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We're joined by Ryan Pandya and Perumal Gandhi, the co-founders of Perfect Day, a company that makes the proteins you find in milk in a lab using a method called fermentation.
A bagel with cream cheese may not seem like a catalyst to change the world, but that’s exactly what it was for Ryan Pandya and Perumal Gandhi. The two are co-founders of Perfect Day, a company that makes the proteins you find in milk in a lab using a method called fermentation. As grad students, Ryan and Perumal found themselves gravitating towards the same scientific problem - is it possible to make a nearly identical replacement for dairy without the cow? For the pair, the answer is a resounding yes. Today, Perfect Day is a unicorn with former Disney chief Bob Iger on its board. From their first meeting in Ireland, to a pivotal presentation to an influential VC (where they wore white lab coats to look "the part"), Ryan and Perumal take us on their memorable food entrepreneurial journey.
Co-Founder
Ryan Pandya is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Perfect Day, a consumer biology company on a mission to create a kinder, greener tomorrow by developing new ways to make the foods you love today — starting in the dairy aisle. Ryan, in partnership with co-founder Perumal Gandhi, leads a diverse team of scientists, engineers, chefs, food developers, and storytellers who are working in harmony to make their dream of animal-free dairy a reality. Ryan studied Chemical & Biological Engineering at Tu s University, where he contributed to seminal research on tissue engineered meat at the Kaplan Lab. Following graduation, he worked on breakthrough upstream process development for biotechnology company MassBiologics. Ryan’s deep knowledge of biomaterials and biotechnology laid the foundation for Perfect Day’s innovative approach: applying the same well-established technology that has driven world-changing innovation in the pharmaceutical industry to solve other global issues. Perfect Day has started with an issue that was personal to him — the need for better dairy alternatives — but this is just the beginning of what is possible. Ryan is driving Perfect Day towards a vision of building a more equitable, resilient, and diverse food system for everyone.
Co-Founder
Perumal Gandhi is a co-founder of Perfect Day, a consumer biology company on a mission to create a kinder, greener tomorrow by developing new ways to make the foods you love today — starting in the dairy aisle. Perumal’s desire to change the way we eat was seeded in a childhood decision to become a vegetarian due to environmental and animal welfare concerns. After some soul searching, he eventually transitioned to a vegan diet in order to make an even greater impact on the world. He found himself challenged by the transition, missing cheese and dairy products. Thanks to a coincidental twist of fate, Perumal was connected with fellow dairy lover and aspiring vegan, Ryan Pandya. The duo put their combined engineering backgrounds to work, embarking on a journey to discover how to create dairy using wellknown fermentation techniques. Together, Ryan and Perumal set out to create a company to revolutionize the dairy industry and, in 2014, Perfect Day was born. Perumal received his graduate degree in Biomedical Engineering at SUNY Stony Brook where he worked in the Rubinstein Lab to develop functional tissue engineering sca olds for the medical industry. Prior to that, he studied In India, and worked as a research assistant for the Shrivastava Lab at IIT Bombay.
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