For International Women's Day and beyond, let's all fully #EmbraceEquity.
Join AIFST for virtual morning tea to celebrate International Women's Day and hear from some inspiring women about their story and plenty of time for Q&A and discussion. We have a wonderful line up of speakers so bring your cuppa and join us from your couch!
$10 from every ticket sale will be donated to Foodbank.
Kate Allen - Professorial Fellow at Murdoch Childrens Research Institute
Science leadership and research translation impact
Professor Katie Allen was the Federal Member for Higgins from 2019-2022 and sat on a number of parliamentary committees including the Health committee which undertook an inquiry into Allergy called “Walking the Allergy Tightrope”.
Prof Allen has built a large research career around understanding whether food allergy is on the rise and if so why.
Her seminal cohort of 5300 infants- the Healthnuts study - is the world’s largest single-centre food allergy study and has generated hundreds of publications and dozens of research theses with participants now being followed up at age 15 years. This hypothesis-generating cohort has underpinned multiple trials including Vitality- a randomised controlled trial of Vitamin D supplementation for the prevention of food allergy in infants - the results of which will be available in early 2023.
As a Federal Member of Parliament, Prof Allen successfully advocated for Federal Government investment of $26million in the establishment of both the National Allergy Council and the National Allergy Centre of Excellence. The latter built on her successful leadership of the Australian Centre of Food and Allergy research funded over 10 years by 2 consecutive NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence.
Prof Allen has more than 400 publications and was a Founding Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science. She is an Enterprise Professor at the University of Melbourne and Professorial Fellow at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne.
Olympia Yarger - CEO at Goterra
People, Culture and Saving the world. You can't do the one without the other two.
Olympia Yarger is the CEO and Founder of Goterra, a Canberra-based waste management infrastructure company. She is a founding director of the Insect Protein Association of Australia and has been a significant leader in the development of the industry globally. Her work was recognised when a new species of fly discovered by the CSIRO was named after her.
Lisa Ronquest-Ross - Chief Science Officer at v2food
This is me.
Lisa is a passionate Food Scientist with extensive global R&D experience working for a variety of multinationals that cover the breadth of the food value chain from flavours, ingredients, packaging, branded foods manufacturers and retail. They include Unilever, Mars and Woolworths South Africa. Lisa moved from South Africa, where she was R&D Executive for MANE Flavours leading their Innovation Centre and R&D program for Sub-Saharan Africa, to join v2food in Australia. Lisa is currently Chief Science Officer where she is responsible for developing, leading, and translating v2food’s science research strategy into breakthrough product advancements that help unlock barriers to plant-based meat adoption. Lisa has a particular passion for ensuring the application of science and technology is meaningful for both people and planet. Lisa has recently completed her PhD in Food Science through the University of Stellenbosch. She spent a decade, while working full time, to complete her research exploring the current and future application of food science & technology in South Africa in responding to major shifts in food consumption patterns since 1994.
Kathy La Macchia - General Manager at Grains and Legumes Nutrition Council
Embrace Equity women working in food science, technology and nutrition.
Kathy is an Australian Dietitian who has 20 years’ experience in the food industry globally. Her passion is to support companies in making the best foods that deliver to sustainability and high quality nutrition for the better health of all people.
Kathy is the General Manager at the Grains and Legumes Nutrition Council who’s focus is on evidence-based nutrition research to promote grains, legumes and plant-based foods as part of a healthy diet. Prior to this she has been working at the Kraft Heinz company where she lead the Food Sustainability, Nutrition & Health agenda to improve the product portfolio.
Kathy sits on many advisory groups and an active member of working groups in the space of Nutrition, Sustainability with focus on improving the food supply for all.
Renee MacDonald - Senior Brand Manager at Hive + Wellness
