Team

Ivan is a scientist turned entrepreneur, who is passionate about driving positive change through technology and innovation. He completed PhD in cell biology and regenerative medicine as well as an MBA. His academic career started at University College London and then Aston University where
his team worked at the interface of stem cell science and bioprocessing. 
Most of his work is focused on stem cell therapies for medicine and he has translated this knowledge to cultivated meat. 

When not at work, Ivan spends time with his family in their campervan, wild swimming and taking photos of cows.

Petra is a Co-Founder and the CSO at Quest Meat. Her journey in science started in her birth country Romania, where she trained as a Biochemical Engineer. She then moved to the UK where she had a PhD in Regenerative Medicine from Loughborough University, before becoming a Lecturer at Aston University. She is now affiliated with University College London. 
Petra has always been an animal lover, she strongly believes that making meat without slaughtering animals is the way forward. 

When not at Quest Meat, Petra can be found enjoying her time with family, friends and Jesse, her beloved cat.

Ella Hodder is the Chief Operating Officer at Quest Meat. Her path into food tech began with a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Exeter, followed by roles in the biofuels and biopharma industries. She went on to earn a PhD in materials science with a focus on tissue engineering and bioprinting at the University of Brighton in collaboration with the University of Sussex.

After completing her doctorate, Ella spent three years in Australia as a team lead and research scientist at a cultivated-meat company. She returned to the UK after her son was born and joined Quest as a project manager, later becoming COO.

A lifelong animal lover, Ella is passionate about sustainability, having been a pescatarian from age eight and vegan for the past eight years, and is raising a vegan family. She’s driven by a simple goal: a kinder, more sustainable food system with delicious, nutritious alternatives to meat for everyone. When she’s not at Quest, you’ll find her with her husband and children, hunting down great vegan food.