Ginkgo Sociotechnical Studio Team & People

The Studio Team

A–Z

Alex Ting

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Alex works on Ginkgo’s Events & Experiences. She’s fascinated by the power of the built environment and aesthetic experience to facilitate meaningful connection within communities and between people and the natural world. Her experience includes co-founding a pop-up dinner series in Vermont, writing and hosting events for an arts and culture magazine in Japan, and managing outreach for a synbio textile dyeing start-up in England. Alex studied art history at Williams College and completed a masters degree in Arts, Creativity, and Education at the University of Cambridge. She’s now based in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she continues to experiment and learn through her preferred creative medium: the dinner party.

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Annick Saralegui

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Annick is a interdisciplinary biodesigner integrating microbiology, communications design, and art to visually communicate new bio-centric sustainability narratives to a broader audience that traverses the business, and science worlds. She is a recent graduate of NYU where she majored in "Regenerative Futures" using biology as a tool to design new material systems.

Cas Smith

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Cas believes in a future brimming with biology. His work is to ensure that happens. — Cas is a biological engineer and materials scientist specializing in communicating complex ideas to all audiences. Cas works to unlock the immense and largely unexplored creative spaces of synthetic biology by making biology a more understandable, approachable, and accessible space. He serves as a Director of Growth at Ginkgo Bioworks and is a co-founder of NewBioCity. Cas holds an MSc in Engineering Science and Mechanics from Pennsylvania State University where he quit a PhD program (with no regrets) and a BSc in Biological & Agricultural Engineering from Louisiana State University.

cas.bio Twitter

Christina Agapakis

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Christina Agapakis is a synthetic biologist, writer, and artist and is the creative director of Ginkgo Bioworks. Her work brings together biologists, engineers, designers, artists, and social scientists to explore the future of biotechnology, from perfume made from extinct flowers to engineered probiotics and GMO beer. She holds a PhD in synthetic biology from Harvard University and once made cheese using bacteria from the human body.

agapakis.com Twitter

Connie Chow

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Connie Chow is an ardent believer of building a more sustainable and equitable world through synthetic biology. Originally from southern California, Connie worked at Deloitte Consulting prior to joining Ginkgo, serving as an advisor to multinational companies in biotech, industrials, and energy sectors on topics of innovation, strategy, and analytics. Connie holds a Bachelor's in Economics from University of California, Irvine, and graduated from the University of Michigan with her MBA and Master of Science in Environmental Studies.

Danielle Kunkel

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Danielle is an interdisciplinary artist and designer who uses creative media to visually communicate complex topics. She believes in only using her skills in ways that will help improve conditions for all life on Earth. Danielle graduated from Maryland Institute College of Art with a BFA in General Fine Arts and minors in Graphic Design and Sustainability & Social Practices. She had the opportunity to experience the world of biodesign there and excitedly joined Ginkgo after graduation to help this promising field grow.

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Hannah Uebele

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Hannah loves uniting storytelling with science to help people understand synthetic biology. She’s passionate about science communication and fostering public engagement around nature and biotech. Prior to Ginkgo, she was a public radio producer at GBH News in Boston. Hannah graduated from Tufts University, where she majored in English and Environmental Science. She currently lives in Austin, Texas.

Jake Wintermute

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Jake Wintermute holds a PhD in systems biology from Harvard University, where his doctoral work focused on metabolic engineering and the dynamics of microbial communities. Before coming to Ginkgo, Jake spent 10 years as a teacher, researcher and group leader at the CRI in Paris, France, where his lab studied drug discovery for neglected diseases, citizen science and synbio education. As Ginkgo's Developer Evangelist, his misson is to grow the biotech ecosystem, to diversify the bioeconomy, and to provide education, documentation and support for developers bringing new projects to Ginkgo's platform.

Jesse Dill

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Jesse Dill is a biophysicist with a background in sustainable biotechnology and private and public sector research funding. He currently works on Ginkgo's business operations team, where he is working on Ginkgo's strategy for engagement with the venture-backed ecosystem. He grows fruit trees and luffa gourds for fun, and used to run a microscope photography blog. Jesse lives in Washington DC with two ridiculous hounds and an energy lawyer. (To clarify: not a lawyer made out of energy.)

