About us

Dr. Jason Kelly is the co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks, the leading horizontal platform for cell programming. Headquartered in Boston, Ginkgo is a synthetic biology company that enables customers across industries to program cells as easily as we can program computers. Ginkgo supports the development of applications ranging from vaccine manufacturing and new pharmaceutical modalities to fragrances, sustainable dyes, and biosynthetic cannabinoids, as well as pandemic response and biosecurity tools including K12 pooled testing for COVID-19. Ginkgo is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker $DNA. Prior to Ginkgo, Jason received B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology and a PhD in Biological Engineering all from MIT.

Matt Vaughan joined Battelle in 2017 and is EVP of the Applied Science & Technology group. He oversees an organization of more than 2,500 employees who are responsible for delivering science, research and engineering solutions for a diverse customer base in healthcare, national security, environment and infrastructure markets. Since joining Battelle, Matt has worked to develop a long-term growth strategy based on emerging technical needs that will require innovative solutions in the coming years and decades. Matt came to Battelle from Leidos, Inc. where he most recently served as a Senior Vice President within the Health business and was responsible for growing the company’s health products and solutions. In his six years with Leidos / SAIC, Matt also held senior management positions with the company’s Integrated Systems Group, the Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, and the company’s Government Affairs practice. Prior to Leidos, Matt spent 13 years with BAE Systems in program management and government affairs roles. He began his professional career as a legislative assistant and legislative director to a U.S. Congressman. Matt is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of New Hampshire, Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.

Nicole is the CEO of Allonnia and a proven executive leader with over 25 years of experience leading global businesses across multiple industries including Water, Mining, Paper, Chemicals and Materials. Over her career, Nicole has led the development of business strategies culminating in 4 merger and acquisition events and numerous partnerships. She has won several awards recognizing women in industry and her professional achievements. Nicole is passionate about bringing the next frontier of technology into traditional waste and industrial markets.

Jason Kakoyiannis focuses on corporate development at Ginkgo Bioworks where he helps catalyze new operating companies. Prior to joining Ginkgo, Jason held strategic growth roles at Givaudan developing global products and brands with Unilever, Natura, Estée Lauder, and others. He began his career as an M&A attorney at Shearman & Sterling in public company transactions and takeover defense. He was a curatorial fellow at the Whitney Museum of Art and currently advises several biotech startups. Jason received his BA from Brown University, MA from Yale, and JD from USC.

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Thomas P. Bostick previously served as COO and President, Intrexon Bioengineering (NASDAQ: XON). He serves as a senior advisor on biotechnology, infrastructure, sustainability, HR, and DEI. Bostick serves on the boards of CSX (NASDAQ: CSX), and Perma-Fix (NASDAQ: PESI). He also serves on the board of HireVue, and Fidelity Investments’ Equity and High-Income Fund Board of Trustees. He was the 53rd Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Bostick helped lead the nation’s response to Superstorm Sandy. He was the Army’s Director of Personnel and served as the Commanding General of U.S. Army Recruiting Command; he deployed with the 1st Cavalry Division during Operation Iraqi Freedom and later commanded the Gulf Region Division with responsibility for an $18B construction program. He serves on multiple non-profit boards. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, Bostick serves on several committees of the National Academy of Sciences focused on the environment and climate change. He is a licensed professional engineer, a Forbes Contributor, and an Affiliated Scholar at Stanford University. He recently published his first book, Winning After Losing: Building Resilient Teams.