Bian Li develops and structures cross-sector partnerships that advance agricultural innovation, food security and crop systems. Her interest in food systems began in high school, when she presented a research paper in person at the World Food Prize Youth Institute and received a personal endorsement from Dr. Norman Borlaug. That experience shaped a career guided by the conviction that how the world grows and shares its food is central to human and planetary well-being.
At the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), Li serves as director of strategic partnerships, where she secures funding for pre-competitive research collaborations focused on crops and production systems. This role reflects a natural convergence of her experience across ecosystem building, finance, nonprofit management, international development and science‑driven innovation in food and agricultural systems.
Li began her career in investment banking in Chicago and Hong Kong, advising on mergers and acquisitions in food, agribusiness and electronics manufacturing. She later served as director of planning at the World Food Prize Foundation, where she led strategic planning and global programming recognizing agricultural innovation and achievements in global food security. She went on to lead cross-sector initiatives across Africa and Asia focused on impact investing and public-private partnerships within food and agtech innovation ecosystems.
As founder of an independent consulting and advisory practice, Li supported the commercialization of innovations across food and agricultural value chains, with a focus on crops, precision agriculture, water and clean energy systems. Her work encompassed startup incubation, investor readiness, revenue generation, business model development and partnership strategy that enabled food and agtech ventures to translate research into scalable, market-ready solutions. She also convened global innovation roundtables advancing multistakeholder collaboration aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Li holds a master’s of engineering in supply chain management from the MIT-Zaragoza International Logistics Program and dual bachelor’s degrees in international studies and economics from the University of Iowa. She speaks Mandarin, Spanish and Swahili, among other languages. Outside of work, she enjoys scuba diving, salsa dancing, traveling and cooking.