Twitter

Joseph Fridman

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Joseph Fridman works at the intersection of science, communications, and policy to grow Ginkgo's capacity to tell and realize stories, while interrogating and developing Ginkgo's vision of a solarpunk future. He's studied neuroscience, the history of science, journalism, law, and business, and has produced popular media with hundreds of researchers. He lives in Astoria with two ragdolls and a climate scientist.

josephfridman.com Twitter

Lily Fitzgerald

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Lily is a biologist working in public policy to grow and improve the impact of synthetic biology on communities. She focuses on issues of social justice, access, and biodiversity, and is especially passionate about workforce development. She develops Ginkgo policy priorities and forms local and national partnerships to catalyze change. Previously, Lily was an early member of the Build team of Ginkgo's foundry. She holds an M.S. in Technology Policy from MIT and studied Environmental Science and Molecular Biology at UMass Amherst.

Maris Paden

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Based in Washington, D.C., Maris works to increase awareness of synthetic biology and its potential to address big problems, from supply chain to climate change. On the Policy and Partnerships team, she works to advance policies to grow the bioeconomy. Prior to her time at Ginkgo Bioworks, Maris worked in Congressional Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maris holds a Bachelor’s in Medicine, Health & Society and Art History from Vanderbilt University, and is currently pursuing her J.D. from Georgetown Law.

Neekta Hamidi

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As we progress towards a bio-centric future, Neekta believes in always asking “Why?” Neekta brings her cross-disciplinary approach in biomedical engineering, public health, and policy to the Creative Studio. Neekta’s foundational experience in science policy and communication was as an intern at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Other previous experiences include IBM Watson Health’s inaugural team, and at Schmidt Futures, where she supported the “Technology and Society” portfolio of interdisciplinary innovators. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she specifically supported the Federation of American Scientists, researching issues at the intersection of biology and society, including biosecurity and misinformation. She holds a Bachelor’s in biomedical engineering and Master’s in Science and Technology Policy from Arizona State University, and a Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins.

Nina Garcia

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Nina is a graphic designer and art director who manages Ginkgo's brand and visual design system. She attended University of Colorado Boulder where she studied Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Post graduation, seeking to marry her interests in natural science and visual problem-solving she entered the biotech space as a visual communicator.

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Quinn Berkman

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Quinn is the Associate Director of events and experiences at Ginkgo. In addition to overseeing Ginkgo’s annual meeting, Ferment, she works across all disciplines to set the stage for the synthetic biology revolution. Quinn’s approach to her work is grounded in storytelling, community development, and the continuum of learning. Prior to Ginkgo, Quinn spent 3 years at the New York City Municipal Archives where she brought history to life through reimagined exhibitions and public programs. After dusting herself off in the archives, Quinn transitioned to freelancing for various events and experiences and even toured (and drove!) an exhibition inside of a school bus across the country. Quinn graduated from Hampshire College where she concentrated in Photography and Education and is now based in Los Angeles.

Ryan Morhard

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Ryan Morhard is Director for Policy and Partnerships at Ginkgo Bioworks. Before joining Ginkgo Bioworks, he led the World Economic Forum’s work on global health security and biological risks. Prior to that, Ryan served as Branch Chief for International Partnerships in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Ryan received his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis and studied Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh. He is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Center Affiliate at the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University.

ryanmorhard.com Twitter

Sudeep Agarwala

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Sudeep Agarwala is synthetic biologist at Ginkgo Bioworks. He holds a PhD in biology from MIT, specializing in yeast biology and genetics. Professionally, he is fascinated by how microbes--bacteria, yeasts, and fungi--can be engineered to produce different fragrances, flavors, and proteins to address issues around resource limitation and climate change. Outside of the lab, he is passionate about science communication and public engagement around genetic engineering and biotechnology.

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Sushmita Venkatraman

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Sushmita Venkatraman is a biotechnologist who has spent a decade working with brands in the life the sciences, and has advised clients on positioning and implementing marketing functions with a key emphasis on understanding Voice of Customer and deriving insights to drive customers to action. She has established a deep expertise in managing clients' marketing strategies, product positioning, portfolio growth strategies, brand activation planning, and concept testing to launch new product development through frameworks and market research. She holds a Bachelor and Masters in Biotechnology and is currently focused on completing her MBA at Kellogg School of Management where she is specializing in understanding the clinical aspects of marketing's impact in organizations.

