OUR TEAM:

Our seasoned management team brings a track-record of excellence in execution, and successfully bringing disruptive technologies to market.

 

Hortense Dodo PhD, Co-Founder and President, She leads the company with a wealth of experience in a variety of crucial fields. Her expertise spans peanut tissue culture, immunology, allergen analysis, food science, molecular biology, and genetic engineering. She was previously in academia, as a Tenured and full Professor of Food Biotechnology and Plant Molecular Biology at Alabama A&M University, where she developed the first of its kind successful research and teaching program in Food Biotechnology at an HBCU. Dr. Dodo obtained her PhD in Food Biotechnology and Molecular Biology from Penn State University, a Master’s in Food Science from the University of Georgia, another Master in Animal Sciences and a bachelor in Biological sciences both from the University of Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire). She is a co-inventor on 4 patents. At LinkedIn

 

Koffi Konan PhD, Co-Founder and Director of R&D, He spearheads the research activities at IngateyGen and has successfully established a peanut tissue culture and transformation program. His research leadership drives the company's innovation forward. With previous affiliations at the Scripps Research Institute and the Danforth Plant Science Center, Dr. Konan brings invaluable insights to peanut tissue culture and transformation, as well as gene editing. He has a PhD in Plant Biotechnology and a Master of Science in Enzyme Engineering both from the University of Picardie Jules-Vernes in Amiens France, and a Master of Science in Animal Sciences and a bachelor in Biological Sciences both from the University of Abidjan (Cote D’Ivoire). He is a co-inventor on 4 patents. At LinkedIn

 

John Salmeron PhD, Director of Operations, He is instrumental in ensuring the operational success of IngateyGen. His deep expertise in gene editing, both in technology development and licensing CRISPR IP, is a cornerstone of the company's capabilities. With a background that spans multinational agribusinesses and emerging enterprises, Dr. Salmeron's leadership is invaluable. John draws on more than two decades of experience managing research teams and project portfolios at multinational and startup companies such as Syngenta, Intrexon and Precision Biosciences. John completed his A.B. degree in Biology at Washington University in St. Louis, his Ph.D. in Botany and Genetics at Duke University, and carried out postdoctoral work at the University of California at Berkeley. At LinkedIn

 

Ms. E Brooks – Lab Manager/Lab Technician: As the Lab Manager and Technician, Emily plays a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth execution of experiments and research activities. Her educational background in plant science, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Genetics is a strong asset to the team's laboratory operations. Emily earned a Master’s degree in Horticulture Sciences and a bachelor in biochemistry and environmental sciences from North Carolina State University. At LinkedIn

 

 

 

OUR BUSINESS ADVISORS:

 

Ms. Karen LeVert is a business advisor at IngateyGen. She co-founded Ag TechInventures (AgTI) with a keen interest in advancing early-stage technologies into the commercial marketplace with a sole focus on technology innovation in agriculture.  Karen’s business experience encompasses both corporate and entrepreneurial worlds with over twenty-five years of successful leadership experience in start-ups, technology commercialization, and executive management. She holds an MBA from the University of Dayton and an Information Technology undergraduate degree from Eastern Michigan University (EMU).  Ms. LeVert received All-Academic honors while captaining her Division 1 basketball team at EMU. At LinkedIn

 

Todd K. Abraham, PhD is a business and strategy advisor at IngateyGen. He was Senior Vice President of Research and Nutrition for Mondelēz International (formally Kraft Foods), a $35B multinational food company with internationally known brands such as Oreo, Trident, Cadbury, Milka, Sour Patch Kids.  He was responsible for worldwide technology development and strategy, long term cross category Research Programs, Analytical Sciences, Open Innovation, Consumer Sciences and Knowledge Management across the enterprise as well as having accountability for the Reading Scientific Services LTD business in Reading, UK.  Before moving to Mondelēz International as Sr. Vice President, Product Development, Nabisco Foods Company, he held previous leadership positions in Marketing, General Management and R&D at Pillsbury and Procter and Gamble with both North American and International experience.  Todd completed his Sc.B. in Chemistry at Brown University in Providence, RI.  He received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania in 1981 and his M.B.A. in Strategic Planning from The Wharton School also in May 1981. At LinkedIn

 

Ms. Meg Elmore is a business advisor at IngateyGen. Meg is an expert on technology innovation and transformation with a special focus on strategy, business models, and process development – she brings these skills and experience to bear in order to ensure each new venture's success. She also participates in a variety of activities including contributing to business plans, pitch presentations, developing and maintaining websites, and continues scouting for new AgBio and InfoAg opportunities including evaluating agriculture blockchain use cases.