The Switch Team
Our team is made up almost exclusively of scientists and bioengineers focused on technology development, because that is where the biggest challenges are. We recruit internationally— our team has roots in every continent except Antarctica.
Our Team
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TIM SCHNABEL
Founder, CEO, and Board Member
Roots: 🇩🇪 🇳🇦 -
KAITLYN QIN
Chief Financial Officer
Roots: 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇨🇳 -
BRETT BOGHIGIAN
Chief Business Officer (CBO)
Roots: 🇺🇸 -
ELIZABETH FREEMAN ROSENZWEIG
Senior Counsel
Roots: 🇺🇸 -
KRISTI WOODS
Director of Plant Sciences
Roots: 🇺🇸 -
MARCELO BUENO BATISTA
Synthetic Biology Team Lead Roots: 🇧🇷 🇬🇧
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TIM HASKETT
Principal Scientist
Roots: 🇦🇺 -
SANDIPAN SAMADDAR
Microbial Discovery Team Lead
Roots: 🇮🇳 -
MAKENA PULE
Director of Lab Operations
Roots: 🇺🇸 -
GREGORY KNAUF
Founding Scientist, Regulatory Manager
Roots: 🇺🇸 -
HSIAO-HAN LIN
Scientist, Synthetic Biology
Roots: 🇹🇼 -
CAROL KUKOLJ
Scientist, Synthetic Biology
Roots: 🇧🇷 -
DEXTER LI
Scientist, Microbial Discovery
Roots: 🇨🇳 -
KRISTI YANAGIHARA
Senior Research Associate, Microbial Discovery
Roots: 🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🇯🇵 -
DANTE LEVENTINI
Research Associate, Microbial Discovery
Roots: 🇺🇸 -
SAN MAK
Senior Research Associate, Synthetic Biology
Roots: 🇺🇸 🇭🇰
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FRANCES CARCELLAR
Senior Research Associate, Synthetic Biology
Roots: 🇺🇸 🇵🇭 -
JOSE ZARAGOZA
Senior Research Associate
Roots: 🇺🇸 🇲🇽 -
SCOTT SISEMORE
Research Associate Roots: 🇺🇸
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JAKE NARUSZEWICZ
Research Associate
Roots: 🇺🇸 -
RANGEL HANZE
Lab Tech
Roots: 🇧🇷 -
KATHY NUNEZ-HALDEZOS
Workplace and Office Manager
Roots: 🇺🇸
Board of Directors & Advisors
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Tim Schnabel
Founder, CEO, and Board Member
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Douglas Cameron
Board Member
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Gareth Asten
Board Observer
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Michael Schember
Board Observer
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Richard Broglie
Board Observer
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Christina Ulardic
Board Observer
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James Swartz
Board Observer & Founding Advisor
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Elizabeth Sattely
Founding Advisor
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Jennifer Cochran
Founding Advisor
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Amy Chang
Founding Advisor
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Neal Gutterson
Advisor
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David Delaney
Advisor
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Kellye Eversole
Advisor
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Michael Frodyma
Advisor
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Desmond Jimenez
Advisor
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Matt Meisner
Advisor
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Eric Bartels
Advisor
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Steve del Cardayre
Advisor
Our Investors Include…
“Our team comes from every continent on Earth (except Antarctica), united around one of the most challenging and impactful missions of the century. We're rethinking fertilizer from the ground up—with biology, not chemistry—to feed a growing world affordably and without destroying the planet. It's not a moonshot. It's an Earthshot.”
—Tim Schnabel, Founder & CEO
Builder’s Manifesto
Every day is the time of our lives.
The time to build—for we are doers, not talkers.
And we don't do easy things.
It's the nearly impossible challenges that inspire us.
Those that can change the world.
Those that shine a light on the mystery of life.
This takes intensity and grit. Curiosity. Optimism. Above all: courage!
To go as far and fast as possible with as little as possible.
Constraints reveal true builders.
To build great things, we must understand deeply,
The nature of who we are, our inner selves – all so unique, yet all the same.
And create something worthy of the beauty and energy in all of us,
A reflection of our shared humanity. We are one team.
And let's not take ourselves too seriously.
Let’s stay humble and keep learning—ferociously.
Pay attention to attention.
Better every day, in being and building.
For the love of nature, our home.
For the love of people, who we are one with.
For the love of building.
To play a wrong note is insignificant. To play without passion is inexcusable.
Core Values
Care Deeply
Build Ferociously
Aim Higher
Operating Principles
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or communicate early when plans change.
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caring personally while challenging directly.
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“Any feedback?” — both ways.
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owners, and documented decisions.
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align quickly on what we cannot when the path is unclear.
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seek critical challenge before we begin.
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to anticipate outcomes and optimize strategy.
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to make problems and opportunities visible before they become urgent.
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effort and activity are inputs, outcomes are what matter.
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who need help and raise our hand early when we need it..
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and question constraints that others accept as fixed.
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take calculated risks, choosing impact over comfort.
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simplicity is the default.
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if it can be done today.
