Bruce Friedrich | |
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| Born | Bruce Gregory Friedrich (1969-08-07)August 7, 1969 (age 56) West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S. |
| Education | Georgetown University Law Center (D.Jur.) Johns Hopkins University (MA in Education) London School of Economics and Political Science (Economics) Grinnell College (BA in English, Economics, and Religion) |
| Occupation | Nonprofit executive |
| Spouse | Alka Chandna |
| Children | 1 |
Bruce Gregory Friedrich[1] (born August 7, 1969) is co-founder and president ofThe Good Food Institute (GFI),[2] aY Combinator funded non-profit that promotesplant-based andcultivated meat.[3][4] He is also a co-founder of the alternative protein venture capital firm New Crop Capital.[5] Friedrich previously worked forPETA andFarm Sanctuary.
Friedrich was born inWest Lafayette, Indiana on August 7, 1969.[6] In 1987, he graduated fromNorman High School inNorman, Oklahoma.[7] In 1996, Friedrich graduatedPhi Beta Kappa fromGrinnell College with aB.A. inEnglish,Economics, and Religion.[6][8] He holds degrees fromJohns Hopkins University and theLondon School of Economics, and received hisJ.D. degree fromGeorgetown University Law Center, graduating magna cum laude,Order of the Coif.[9]
Friedrich served as Director of Policy for four years atFarm Sanctuary.[10] Prior to that, he worked atPETA for 15 years. As Head of Public Campaigns, he led many of the organization's highest-profile campaigns,[11] including one from the early 2000s when PETA asked theGreen Bay Packers football team to change its name,which had originated from a defunct meat packing plant in theGreen Bay area.[12][13]
Friedrich foundedThe Good Food Institute (GFI) in 2016 with the help ofMercy For Animals, and has since been its president. GFI is working to transform thefood system by promoting price- and taste-competitive alternatives to animal products.[14][11] In recognition for his work at GFI, Friedrich was named an "American Food Hero" by the Eating Well magazine in 2021.[15][16]
Friedrich is a co-founder of New Crop Capital; a venture capital firm for funding the development of alternative proteins.[5]
Friedrich is aTED fellow.[9] In 2019, he gave a TED Talk that has since been viewed more than 2.3 million times and translated into more than 30 languages, in which he argued that plant-based and cultivated meat have the potential to transform the global meat industry, preventclimate change, mitigate pandemic risk, and decrease the prevalence ofantibiotic resistant pathogens.[17]
Friedrich is the author of the 2026 bookMeat: How the Next Agricultural Revolution Will Transform Humanity’s Favorite Food—and Our Future.[18] The book advocates for a transition to plant-based and cultivated meat, and has received praise fromJane Goodall,Peter Singer,Cass Sunstein, andNobel laureateMichael Kremer, among others.[19] Publishers Weekly included the book as a "Top 10" release in the Science category in a preview of Spring 2026 releases.[20]
Friedrich is the CEO of The Good Food Institute (GFI), which he co-founded in 2016. GFI advocates for a transition from emissions-intensive animal-based meat products to plant-based and cultivated meat products. GFI employs approximately 200 employees with affiliate offices in India, Brazil, Singapore, Israel, and Europe. Until federal agencies increased their involvement, GFI was the primary funder of academic research on unconventional proteins; it also communicates with lawmakers. Friedrich is described by industry figures as a prominent advocate for alternative meat and a key contributor to the growth of the sector.[21]
Following research from Giving Green, an independent charity evaluator focused on identifying highly cost-effective climate philanthropy opportunities, GFI was listed by Giving Green as a top nonprofit working on climate change.[22]
As aneffective altruism advocate,[23] Friedrich is a member ofGiving What We Can, a community of people who have pledged to donate a portion of their income to effective charities.[24]
Friedrich is Christian and has been vegan since 1987.[25][18] He converted toCatholicism in 1991 after running a homeless shelter and soup kitchen associated with theCatholic Worker Movement.[26][27] He is married to Alka Chandna,[28] who works for PETA.[11]
Bruce Friedrich Director of vegan campaigns, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals Born: Aug. 7, 1969, West Lafayette, Ind. Education: High school, Norman, Okla.; Grinnell College, 1996 graduate, Phi Beta Kappa in English and economics
the Norman High School class of 1987 member
Grinnell College economics, English, religion Phi Beta Kappa
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