BioCatalyst 2026 Recap
Highlights from BioCatalyst: Industry & Innovation Exchange held in Lodi, CA May 20-21, 2026
BEAM Circular brought together over 175 innovators, investors, regional partners, and national industry leaders in beautiful Lodi, California for the second annual BioCatalyst: Industry & Innovation Exchange on May 21st, 2026. The convening focused on exploring market trends and emerging opportunities shaping the fast-growing circular bioeconomy sector, and featured a live pitch showcase spotlighting the 2026 BEAM Circular Accelerator startups.
A pre-conference event on May 20th called The Reserve Experience welcomed early attendees to explore regenerative agriculture and tour local wineries in the Lodi region, culminating in a special live taping of the Manufacturing Happy Hour podcast.
Check out BioCatalyst event highlights in the recap video below, and read on to learn more about event sessions and speakers.
Highlights video from BioCatalyst on May 22, 2026.
Start-up Pitch Showcase
The highlight of BioCatalyst for many attendees was the live pitch session featuring the five start-up companies who participated in the 2026 BEAM Circular Accelerator Program powered by gener8tor: Fermeate, Krokos Bio, Ruby Bio, Supercarb, and Tastee Tape.
To learn more about each of these visionary startups, click here.
Applications for the 2027 BEAM Circular Accelerator are now open!
Expert Speakers Highlighted Bioeconomy Industry Momentum, Public Policy Enablers, and Scale-up Strategies
The event’s opening panel, “Framing the Moment: Why Now for the Circular Bioeconomy?”, brought together three leaders from across policy, investment, and industry to set the stage on forces shaping growth of the bioeconomy, from evolving government priorities to capital flows and advanced manufacturing capacity. CA FWD Regionalism Fellow Egon Terplan moderated the discussion between Stacey Kollmeyer Johnson, Executive Director of the Manufacturer’s Council of the Central Valley (MCCV); Adam Moreno, Chief of Carbon Management at the California Air Resources Board (CARB); and Andrew Ive, founder of Big Idea Ventures, to examine what it takes to align systems to meet the moment and build the bioeconomy of the future.
Opening panelists discuss current bioeconomy market dynamics from the diverse perspectives of state policy, local manufacturing, and venture capital.
Up next, Director of CalRecycle Zoe Heller joined BEAM Circular’s CEO Karen Warner for a fireside chat on the ways that California state policy is working to advance utilization of organic waste. From unlocking demand to reducing risk through pilot projects and shared infrastructure investments, the conversation highlighted where the greatest opportunities exist—and what it will take to scale solutions in California’s evolving materials management landscape.
CalRecycle Director Zoe Heller and Karen Warner at BioCatalyst following their policy-focused fireside chat.
The afternoon program included a presentation on the federal government’s role in de-risking the bioeconomy by policy expert Greg Jaffe (President of Jaffe Policy Consulting LLC, formerly USDA). Jaffe was then joined onstage by Kieran Mitchell, CEO of Caribou Biofuels, and R&D expert Yue Yang, founder of BioPath Alliance, for a panel discussion titled “Federal Bioeconomy Enablers and Regulations: Strategies to Scale from Lab to Market”, moderated by Krystal Acierto, BEAM Circular’s Vice President of Public Policy. The group dove into strategies for engaging with federal agencies and how to navigate regulatory dynamics when bringing new bioproducts to market.
Panelists discussing federal regulations and technology commercialization strategies
After an afternoon networking break, Dr. Deepti Tanjore, Director of the Advanced Bioproducts Development Unit at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, moderated “Scale-Up Stories: Creating the Right Partnerships For Success.” This session focused on real world case studies demonstrating the range of strategic partnerships required to bring biocircular solutions to market. Dr. Tanjore interviewed three unique pairings of organizations who are actively engaged in collaboration to scale bioeconomy innovation — including perspectives from startups, feedstock suppliers, and community investors. Case study pairings included:
Cody Yothers, Co-Founder and CTO of Optimized Foods (a 2025 BEAM Circular Accelerator startup) & David Garci-Aguirre, SVP of Operations and Master Miller at Corto Olive
Rene Gauthier, Co-Founder of Sierra Spinning, & Derek Azevedo, Executive VP at Bowles Farming
Dr. Allison Pieja, Co-Founder and CTO of Mango Materials (a BEAM Circular grantee), & Ann Rogan, Founder & CEO of Edge Collaborative
The event’s speaking program ended on an inspiring note with a Keynote Presentation by Dr. John Warner, known globally as the Co-Founder of Green Chemistry. John’s presentation, “Inventing the Future Bioeconomy with Green Chemistry”, offered a high-energy history of the green chemistry movement and explored how key unlocks in bio-based technologies, activating strategic regions like the North San Joaquin Valley, and intentional approaches to science education can accelerate industry transformations and a healthier and safer future for all.
