David Welch is the Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder at Synthesis Capital, a venture capital firm created to transform our food system through food technology. Synthesis Capital’s goal is to help the world transition to a more sustainable, plant-based food system. They do this by investing in start-ups that develop technologies that improve or convert biological materials into more nutritious, sustainable, and great-tasting food and beverages. “At Synthesis, I look for and assess new companies for us to invest in, support our existing portfolio companies, and monitor academic and industry research for new technologies. It’s an awesome job!” You can learn more about the companies they’ve invested in here.
Extracurriculars
David is an ultra-runner, so he spends a lot of time running and doing other types of endurance sports. He especially loves running on local trails in the Frederick Watershed and on the AT. He also coaches runners, both individually and in groups, through Charm City Run. Besides running, David is also passionate about helping in the fight against food insecurity. He’s on the board of advisors for Rise Against Hunger, a non-profit that addresses hunger in geographic regions where access to diverse and nutritious food is limited. He also supports The Good Food Institute (his previous employer) and Switch4Good, a non-profit focused on helping people lead healthier lives by transitioning to a dairy-free, plant-based diet.
Why we love David
At Cowork Frederick, we love learning more about how our members are working to impact the world for the better. David Welch is no exception. His work in science, sustainability, and food technology has the ability to make a giant, positive impact on our food systems. David’s passion for environmentalism and fighting world hunger is inspiring. We all look forward to getting to know David better.
Q&A with David Welch
How did you get into {profession}?
I did my undergraduate and doctoral studies in plant molecular biology. After finishing my PhD, I spent the majority of my career in the life science and biotech industries, commercializing technologies for biological research, drug discovery and development, and cell therapy. Along the way, I became vegan (after reading Eat and Run by Scott Jurek). This dietary change had a significant impact on my health and performance as a runner, which piqued my curiosity about diets and food systems. This opened my eyes to the massive problems with our current food system, particularly our reliance on industrial animal agriculture and its devastating impact on our environment, food security, zoonotic diseases, and animal welfare.
Around this time, a new “alternative protein” industry was beginning to form. Companies were applying technologies from biotech to develop meat and dairy alternatives to shift consumers away from a reliance on animals for food. I saw an opportunity to apply academic and industry training to help this new industry, and in 2017, I joined The Good Food Institute, a non-profit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals, as head of science and technology. It was in that role that I met my two co-founders. We collaborated on a number of projects and ultimately decided to work together and form Synthesis Capital.
Any tips for others who want to do similar work?
Improving our food system is not an easy task, and we are running out of time. We need everyone involved, whether that’s through individual choices in the food you consume, by influencing your government to support sustainable and ethical food systems, or by actively working in the food industry to accelerate change. There are a wide range of roles in the alternative protein industry, spanning science, legal, marketing, operations, and many other fields. On the investment side, training in business or economics is often required, but you can sometimes find roles if you have subject matter expertise in a field that is relevant to food.
How do you define success?
For me, success is being able to look back on my life and know that I made a positive impact on people, animals, and our planet.
Who/What inspires you and keeps you going?
My family (I have a wife and three amazing sons). I want to make the planet a better place to live for them. More broadly, I’m driven to create a food system that doesn’t destroy our planet.
Almost three years ago, I discovered that I have bicuspid aortic valve disease, a congenital heart defect. Last August, I had open heart surgery to replace my aortic valve and repair my aorta. I’ve thankfully made a full recovery (I ran my first post-surgery ultramarathon a few weeks ago!), and I’m inspired by this unanticipated health journey to show others that you can rebound from challenging setbacks and live a healthy, vibrant, and rewarding life.
Why Cowork Frederick?
I’ve worked from home for the last seven years and wanted to add some variety to my work week. I’ve tried working from a coffee shop for the afternoon but the atmosphere wasn’t right for me. When we first started Synthesis, my co-founders worked out of a WeWork in London. I spent multiple weeks working out of there when in London and I liked the open environment and the spaces for focused work. There really weren’t many options for co-working in Frederick but after trying Cowork Frederick out a few times while we were having some work done on our house, it felt like the right place to spend one day per week. I’m several months in and am still really enjoying it!
For those who want to learn more, how can you be reached?
Our company website is: synthesis.capital. I’m not very active on social media, but you can find me on LinkedIn, Strava, and Instagram. I was recently on the Switch4Good podcast, talking about my work and recovery from heart surgery.
About the author:
Bethany Good is the founder of Good Writing Co., which provides professional writing, developmental book editing, book coaching, and ghostwriting services. Her writing has appeared in Innovation and Tech Today, Columbia Inspired Magazine, and Frederick Lifestyle Magazine (among others). Bethany works with authors to help guide them through the book-writing process so that they can finally finish their memoirs or nonfiction books. Specializing in eldercare, dementia, and Alzheimer’s, she also works with home health businesses to provide content and resources for their patients and families. Bethany is also a dedicated wife and mother to two active kids. In her limited time, she enjoys gardening, long nature walks, reading, cooking, and snuggling with her Boston Terrier, Scout.