has transitioned into the realm of impact innovation.

In her current pursuits, Jessie has created an Agritech company, leveraging the power of insect bioconversion to transform food waste into valuable protein and fertiliser. Her holistic approach to business encompasses not only profitability but also environmental and social impact, and she is dedicated to making a positive impact for people and the planet.

Simon is an insight professional with 20+ years’ experience across multiple sectors and geographies in both agency and client-side roles.

His passion lies in helping businesses better understand the reality, impacts, needs and perceptions of businesses for their customers or stakeholders and to use this insight to make better decisions or inform better strategies.

This experience has seen Simon work with a vast array of organisations from SME and owner operators to large multi-nationals and with teams interacting across the full spectrum of customer touchpoints. In the impact space, Simon delivers stakeholder work for a range of organisations including those in the logistics, primary industry and financial services sectors.

Nicky joined the BPA as General Manager in August 2023 and also represents the New Zealand Food Innovation Network in the region from Tairāwhiti down the east coast to Wellington. Additionally, she runs Hawke’s Bay’s activity related to the ‘Sustainable is Attainable’ initiative, bringing food processors together to collaborate on opportunities and challenges related to sustainability including adding value to co-products.

Nicky has a PhD in Food Science, and is a member of the Food Waste Champions 12.3 and the NZ Food Safety/Haumaru Kai Aotearoa Advisory Board. She is the current chair of the board of Foodeast Haumako.