Keynote Speaker Dr. John Warner
Major Announcements - New Funding, Infrastructure, and Partnerships Coming to the Central Valley
Over the course of the day, BEAM Circular shared three “Big News” announcements.
Announcement #1: BEAM Circular announced the recipients of $2 million in Anchor Employer Development Fund grants, part of the Stanislaus County Bioeconomy Jobs Catalyst Fund supported by Stanislaus County with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The awards will bring four new employers to Stanislaus County: Mango Materials, Artefact, Central Valley Circular, and Full Circle Brewing Co. Read more in the press release here.
Announcement #2: BEAM Circular’s innovation partner network, CBIO Collaborative, announced that it will host its inaugural Design Challenge in the second half of 2026. The Design Challenge, called Return to Earth: Reimagining Packaging for California’s Plastic Transition, calls on CBIO members to pitch bold, practical, bio-enabled solutions that accelerate California's transition away from single-use plastics. Interest form here.
Announcement #3: BEAM Circular officially announced that a site in Modesto, CA has been selected for construction of the California Bioeconomy Innovation Campus. Read the press release here.
Partner Announcement: In addition to BEAM Circular news, CEO of F3 Innovate Priscilla Koepke took the stage to share a sneak peak of the F3i Supercomputing Center coming to Fresno State. Connect and request access here.
BEAM Circular shared significant new funding announcements and initiative updates over the course of the day.
Celebrating the North San Joaquin Valley
BioCatalyst wove in local voices, visuals, and experiences throughout the event to highlight the readiness of the North San Joaquin Valley to lead in the circular bioeconomy.
The main event kicked off with a hope-filled, circularity-inspired spoken word performance by local poet Lem “The Saint” Gonzalves, followed by remarks from Lodi City Councilmember Lisa Craig-Hensley, welcoming attendees to the City of Lodi and grounding attendees in a sense of place.
Attendees were encouraged to connect with one another throughout the day by finding name tags with matching stickers representing the region’s diverse biomass resources, such as nut shells, orchard wood, and grape pomace.
Thank you to AllMade Materials and Modesto Junior College School of Agriculture for making the event’s table decor celebrating bio-based materials, and to venue host Appelation Lodi - Wine & Roses Resort and Spa for the beautiful event setting and catering.
Finally, a special thank you to BioCatalyst event sponsors San Joaquin County WorkNet, City of Lodi Electric Utility Department, IKA Works Inc., and San Joaquin Delta College.
The Reserve Experience
The day before BioCatalyst, a smaller group of attendees and speakers gathered for The Reserve Experience, an intimate pre-conference event that included a guided tour of Lodi California Wine Country. Participants got a first-hand look at regenerative agriculture and sustainable vineyard practices, deepening relationships and strolling among vines while sampling the delicious end products of local producers. Thank you to tour hosts LangeTwins, Harney Lane, and Klinker Brick.
The day culminated in a social hour at m2 Wines, featuring a special taping of the Manufacturing Happy Hour podcast. The episode featured panelists from the North San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento region, and explored the broader Central Valley’s advanced manufacturing capabilities, workforce development trends, and intersections between agriculture and manufacturing innovation.
Thank you to sponsors Manufacturing Happy Hour, Capitol Impact, and Manufacturers Council of the Central Valley for making this special night possible.
Highlights video from The Reserve Experience on May 21, 2026.
Interested in joining a future BEAM Circular event? Check out our Events & Resources page for updates on upcoming opportunities, and join CBIO Collaborative for access to exclusive networking opportunities and discounted tickets to our flagship events.
