Polly Ericksen leads a research program on Sustainable Livestock Systems at the International Livestock Research Center, based in Nairobi, Kenya.  She has over 25 years of experience at the interface between research and development focusing on global environmental change and agricultural development. This includes work in Latin America, South Asia and Africa. She holds an MSc in Economics and a PhD in Soil Science, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  Prior to joining ILRI she worked at the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford, the Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia University, and Catholic Relief Services.

Dr. Adesogan is a Professor of Animal Nutrition, Director of the Food Systems Institute as well as Director and Principal Investigator of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems (LSIL) at the University of Florida. His research interests include sustainable improvement of livestock production, using animal-source foods to improve human nutrition and health, improving the quality, conservation and utilization of forages to improve animal production and welfare; using feed additives to improve manipulate rumen digestion and enhance animal performance; using legumes to enhance the sustainability of animal production, and using plant nutraceuticals to improve animal health and performance.

Sofía joined the FAIRR Initiative in April 2021 as Investor Outreach Manager. She leads FAIRR’s investor outreach efforts in francophone and hispanophone countries and supports outreach activities globally. She also coordinates FAIRR’s involvement in the multi-stakeholder initiative ‘Investor Action on AMR’. Previously, she led the Innovative Finance Programme of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). She also worked as a Strategy Specialist at the World Economic Forum (WEF) and as an Analyst for J.P. Morgan.

Sofía holds a BA in International Relations and Economics from the University of Geneva, a Masters in International Development and Economics from the Graduate Institute in Geneva (IHEID) and a Masters in Public Health and Health Economics from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). She also holds a CFA certificate in ESG investment. She has worked on projects and initiatives in Europe, Latin America and Africa and is passionate about the role of finance in improving food systems and global health.

Rob Bertram is the Chief Scientist in USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, where he serves as a key adviser on a range of technical and program issues to advance global food security and nutrition. In this role, he leads USAID’s evidence-based efforts to advance research, technology and implementation in support of the U.S. Government’s global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future. He previously served as Director of the Office of Agricultural Research and Policy in the Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, which leads implementation of the Feed the Future research strategy and related efforts to scale innovations in global food security efforts, working with a range of partners. Prior to that, he guided USAID investments in agriculture and natural resources research for many years. Dr. Bertram’s academic background in plant breeding and genetics includes degrees from University of California, Davis, the University of Minnesota and the University of Maryland. He also studied international affairs at Georgetown University and was a visiting scientist at Washington University in St. Louis. He has been especially active in plant genetic resources policy as it relates to research for development, including applications of biotechnology in food security-related research. Before coming to USAID, he served with USDA's international programs as well as overseas with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) system.