Dr. Harold Schmitz is a seasoned venture builder with unique global experience at the interface between research universities and the food, health, and climate technology sectors.

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Prior to forming TMG, Dr. Schmitz gained deep domain expertise with Mars, Inc., including serving as the company’s first Chief Science Officer and creating the Mars Advanced Research Institute. Beginning in 1995, he created and led a world class “Food as Medicine” research team that discovered new health benefits associated with flavonoids and defined a new growth paradigm for the dark chocolate industry as well as other plant-based food categories. His passion for uncommon collaborations inspired relationships with the National Academy of Sciences, the Lindau Nobel Laureate Foundation and the University of California – including co-founding the Innovation Institute for Food and Health – UC Davis as a first of its kind organization to enable the New Economy for global health and environmental sustainability.

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Dr. Schmitz’s depth of experiences enable visibility to, and network support for, world-class inventors, innovators, and companies defining the role of food and climate tech in this New Economy. He is a Senior Scholar at UC Davis and a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and an advisor to the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Center for Biosustainability and BioInnovation Institute, Givaudan’s MISTA, and the AI Institute for Next-Generation Food Systems co-funded by the US Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation. He is also serving on the Board of Directors of Engage3, Digestiva, Evodia Bio (as Observer), and Chairs the Meati Scientific Advisory Board.

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Dr. Schmitz holds a Ph.D. in Food Science from North Carolina State University, MS in Food Science from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and a BA in Food Science from the University of Arkansas.