Biography

Zak Weston leads efforts to accelerate the scale and impact of sustainable proteins. His work focuses on developing and applying tools such as demand aggregation, volume guarantees, and other market-based mechanisms that help bridge the gap between innovation and cost-competitive production.

At FSI, Zak works at the intersection of strategy, capital, and systems change. He collaborates with philanthropies, mission-driven capital providers, and ecosystem partners to translate complex market dynamics into actionable frameworks that can unlock progress across price, taste, and supply—the core drivers of large-scale protein transition.

Zak also works with Ira Magaziner on a market shaping initiative focused on the use of volume guarantees to accelerate the scale-up of alternative proteins. This work explores how coordinated demand signals can reduce risk, enable investment in manufacturing capacity, and help emerging technologies reach cost-competitive scale.

Prior to joining FSI, Zak spent over five years at The Good Food Institute, where he worked on supply chain innovation and “moonshot” initiatives aimed at overcoming critical bottlenecks in the alternative protein ecosystem. His work focused on identifying high-impact opportunities to accelerate the development and commercialization of next-generation protein technologies.

Earlier in his career, Zak built experience across entrepreneurship, strategy, and early-stage venture development, with a focus on food and agriculture. He has worked on launching and scaling new ventures, supporting founders, and analyzing emerging sectors where innovation, capital, and infrastructure must evolve together.