Innovation Summit 2021

The world is experiencing a profound moment in its awareness of food systems, health and nutrition, and environmental sustainability. Intersecting with this moment is a rapidly accelerating technology sector that creates new opportunities for unimagined efficiencies and innovations. The moment calls for governments and companies of all sizes, and researchers from a broad array of disciplines to come together to create an evidence-based, equitable and productive modern food system that will sustain generations into the future.

A new element is at play however, the internet. Much of this increase in awareness is due to a digital information revolution that offers advice to the consumer 24/7. Self-diagnosing is the norm, personal health data is collected on our wrist and through mail-in kits, and advice is sought from Amazon reviews before it is requested from a clinical professional. Meanwhile, Americans are seeing little health improvement overall as the health and wellness industry grows.

The Tufts Friedman School and its Food & Nutrition Innovation Institute are pleased to present a fall Innovation Summit focused on new challenges and opportunities for nutrition innovation in the rapidly evolving digital economy. Researchers, industry leaders, and government officials will offer thought leadership on the path ahead.

Summit Agenda

1:00 PM - Welcome and Opening Remarks

What does the future of nutrition science look like in a rapidly accelerating technology sector?

1:05 PM - Keynote Address – “Getting it Right for Unpaid Caregivers”

1:35 PM - Panel #1 - Misinformation, Science and Nutrition Innovation Opportunities

How will we reconcile misinformation on the internet with the promotion of new opportunities in nutrition innovation?

Panelists: Sean Cash, Tambra Raye Stevenson, Jennifer L. Pomeranz

2:05 PM - Panel #2 - Building a Platform for Innovation

What does an evidenced-based platform for nutrition innovation look like?

Panelists: Tristin Brisbois, Josh Stevens, Parke Wilde

2:40 PM - Panel #3 - Innovating for the Consumer

What does the consumer market look like in the future of nutrition innovation?

Panelists: Betsy Fore, Jim Flatt, Josh Trautwein

3:15 PM - Panel #4 - Food Systems Innovations

How do we create meaningful, impactful, and evidenced-based solutions for a healthy and sustainable food system?

Panelists: Sara Eckhouse, Erin Coughlan de Perez, Laith Abu-Taleb

3:45 PM - Closing Remarks and Discussion

4:00 PM - Adjourn

Speaker Profiles

Keynoter: Alexandra Drane
CEO and Co-Founder of ARCHANGELS

Corby Kummer, Moderator
Senior Lecturer, Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy; Senior Editor, The Atlantic; Executive Director, Food and Society Program, The Aspen Institute.

Sean Cash, Panelist
Economist, Tufts University Friedman School; projects include food: labeling of ethical attributes of food production; online food retailing; and how point-of-sale health messaging impacts consumers’ demand for food.

Tambra Raye Stevenson, Panelist
CEO and Founder of WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and Agriculture; consumer health contributor for U.S. News and World Report; over 15 years of experience addressing social determinants of nutrition.

Jennifer L. Pomeranz, Panelist
Interim Chair, Department of Public Health Policy and Management at New York University; research focus on the food environment, obesity, products that cause public harm, and social injustices that lead to health disparities.

William Li, Moderator
CEO and President of the Angiogenesis Foundation; world-renowned physician, scientist, and New York Times bestselling author of EAT TO BEAT DISEASE: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself.

Tristin Brisbois, Panelist
Director, Global R&D Life Sciences, PepsiCo, advancing the translation of nutrition science in key areas, directing and guiding regional product innovation and brand communications.

Josh Stevens, Panelist
President and Chief Commercial Officer of DayTwo, leading go to market strategy and operations for the company, focused on payers, employers and health systems.

Parke Wilde, Panelist
Professor at the Tufts Friedman School; research focus on U.S. food and nutrition policy; consumer economics and federal food assistance programs.

Julie Meyer, Moderator
Co-CEO and Founder of Eat Well Global, a global strategic consulting firm working in food, nutrition and health.

Betsy Fore, Panelist
Co-CEO & Co-Founder of Tiny Organics, the early childhood nutrition company building a healthier generation of adventurous eaters with vegetable-first foods for babies and toddlers.

Jim Flatt, Panelist
Co-Founder, CEO of Brightseed, which is making proactive health more accessible through the discovery and development of natural product solutions for food, healthcare, and agriculture industries through Forager, a powerful AI-powered and system biology-informed technology platform.

Josh Trautwein, Panelist
Co-Founder, CEO of About Fresh, devoted to the science of social innovation, leads social impact strategy and development to support the organization’s growth.

Katie Stebbins, Moderator
Executive Director, Tufts Food & Nutrition Innovation Institute; former Secretary for Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship for Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Sara Eckhouse, Panelist
Executive Director, FoodShot Global; former Senior Advisor to Secretary Tom Vilsack at the U.S. Department of Agriculture focused on local and regional food systems, organic agriculture, and healthy food access.

Erin Coughlan de Perez, Panelist
Professor, Tufts Friedman School; inaugural recipient of the Dignitas Professorship at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

Laith Abu-Taleb, Panelist
VP of Corporate Affairs, General Counsel of Mori; international experience litigating, licensing, and patenting various pieces of high technology in materials science and biomedical engineering worlds.

Dariush Mozaffarian, Moderator
Dean, Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy; author of more than 450 scientific publications on dietary priorities for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, and on evidence-based policy approaches to reduce these burdens in the US and globally.

Watch the 2021 Summit Highlights

Course

NUTR 390: Introduction to AI-Based Applications for Nutrition and Health Research (AIRNH) offers an overview of AI-based applications beneficial for health and nutrition research. It emphasizes the use of knowledge graphs, conceptual maps, and causal diagrams to enhance understanding and practical skills. The course also focuses on ethical considerations in using AI-powered tools, addressing the impacts of structural missingness on algorithmic bias, and exploring data representation and model transparency within the context of nutrition science and policy.