Strengthening Food System Resilience Through Ecosystem Building
Strengthening Food System Resilience Through Ecosystem Building
The Power of Trichoderma reesei: Building the Future with Fungi is an expert webinar series launched in December 2025.
This multi-part series explores the scientific, industrial, and commercial potential of Trichoderma reesei, the microbial platform powering Bioalbumen®, highlighting why it has become a trusted workhorse in large-scale protein manufacturing.
In this third session, “Strengthening Food System Resilience Through Ecosystem Building, ” Tom Ferguson, Chief Financial Officer at Onego Bio, alongside Dr. Kim Kidwell, Associate Chancellor for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives at the University of Illinois, discuss:
The structure and scale of the $300BN global egg market—and why resilience matters
The economic impact of supply volatility on food manufacturers and farmers
How diversified protein production can complement and strengthen existing agriculture
The role of regional ecosystem building—integrating research, infrastructure, workforce, and industry
The importance of ecosystem partnerships on the journey to scale up.
Live Q&A
Recorded March 16, 2026.
About Tom Ferguson, Chief Financial Officer, Onego Bio
Tom serves as Chief Financial Officer at Onego Bio, where he leads financial strategy, capital formation, and long-term economic planning as the company scales its precision fermentation platform for commodity protein production.
About Dr. Kim Kidwell, Associate Chancellor for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives, University of Illinois
Dr. Kim Kidwell serves as Associate Chancellor for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives at the University of Illinois, where she leads the development of high-impact, multi-stakeholder initiatives that translate scientific discovery into economic and community value.
She is part of the leadership team of the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub, a 34-member consortium awarded $51.4 million to build a “lab-to-line” precision fermentation ecosystem in Central Illinois.
Previously, she served as Dean and Robert A. Easter Chair of the College of ACES. An accomplished plant breeder and award-winning educator, she has developed more than 20 wheat varieties and led multiple patented research innovations.