Ajith Anand, PhD

Lab Director, Connected Labs at Wexford Science and Technology

Speaker

Ajith Anand, Ph.D., MBA, is an agricultural biotechnology expert, innovation strategist, and biotech operations leader with more than 20 years of experience advancing technology, product development, and commercialization. As Director of Connect Labs at Aggie Square, he supports startups, entrepreneurs, and corporate partners through lab operations, investor engagement, public-private partnerships, and community engagement.

Ajith has held scientific and leadership roles at DuPont and Corteva Agriscience, served in executive roles at startups, co-founded agtech businesses, and advised growth companies. His work spans genome engineering, gene-editing, cell biology, and molecular diagnostics. He has co-authored more than 75 scientific publications and contributed to 20 patent applications.

A dedicated mentor in agtech and biotech, Ajith supports entrepreneurship programs at UC Davis and the National Labs. He brings together academia, industry, and investors to accelerate innovation in food security, sustainability, and community well-being.