Bruce Friedrich

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Bruce Friedrich
Bruce Friedrich.jpeg
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)
OccupationNonprofit executive
SpouseAlka Chandna
Children1

Bruce Gregory Friedrich [1] (born August 7, 1969) is co-founder and president of The Good Food Institute (GFI), [2] a Y Combinator funded non-profit that promotes plant-based and cell-cultured alternatives to animal products. [3] [4] He is also a co-founder of the alternative protein venture capital firm New Crop Capital. [5] Friedrich previously worked for PETA and Farm Sanctuary.

Contents

Early life and education

Friedrich was born in West Lafayette, Indiana on August 7, 1969. [6] In 1987, he graduated from Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma. [7] In 1996, Friedrich graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Grinnell College with a B.A. in English, Economics, and Religion. [6] [8] He holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the London School of Economics, and received his J.D. degree from Georgetown University Law Center, graduating magna cum laude, Order of the Coif. [9]

Career

Friedrich served as Director of Policy for four years at Farm Sanctuary. [10] Prior to that, he worked at PETA 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 the Green Bay Packers football team to change its name, which had originated from a defunct meat packing plant in the Green Bay area. [12] [13]

Friedrich worked with senior leaders at Mercy For Animals to launch The Good Food Institute (GFI) with the goal of transforming the food 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 a TED 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, prevent climate change, mitigate pandemic risk, and decrease the prevalence of antibiotic resistant pathogens. [17]

Philanthropy

As an effective altruism advocate, [18] Friedrich is a member of Giving What We Can, a community of people who have pledged to donate a portion of their income to effective charities. [19]

Personal life

Friedrich is Christian and has been vegan since 1987. [20] He converted to Catholicism in 1991 after running a homeless shelter and soup kitchen associated with the Catholic Worker Movement. [21] [22] He is married to Alka Chandna, [23] who works for PETA. [11]

Works

See also

References

  1. ↑ Friedrich, Gustav W. (October 1, 2020). "National Communication Association Heritage Project". Review of Communication. 20 (4): 398–432. doi: 10.1080/15358593.2020.1827495 .
  2. ↑ "Bruce Friedrich". The Good Food Institute. April 12, 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  3. ↑ Peters, Adele (August 21, 2018). "Y Combinator is funding a nonprofit that advocates for meat alternatives". Fast Company. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  4. ↑ "About | The Good Food Institute". The Good Food Institute . January 5, 2021. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Burwood-Taylor, Louisa (March 17, 2016). "New Crop Capital Closes $25m Fund, Invests in Beyond Meat". AFN. Archived from the original on April 3, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  6. 1 2 "[Unknown title]" . The Des Moines Register . March 7, 2004. p. 34. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2016. 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
  7. ↑ Tyree, James S. (September 15, 2010). "PETA vice president brings message home to Norman". The Oklahoman . Archived from the original on March 26, 2014. Retrieved March 26, 2014. the Norman High School class of 1987 member
  8. ↑ "Bruce Friedrich". AngelList . Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2016. Grinnell College economics, English, religion Phi Beta Kappa
  9. 1 2 "Bruce Friedrich". TED. Archived from the original on May 22, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  10. ↑ Reese, Jacy (2018). The End of Animal Farming: How Scientists, Entrepreneurs, and Activists Are Building an Animal-Free Food System. Beacon Press. p. 58. ISBN   978-0-8070-1945-0.
  11. 1 2 3 Popper, Nathaniel (March 12, 2019). "This Animal Activist Used to Get in Your Face. Now He's Going After Your Palate". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  12. ↑ "PETA has issues with Green Bay nickname". ESPN. June 26, 2000. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  13. ↑ Addis, Don (July 16, 2000). "What a pick: PETA wants Green Bay Pickers". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  14. ↑ Bowie, Richard (March 4, 2016). "MFA Launches New Sister Organization". VegNews . Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  15. ↑ Kauffman, Jonathan (June 8, 2021). "Meet the Innovator Behind the Plant-Based Meat Movement". EatingWell. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  16. ↑ "The GFI's Bruce Friedrich is Named an "American Food Hero" For His Work in Alt Protein". vegconomist - the vegan business magazine. June 17, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  17. ↑ Friedrich, Bruce (April 2019). The next global agricultural revolution.
  18. ↑ "Bruce Friedrich: From Agitator to Innovator". Effective Altruism. October 2, 2018. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Our Members". Giving What We Can. Archived from the original on April 14, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Could Humane Food Ever Become the Norm?". Sarx. August 1, 2016. Archived from the original on October 11, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  21. ↑ Zaleski, Andrew (March 14, 2024). "Meet the DC Activist Behind the Alt-Meat Revolution". Washingtonian . Archived from the original on April 29, 2025. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Bruce Friedrich: How Alternative Proteins Will Save the Planet". Christians for Impact (Podcast). Archived from the original on April 28, 2025. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  23. ↑ Cooperman, Jeannette (August 29, 2008). "Bruce Friedrich, vice president of PETA". National Catholic Reporter. Archived from the original on October 10, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
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