Alumni

A–Z

Andrea Ling

She/Her

Creative Resident

Andrea Ling (CA) is an architect and installation artist who works at the intersection of art, fabrication technologies, and biological sciences. Her most recent work focuses on how the critical application of biologically and computationally mediated design processes can move society away from exploitative systems of production to regenerative ones. She graduated from the MIT Media Lab, Mediated Matter group. Andrea is an architect with the Ontario Association of Architects and a founding partner at designGUILD, a Toronto-based art & design collective. She is currently an A&T fellow at the Institute of Technology and Architecture at ETH Zurich.

andreasling.com Instagram

Ayana Zaire Cotton

She/They

Creative Resident

Contending with our digital detritus Ayana is invoking vessels for difference without separation. While writing about witches in the physics department and root doctors in the biology lab, Ayana reappropriates the data of our lives and makes gumbo. Inspired by the bald cypress trees staining North Carolina’s Black river with branches, leaves blood, and griot compost—activated by the experiments encoding data into the DNA of plants—they are currently asking what if the Black water could speak?

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Britt Wray

She/Her

Consultant

Britt is a science storyteller focusing on synthetic biology and the climate crisis through writing and broadcasting. She's a Postdoctoral Fellow in Human and Planetary Health at Stanford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she researches the mental health impacts of the climate crisis on young people. She is also a writer, creator of the weekly newsletter about “staying sane in the climate crisis” Gen Dread (gendread.substack.com) and holds a PhD in the science communication of synthetic biology from the University of Copenhagen. She is the author of 2 books: Generation Dread (Knopf 2022) and Rise of the Necrofauna (Greystone Books 2017). She's hosted several science podcasts, radio programs and tv shows with the BBC and CBC.

brittwray.com Twitter

Eli Block

He/Him

Senior Specialist, Creative Marketing

Eli is a graphic, product, interaction, and industrial designer, and ex-special projects lead at Ginkgo Bioworks. He's originally from Santa Cruz, California—a community Donna Haraway once described as the "folks who would understand the craziness of it all." He attended the Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design Dual Degree Program, where he studied Biology and Industrial Design and concentrated in Nature, Culture, & Sustainability Studies.

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Ian Busuulwa

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Public Policy Fellow

Ian Peter Busuulwa is a biotechnologist with a keen interest in science communication and science policy advocacy. He was recently part of the Inaugural Public Policy Fellowship at Ginkgo Bioworks part of which he independently started the Bioeconomy Coalition of Uganda to pursue growth of the bioeconomy in the country. Back in Uganda, he works as an Advocacy and Dissemination Lead of Uganda Biosciences Information Centre under the National Agricultural Research Organisation. He also coordinates two science communication projects - Science Stories Africa and Science Unplugged, and is leading the policy and communication efforts of Synbio Africa - a platform of synthetic biology stakeholers in Africa.

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Kit McDonnell

She/Her

Manager, Creative Marketing

Kit McDonnell is a systems biologist who specializes in consumer biotech and sustainability. Since starting her career at the Field Museum’s Pritzker Lab, she’s led Corporate Affairs at the crop health startup Enko Chem and Special Projects at Ginkgo Bioworks, and her work has popularized pesticides and GMOs for good. She frequently collaborates with scientists and designers, including creating the first museum label printed in DNA and researching cheese and tea microbiomes.

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Leon Elcock

He/Him

Public Policy Fellow

Leon is a synthetic biologist with a firm interest in workforce development and transition design. He foresees synthetic biology being a key technology for solving climate change and inequality. In his work, he seeks to design projects centering care and climate. As an Inaugural Public Policy Fellow, he developed the Cyan-collar Handbook to advance guidance for cultivating a non-extractive workforce ecosystem.

leonelcock.com Twitter

Our team

Creative studio, design, communications, policy lab, marketing, & strategy

Our team

Creative studio, design, communications, policy lab, marketing, & strategy

Our team

Creative studio, design, communications, policy lab, marketing, & strategy

The Ginkgo Studio

Projects at the intersection of science, society, design, and biology

Grow Magazine

Creative Residency

Syntheticbiology.com

The Ginkgo Studio

Projects at the intersection of science, society, design, and biology

Grow Magazine

Creative Residency

Syntheticbiology.com

The Studio Team

Collaborators

Alumni

About us

The Sociotechnical Studio

Ginkgo Bioworks

Contact us

About us

The Sociotechnical Studio

Ginkgo Bioworks

Contact us

Contact us

Contact us

Sociotechnical Studio

Ginkgo Bioworks