Creating sustainable products to fuel the future of food, wellness and health care ingredients
At Willow Biosciences, we are more than a team of future-forward thinkers. We’re a team of scientists and engineers, pioneering a new era in synthetic biology.
We are a precision fermentation company that uses advanced science and technology to produce natural ingredients for the health and wellness, food and beverage and personal care markets.
Willow Biosciences provides the technology and capabilities of a big biotechnology business, but with the speed and flexibility required to quickly execute innovative ideas from concept to commercialization.
Using our FutureGrownTM platform and network of global manufacturing partners, we can rapidly bring precision fermentation processes from lab-scale to manufacturing-scale to support the growing functional ingredient markets.
Groundbreaking science
applied to real world
projects
Willow is a fully integrated product partner with the ability to leverage our expertise and experience to deliver commercially relevant results.
Our team
Rare combination of world-leading strain engineers, bioinformaticians, fermentation scientists, chemists and engineers and experienced business leaders with a proven performance record.
Unrivalled experience & global capacity
Our business is led by the voice of the market. We have a thorough understanding of market specific challenges and opportunities.
Reliable capacity
We are building to meet big needs – and small too. From kilos to metric tons, our platform provides the ability to scale production to meet the needs of our clients.
Simplified supply chain
The supply chain for our platform technology is far simpler than plant-based production. Manufacturing infrastructure is already in place to meet the demand of clients across the globe.
Trusted team
With extensive experience in industrial biotechnology and an impressive background in launching successful businesses, our team possesses all the tools needed for success.
Industry awarded
More than half of our experienced science and technical team have PhDs and our business team is responsible for bringing multiple products to the market using synthetic biology.
Sustainability starts with science
We believe in challenging conventional methods to bring the benefits of nature to everyone. Consumers and industry demand safe and sustainable ingredients.
Few can deliver. We can.
Our leading FutureGrownTM platform
Our leading FutureGrownTM platform allows us to deliver consistent, economical, sustainable ingredients at a global scale.
Using science to raise the standards, we consider now more than ever the impact we have on our planet and the need for clean, sustainably made ingredients for the health and wellness, food and beverage and personal care markets.
Our team
Management Team
Dr. Chris Savile
CEO, President and Director
Dr. Savile has 17 years’ experience in science, commercial, and operations roles in biotech. He is a highly experienced scientist and operations expert focused…
Dr. Savile has 17 years’ experience in science, commercial, and operations roles in biotech. He is a highly experienced scientist and operations expert focused on the scale up and commercialization of biobased processes for pharma, food & beverage, and energy. Dr. Savile has acted as technical leader and commercial program manager on several large R&D programs that led to commercial processes (see, for example: Science 2010, 329, 305-309, U.S. Patent 8,293,507, PNAS 2014, 111, 16436-16441, U.S. Patent 8,288,141). In addition, Dr. Savile has published more than 25 articles, book chapters, and patents related to development of biobased process with a focus on transformative chemistries and difficult- to-synthesize products. Prior to Willow, Dr. Savile worked at Codexis, Zymergen, and Intrexon. He received his PhD in Organic Chemistry from McGill University in 2005.
Dr. Trish Choudhary
Sr Vice President, Research & Development
Dr. Choudhary has over 15 years’ experience in R&D and technical operations driving rapid optimization of biological systems for industrial biotech and food applications.…
Dr. Choudhary has over 15 years’ experience in R&D and technical operations driving rapid optimization of biological systems for industrial biotech and food applications. She is highly experienced in developing high throughput strain engineering platforms to enable scale up and production of commercially relevant compounds. She has a proven track record of enabling innovative technologies from initial concept through development by building and leading high performing, multidisciplinary teams. She received her PhD from Macquarie University, NSW, Australia in 2008 and holds 6 granted patents (additional 7 patents pending).
Travis Doupe
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Doupe has over 18 years' experience in financial leadership roles, principally in the international oil and gas industry, during which time he provided…
Mr. Doupe has over 18 years’ experience in financial leadership roles, principally in the international oil and gas industry, during which time he provided corporate strategic direction while overseeing all aspects of financial operations, including budgeting and planning, treasury, accounting, tax, reporting and investor relation functions. Over half of Mr. Doupe’s 18 years of financial experience has been in various Chief Financial Officer roles, principally in publicly listed companies. Mr. Doupe has been active with various industry and non-profit groups throughout his career, most recently as the Treasurer and Board Member of the Canada Council for the Americas – Alberta and he holds a CPA,CA designation and a Bachelor of Management degree from the University of Calgary.
