Claudia Carter, CA Wheat Commission
Claudia Carter, PhD is a cereal scientist and nutrition educator working at the intersection of farming, grain science, and food systems. Born in Manta, Ecuador, she holds a B.S. in Food Science, an M.S. in Cereal Science, and a Ph.D. in Exercise Science and Nutrition from North Dakota State University.
She serves as Executive Director of the California Wheat Commission and manages the California Grain Foundation, where she leads research, education, and the annual California Grains Conference, bringing together farmers, researchers, millers, bakers, and food system leaders. She believes strengthening food systems requires breaking down silos and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration to address health and nutrition disparities shaped by complex biological, behavioral, and environmental factors.
Her work focuses on advancing whole grain innovation and sustainable grain systems, including efforts to reduce nitrogen and water inputs in California wheat production, promote high-quality wheat varieties beyond protein-based grading, and support the milling and baking supply chain in working with diverse grains such as triticale, einkorn, and spelt.
Through programs like Wheat2School, she connects farmers and the whole grain supply chain with schools to improve grain-based foods and increase acceptance of whole grains among children, strengthening the link between agriculture, food, and nutrition while supporting healthier food systems and community well-being.
She serves as Executive Director of the California Wheat Commission and manages the California Grain Foundation, where she leads research, education, and the annual California Grains Conference, bringing together farmers, researchers, millers, bakers, and food system leaders. She believes strengthening food systems requires breaking down silos and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration to address health and nutrition disparities shaped by complex biological, behavioral, and environmental factors.
Her work focuses on advancing whole grain innovation and sustainable grain systems, including efforts to reduce nitrogen and water inputs in California wheat production, promote high-quality wheat varieties beyond protein-based grading, and support the milling and baking supply chain in working with diverse grains such as triticale, einkorn, and spelt.
Through programs like Wheat2School, she connects farmers and the whole grain supply chain with schools to improve grain-based foods and increase acceptance of whole grains among children, strengthening the link between agriculture, food, and nutrition while supporting healthier food systems and community well-being.
Selena Ahmed, American Heart Association
Selena Ahmed, PhD, FAHA, serves as Global Executive Director of The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI) and Dean of Food EDU at the American Heart Association, where she leads a global effort to make food quality measurable, actionable, and health-promoting at scale for people and planet.
Previously a tenured Associate Professor of Sustainable Food Systems at Montana State University, she now directs multi-sector teams that design and scale interoperable data systems, AI-enabled tools, and training infrastructure, translating scientific evidence on food quality into practical solutions for food, agriculture, nutrition, and global health.
Trained as a biologist, ethnobotanist, and economist, Selena brings transdisciplinary laboratory and international field experience, working alongside rural communities and smallholder farmers to understand and strengthen food systems from soil to human health. She has authored more than 100 publications, co-founded mission-driven enterprises including Shoots & Roots Bitters and Food Systems Analysts, and co-authored the books Botany at the Bar and Tea Horse Road: China’s Ancient Trade Road to Tibet.
Previously a tenured Associate Professor of Sustainable Food Systems at Montana State University, she now directs multi-sector teams that design and scale interoperable data systems, AI-enabled tools, and training infrastructure, translating scientific evidence on food quality into practical solutions for food, agriculture, nutrition, and global health.
Trained as a biologist, ethnobotanist, and economist, Selena brings transdisciplinary laboratory and international field experience, working alongside rural communities and smallholder farmers to understand and strengthen food systems from soil to human health. She has authored more than 100 publications, co-founded mission-driven enterprises including Shoots & Roots Bitters and Food Systems Analysts, and co-authored the books Botany at the Bar and Tea Horse Road: China’s Ancient Trade Road to Tibet.
Marc Benoit, Red’s Breads
Marc Benoit is a cybersecurity expert by day, defending digital borders from unseen threats. By night, he swaps firewalls for flour, becoming a miller, baker, and full-on grain evangelist.
Marc is on a mission to shorten the food chain, making it actually worth it for farmers to grow wheat and cereal grains regeneratively… because saving the planet should at least pencil out.
When he’s not thinking about threat actors, he’s thinking about extraction rates. When he’s not modeling risk, he’s modeling hydration. And somewhere in between, he’s quietly trying to democratize grain and flour testing, dragging lab-grade insight out of expensive silos and into fields and mill rooms where it belongs.
Marc is on a mission to shorten the food chain, making it actually worth it for farmers to grow wheat and cereal grains regeneratively… because saving the planet should at least pencil out.
When he’s not thinking about threat actors, he’s thinking about extraction rates. When he’s not modeling risk, he’s modeling hydration. And somewhere in between, he’s quietly trying to democratize grain and flour testing, dragging lab-grade insight out of expensive silos and into fields and mill rooms where it belongs.