Plant Biotech Founders Work to Redeem Green for Earth Day 2023

Statements by Dr. Elizabeth E. Hood, Founder and Director of Research and Development and Karen B. Wilson, Co-Founder and Director of Corporate Development, GreenLab, Inc.

JONESBORO, Ark., April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GreenLab, Inc. "The theme for Earth Day 2023 is 'Invest in the earth.' As a scientist, mother, wife, and plant biotech startup founder, I believe this represents a real opportunity to dig deeper for solutions that truly green industry and get beyond the corporate cliches and rhetoric associated with this annual event. 

Throughout my life, I've always cared about the environment, even undertaking organic gardening to grow healthier foods for my family. It was around then that I learned about the crisis in farming where important plant traits were threatened in many of the crops producing our food. This undoubtedly influenced my choice to obtain my PhD from Washington University in St. Louis and become a plant biologist. 

Since then, I've collaborated with scientists in multiple nations to help solve this problem via biotechnology, growing more food safely on less farmland with fewer inputs and energy than ever before. The technology was genetic engineering – rejected by a few but embraced by farmers all over the world. 

Fast forward to today, and the team we've assembled at GreenLab now uses the next generation of plant biotech in corn to sustainably produce new proteins and enzymes at scale with applications which literally are 'greening industry.' The outcomes created by these innovative proteins do more than fuel hope; they quantifiably move us toward a better, cleaner future. 

I believe it's imperative for the business sector and society at large to not just embrace the promise of apolitical, evidence-based ESG standards, but capitalize on it. The companies who partner with GreenLab will benefit by making meaningful progress achieving their own ESG objectives. Together, our collaboration can ultimately be a quantum leap for the eco revolution that inspired Earth Day over 50 years ago, seeking balance and meeting people where they are."

– Dr. Elizabeth E. Hood, Founder, Director of Research and Development, GreenLab, Inc. 

"After decades in Silicon Valley, I came home to Arkansas and met my friend Dr. Elizabeth 'Beth' Hood, battling as a female scientist and startup founder to bring groundbreaking biotechnology to market. At the time, her ideas about 'the greening of industry' got the attention of some heavy hitters in the biotech industry, which made me even more excited to help make this happen. 

In the United States, in 2022, according to Springboard Enterprises, a leading platform supporting women entrepreneurs, only 2% of all venture capital goes to female founded companies. As one of the earlier female founders to successfully raise VC, it was one of the hardest things to do, but also the most important. There is a renaissance of female founded biotech companies right now and a market that demands novel proteins across every major vertical we know- energy, pharma, industrial use, nutraceutical, food, and environmental. The challenge could not be more clear. We should prioritize investment in biotech companies and meet these challenges, especially when they were founded by female entrepreneurs. 

Earth Day's 'Invest in the earth' message could hardly be more well-timed, as biotechnology represents one of the largest impactful investment opportunities ever. GreenLab's biotech platform will advance current challenges for partner companies looking to elevate ESG standards and solve sustainability issues by investing in the earth through biotechnology."

-Karen B. Wilson, Co-Founder and Director of Corporate Development, GreenLab, Inc. 

About Elizabeth E. Hood, PhD 

Over forty years of experience in biology. Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Agriculture at Arkansas State University. Runs an active research lab for GreenLab, Inc., in plant-based protein production and applications. Dr. Hood is internationally recognized for her research program and associated experience as evidenced by over 75 publications and patents, as well as invitations to speak around the world. 

About Karen B. Wilson 

Karen has founded multiple startups and served in senior executive roles at Fortune 500 companies generating over $300 million in strategic partnerships and alliances. As a startup founder in Silicon Valley, she successfully raised $50 million in private equity from seed financing through series C. Prior to that, Karen was a member of the inaugural class of female founders at world-renowned Springboard Enterprises. 

About GreenLab, Inc. 

GreenLab is a biotech startup on a mission to green industry with next-generation plant biotechnology. GreenLab's biotech platform transforms a cornfield into the factory of the future, open today. We deliver on biotech's promise of novel protein and enzyme production with end-to-end sustainability, and unlimited scalability. 

Contact: Cordell Jeffries (314) 669-5510 media@greenlab.com

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SOURCE GreenLab