About Us

Our mission is to help unlock Earth's most abundant and sustainable source of proteins: green leaves.

Through our sustainable extraction technology we produce the most nutritious plant proteins that are sustainable for the environment and our growers.

Environment

We find inspiration in nature and strive to promote its biodiversity and the sustainable use of our natural resources.

Communities

We aim to generate sustainable environmental and economic opportunities for the communities involved from farm to table.

Trust

We produce nutritious foods that are safe, and are transparent about the environmental and economic impacts of our activities.

 

Our Commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

We’re also driven by the UN Sustainable Development Goals to create a better world by 2030. In particular, Goal 2: Zero Hunger and Goal 15: Life on Land.

We aim help enable sustainable food production and resilient agricultural practices (target 2.4), double the productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers (target 2.3), help to restore degraded land (target 15.3) and conserve terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems through the sustainable use of these resources (target 15.1).

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Who are we?

At The Leaf Protein Co, we’ve merged our passion for food and the environment.
Our aim is to help food manufacturers and brands make better plant-based foods that are better for you and the environment.

 
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Fern Ho

Co-Founder & CEO
 

Fern’s love of food was inconveniently disrupted when she developed significant food intolerances and allergies as an adult. This led her on a quest to better understand the provenance of food and its impact on health.

With a 17 year global career in Product Management and Product Marketing, she understands that there is no substitute for genuinely good products and that consumers aren’t fooled by clever marketing.

 

Connor Balfany

Co-Founder & CSO

As an alumni of the Plant Pathways Elucidation Project (P2EP), Connor began his research in plant protein extraction in 2017.

After graduating from Gustavus Adolphus with degrees in biology and international management in 2018, Connor spent two years teaching biology at an international school in Thailand before returning to the United States to pursue his PhD.

Connor’s research continues developing novel methods of plant protein isolation and functional modification, with an emphasis on applying these techniques to reducing agricultural waste and increasing sustainability.

 
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Dr Jonathan Middis

Food Science Advisor
 

Jonathan is a food and beverage technology expert with over 20 years of commercial experience driving R&D in global multinational corporations and start-ups. He helped take The Food Revolution Group public and also works with Tamu Group, investigating and developing value-added food ingredients.

He has a PhD (Chemical Engineering) from the University of Auckland and is a serial innovator and disrupter. Jonathan is a commercially-savvy industry leader with the ability to match product and pack design with brand positioning and market trends to deliver breakthrough new product development.

 

Brad McNish

Operations and Process Engineer Advisor
 

Brad's deep passion for the land has led to his many decades in Agriculture and Food Manufacturing. He’s currently a mixed farm owner and operator. Previously, he founded and sold 2 agriculture and food manufacturing companies.

This includes a leaf protein extraction company where he led the development and operations of a 40,000 square foot facility. Brad is an innovator at heart and has developed many of the specialised equipment for this facility as well as the harvest of biomass. He also has a strong interest in Rubisco as a sustainable alternative plant protein and developed 2 health food products using leaf protein ingredients.

 

Haydn Pound

Strategy Advisor
 

Haydn is an experienced consultant with a broad background in business and management. He was a Senior Consultant with The Boston Consulting Group in Australia, and before that worked in Melbourne, Chicago and Manchester with PwC where he was a manager in the firm’s taxation and technology consulting groups.

Haydn was Adjunct Professor in the Accounting and Strategy departments at INSEAD where he taught MBA, EMBA and Executive Education programs in Australia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Currently he is a regular contributor to executive programs at the London Business School and leading business schools in Singapore and Hong Kong.

 

Board of Directors

Simon Gardner Lee

Chair

Simon creates enterprise value through organic and transactional commercialisation, with nearly 30 years of corporate and consulting experience gained in essential environmental infrastructure services, energy asset management, transportation, and agricultural industries. Over this period, he has held multiple Directorships of start-ups, as well as C-suite positions in the Australian branches of multinational companies. 

Simon’s passion resides in mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurial “adventurers” to become the best they can be, while guiding their businesses to adopt effective governance and integrated business management systems.

 

Peter Taitoko

Non-Executive Director

Peter has over 35 years of experience in the food manufacturing industry. His career has involved significant international exposure, including assisting Mars Inc. on various capital projects in Europe and Thailand.

As the Founder and Director of RMR Process, a Melbourne-based engineering consulting firm, Peter specialises in supporting food manufacturers in scaling their operations through capital expansion and operational performance.

His expertise extends to guiding businesses strategically through growth phases and providing valuable assistance to private equity firms in M&A due diligence processes.