Board of Directors
Raffi Asadorian
Independent Director
Mr. Asadorian has been the Chief Financial Officer of AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, a NASDAQ-listed, specialty pharmaceutical company since August 2017. Mr. Asadorian has over 30…
Mr. Asadorian has been the Chief Financial Officer of AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, a NASDAQ-listed, specialty pharmaceutical company since August 2017. Mr. Asadorian has over 30 years of experience in finance, including 15 years’ experience as a CFO with biotech and life sciences companies including Amyris and Barr Pharmaceuticals . Prior to that, Mr. Asadorian was a Partner in the Transaction Services Group of PwC, LLP in New York. Mr. Asadorian holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Manchester and a B. Sc., Business Administration in Accounting from Xavier University in Cincinnati. Mr. Asadorian is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive, Ohio).
Al Foreman
Director
Mr. Foreman has over 20 years of professional experience in private equity, corporate finance, and financial technology. Mr. Foreman is currently a Partner and…
Mr. Foreman has over 20 years of professional experience in private equity, corporate finance, and financial technology. Mr. Foreman is currently a Partner and the Chief Investment Officer of Tuatara Capital, L.P. Prior to co-founding Tuatara Al was a Managing Director at Highbridge Principal Strategies, and earlier was a Managing Director at J.P. Morgan in the Financial Sponsors Group and Private Equity Fund Services business. Previously, Al held executive roles at Vitech Systems Group and Virtual Growth, and he began his career at Citigroup. Mr. Foreman earned a B.S. in Finance from the University of Connecticut and a dual J.D./MBA from Arizona State University.
Donald Archibald
Independent Director
Mr. Archibald is an independent businessman; President of Cypress Energy Corp., a private investment company, since March 2008. Mr. Archibald also serves on the…
Mr. Archibald is an independent businessman; President of Cypress Energy Corp., a private investment company, since March 2008. Mr. Archibald also serves on the board and various committees of Palisade Capital, Panorama Mountain Resort, Petronas Energy Canada, Spartan Delta Corp., Serafina Energy Ltd., and Willow Biosciences. He has been involved in the formation of numerous companies as well as serving in an executive and director capacity in a number of private and public companies as well as not for profit entities. He currently also serves on the board of Winsport. Mr Archibald has an MBA from the Ivey Business School and a BComm. from the University of Alberta.
Dr. Jim Lalonde
Chairman
With more than 30 years experience, Dr. Jim Lalonde has led highly performing biotech R&D teams at Altus Biologics, Codexis and Inscripta. As R&D…
With more than 30 years experience, Dr. Jim Lalonde has led highly performing biotech R&D teams at Altus Biologics, Codexis and Inscripta. As R&D lead at Codexis, his team develop the best-in-class CodeEvolver® Protein Engineering technology combining machine learning, protein modeling, HTP expression, and assay and NGS to create enzymes for biocatalysis, oral enzyme replacement therapies, nutrition, and diagnostics. His team developed and commercialized processes to more than 25 pharmaceutical actives, including blockbusters such as Lipitor®, Januvia®, and Paxlovid® and were recognized with three U.S. Presidential Green Chemistry Awards. He now applies his experience as a scientific advisory to several start-ups. Jim has a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Texas A&M University and an Honours BSc from Lakehead University.
Dr. Chris Savile
CEO, President and Director
Dr. Savile has 17 years’ experience in science, commercial, and operations roles in biotech. He is a highly experienced scientist and operations expert focused…
Dr. Savile has 17 years’ experience in science, commercial, and operations roles in biotech. He is a highly experienced scientist and operations expert focused on the scale up and commercialization of biobased processes for pharma, food & beverage, and energy. Dr. Savile has acted as technical leader and commercial program manager on several large R&D programs that led to commercial processes (see, for example: Science 2010, 329, 305-309, U.S. Patent 8,293,507, PNAS 2014, 111, 16436-16441, U.S. Patent 8,288,141). In addition, Dr. Savile has published more than 25 articles, book chapters, and patents related to development of biobased process with a focus on transformative chemistries and difficult- to-synthesize products. Prior to Willow, Dr. Savile worked at Codexis, Zymergen, and Intrexon. He received his PhD in Organic Chemistry from McGill University in 2005.
Let’s Work Together
Work with Willow Biosciences to create premium functional ingredients that preserve the planet and grow your business.
Willow Biosciences is a biotechnology company focused on revolutionizing industrial manufacturing of high value molecules that have traditionally been derived from plants.
VANCOUVER and CALGARY, April 12, 2019 /CNW/ – Makena Resources Inc. (“Makena“) (CSE: MKNA),...
Mountain View, CA
Focused on identifying and deploying additional genetic elements and solutions to further enhance production of our yeast strains and processes. This state-of-the-art R&D facility includes high-throughput molecular biology and screening technologies, high-end analytical instrumentation and fermentation capabilities along with systems to rapidly evaluate high volumes of data and results.
