Kit McDonnell is a leading strategist and catalyst in the bioeconomy, driving transformation at the intersection of biotechnology, design, and climate solutions. Trained as a systems and molecular biologist, her work is deeply informed by environmental anthropology, exploring how human culture shapes—and is shaped by—the natural world.

Throughout her career, Kit has played a key role in integrating biotechnology into new industries, such as developing bio-strategies for material circularity and nature-based climate solutions. She has led industry-defining initiatives at LanzaTech, Ginkgo Bioworks, Enko Chem, and the Field Museum of Natural History, while advising and building high-impact collaborations with corporations, consumer and luxury brands, NGOs, and Fortune 500 companies.

A sought-after advisor, speaker, and thought leader, Kit is known for making biotechnology more accessible and relevant to culture, using unexpected intersections to drive change. Her projects have included working with artists, designers, and scientists to reimagine the future of materials and manufacturing—from reviving the scents of extinct flowers to creating the world’s first DNA-printed museum label. She also stewards Spring House Farm, a 250-acre living laboratory in Illinois’ Driftless Area.

Kit holds a degree in Biology from Tufts University and studied Global Creative Industries & Biotech Business at the University of Hong Kong

‍