At the helm of the company her father started more than 30 years ago is Nicole Atchison, who brings a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, a command of business strategy, and an ability to see the future of food. The world is catching up to Minneapolis-based Puris Holdings, an ag innovator focused on building a sustainable food economy, from seed to grocery shelves. That includes manufacturing pea protein used in plant-based burgers as well as developing new sustainable systems for farming and manufacturing. Cargill has invested $100 million, which allowed Puris to open a state-of-the-art pea protein plant this fall in Dawson, Minnesota. In 2022, “we’re looking forward to bringing new technologies in plant-based food to market,” Atchison says. “From plant-based meat to eggs to dairy, we are working to address taste, affordability, and accessibility of these products to meet market demand.”