Dr. Frances Arnold is the Dickinson Professor of Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology and is a world-recognized expert in directed evolution, biocatalysis, and protein engineering. In 2005, she co-founded Gevo, Inc. and serves Gevo as a consultant, Board Member, and Science Advisory Board Member. In May of 2008, she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, an honor considered to be one of the highest accolades in the scientific world. She is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine, making her one of only eight living individuals to have been elected to all three branches of the National Academies, and the only woman.

Shai Weiss joined Virgin to lead the formation of the Virgin Green Fund. Prior to the Fund, Shai was with ntl:Telewest (now known as Virgin Media), the UK’s and Europe’s largest cable operator where he was part of the turn-around of ntl with the stock increasing fivefold in 2003. Shai was also behind the recent merger between Virgin Mobile UK and ntl:Telewest and the re-brand to Virgin Media. The Virgin Group is now its largest shareholder.

At ntl Shai was Managing Director of Consumer Products, responsible for the development and delivery of internet, telephone and TV for the consumer division and for the Virgin.net broadband ISP and also the Integration Director for the merger between ntl and Telewest. Shai’s other positions with ntl include Director of Operations for the ntl Group where he was responsible for major operational and business development projects, joint ventures, and relationships with strategic partners, as well as Director of Financial Planning for the consumer division.

Prior to ntl, Shai set up the European office of Jerusalem Venture Partners, an early stage technology venture fund, and was a senior associate with Morgan Stanley's hi-tech mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance team.

Shai has an MBA from Columbia University in New York.

Prior to joining Gevo, Dr. Gruber was the President and CEO of Outlast Technologies, Inc. and held several general management positions in technology and business development for Cargill, Inc. He has also served as President and CEO of Lactech, a technology development company, and was one of the founders of NatureWorks, LLC (formerly Cargill Dow LLC), where he was the VP of Technology and Operations and Chief Technology Officer from 1997 until 2005. Dr. Gruber has served as a member of the Federal Advisory Committee for Biomass R&D and the Advisory Committee for the Energy Future Coalition and currently serves on the board of directors of Outlast Technologies, Gevo, Segetis, and Green Harvest Technologies.

Dr. Kishore has a distinguished track record of accomplishments in biotechnology R&D and businesses. Prior to joining Burrill, Dr. Kishore served as Vice President, Science & Technology and Chief Biotechnology Officer of DuPont. Prior to this he was the Vice President, Technology, for DuPont Agriculture & Nutrition. He joined DuPont in June of 2003 and was focused on R&D efforts related to biotechnology within the company. Dr. Kishore previously served as Co-President, Nutrition & Consumer Sector and Assistant Chief Scientist/Chief Biotechnologist for Monsanto Company, which he joined in 1980.

His contributions include the discovery, development and commercialization of ag-bio products, manufacturing processes for Nutrasweet® and the transformation of a chemical giant into a leading food and nutrition company. Dr. Kishore received a BS in Physics and Chemistry, an MS in Biochemistry from the University of Mysore and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the Indian Institute of Science and undertook Postdoctoral Training at the University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Kishore is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the American Society of Plant Physiologists, and the Institute of Food Technology. He is a founder of the plant biotech/informatics company, Metahelix Life Sciences. Dr. Kishore also serves as the chairperson for the St. Louis RCGA’s Bioenergy group. He serves on the boards of numerous “for profit” and “not-for-profit” institutions including: the School of Nutrition and Policy, Tufts’ University, St. Louis RCGA, National Research Advisory Board of the Washington University at St. Louis. He has also served as an advisor to National Science Committees in many Asian countries and venture capital groups.