When food scientist Christelle Brandt MBA’26 arrived at Babson College (US), she was immediately struck by the range of people around her. At other graduate business programmes, she had encountered a lack of diversity – “either they were all consultants or they were all scientists.” Babson was different: classmates came from a fashion career in India, a tiny house construction business in Madagascar, and a family farming operation in Mexico.
“They came from very different worlds, but they were still all connected by a drive to do something meaningful,” she recalls.
That mix of entrepreneurial energy and global perspective made Babson a clear choice and the launchpad for a career at the intersection of food science, entrepreneurship, and AI. Brandt delivered the graduate student address at Babson’s 2026 Commencement.
A childhood shaped by curiosity
Brandt’s path into food science began early, driven by a childhood marked by food allergies.
“I’ve always read ingredient labels,” she says. “I was always curious what all these weird-sounding ingredients are and why they’re there.”
That curiosity grew into a fascination with the systems behind what ends up on store shelves – far removed from the recipes and restaurants most consumers associate with food.
Before Babson, she spent several years as a senior scientist at Boston-based food lab startup Chew, working on sustainability projects that helped companies turn food waste into consumer-friendly ingredients, and helping major confectionery brands create healthier products without sacrificing taste. For Brandt, the stakes go well beyond snacks.
“Food is the industry that causes a third of our global greenhouse gas emissions. It employs over a billion people. It should be the spotlight industry.”
She is equally passionate about preserving what makes food human.
“I never want food to lose its soul – the thing that makes a child smile, or that gets you through a breakup or brings people around the table. It should have science and joy.”
From founder to advisor
Brandt entered Babson’s Summer Venture Programme with plans to build a plant-based milk and creamer company for the European market. During the programme, her direction shifted: she realised she was more energised by helping other founders navigate challenges than by building a single product herself.
That insight led to Chimera AI, her consulting venture working with food startups on technical strategy, commercialisation, and AI-powered systems.
“I work with founders who have a great product but are stuck figuring out how to price it, position it, or get it onto shelves. This is the kind of thinking a big consulting firm would charge a fortune for – except those firms aren’t built for startups, and startups can’t afford them anyway.”
Outside the classroom, she oversaw the Food and Agriculture Technology Club, co-founded the Food and Beverage Business (FABB) Lab, and played a key role in organising Babson’s inaugural Food Summit.
“I want Babson to be number one in food entrepreneurship. I think food deserves it.”
After Commencement, Brandt’s focus is on growing Chimera – taking the foundation Babson helped her build and scaling it into something bigger.
“Babson didn’t give me one big thing to make this happen. It gave me a hundred small ones: the confidence to speak before I’m ready, the clarity to know what I’m actually good at – and the belief that helping people and building a business can be the same thing.”
