Lisa Dyson facts for kids

Lisa Dyson is an American scientist, physicist, and entrepreneur. She is famous for creating new ways to make food and other products. Lisa is the founder and CEO of Air Protein, a company that makes food using elements from the air. This company wants to help feed 10 billion people by 2050 in a healthy and sustainable way.

Dr. Dyson has achieved many things in both business and science. She has helped raise over $100 million for the two companies she co-founded with Dr. John Reed. She earned her PhD in Theoretical Physics from MIT. She has also done research at top universities like University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and Princeton University.

Lisa also worked as a consultant, helping large companies solve problems. In 2016, she gave a TED Talk about how old space technology could change how we grow food. Over 1.5 million people have watched her talk!

Lisa has won many awards. She was named one of the "100 Most Creative People" by Fast Company in 2017. Inc. Magazine called her one of the "Top 100 Female Founders" in 2019. In 2024, she was recognized as a "Bloomberg’s New Economy Catalyst." Her companies have also received awards, including "America’s #1 FoodTech Company" from TIME and Statista in 2024.

Dr. Dyson also co-founded Kiverdi. This biotechnology company aims to create a "circular economy." This means they turn carbon dioxide (CO2) and waste into raw materials for everyday products. These products include things like biodegradable plastics and fuels.

Early Life and Education

Lisa Dyson grew up in Southern California. She studied physics and mathematics at Brandeis University, finishing her degrees in 1997. Meeting physics professors there made her want to do more physics research.

She became a Fulbright Scholar and studied at Imperial College London. There, she earned a Masters of Science degree in physics. She focused on quantum field theory, which studies tiny particles and forces.

In 2004, Dyson earned her PhD at the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics at MIT. She worked with Leonard Susskind on complex topics like quantum gravity and string theory. These fields try to understand how the universe works at its most basic level. Lisa Dyson was the fourth Black woman to earn a PhD in theoretical high energy physics.

Her Amazing Career

After her studies, Dr. Dyson continued her research at several famous places. These included the University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University. She also worked as a management consultant at Boston Consulting Group. In this role, she helped big international companies improve their business strategies. She worked with companies in many different industries, from energy to telecommunications.

In 2008, Lisa Dyson and Dr. John Reed started working on technologies to help the environment. In 2011, they founded Kiverdi. This company uses tiny living things called microbes to turn carbon dioxide and waste into useful materials. These materials can become alternative fuels, proteins, oils, and biodegradable plastics.

This technology is inspired by NASA ideas from the 1960s and 1970s. Back then, NASA explored using microbes to turn astronauts' exhaled CO2 into food. Dyson and Reed started growing these microbes in their lab. They then worked with manufacturers to make their technology bigger and more effective. Kiverdi now has over 40 patents for its inventions.

Later, Dyson and Dr. John Reed created Air Protein. This company focuses specifically on making sustainable food. Lisa Dyson is the CEO of Air Protein.

Media and Speaking Appearances

Lisa Dyson has given several TED talks. In May 2014, she spoke about "Turning CO₂ into Oil" at TEDxFulbright.

In July 2016, she gave a popular talk titled "A forgotten Space Age technology could change how we grow food". This talk has been watched over one million times! She has also talked about recycling carbon and appeared on the PBS Nova show Decoding the Weather Machine in April 2018.

Awards and Recognition

Lisa Dyson has received many honors for her work:

• 2012: Sustainable Biofuels Award for being a "Leader in Bio-based Chemical Industry."
• 2012: A $750,000 grant from the California Energy Commission for her work on using carbon dioxide.
• 2013: Named one of "40 Under 40" by the San Francisco Business Times.
• 2014: Entrepreneurship Award from the U.S. Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) Initiative.
• 2015 & 2016: Named "One of the Most Influential Women in the Bay Area" by the San Francisco Business Times.
• 2017: One of the "Most Creative People in Business" by Fast Company.
• 2018: Women in Natural Sciences Award for her positive impact on the world through science.
• 2019: Named one of the "Top 100 Female Founders" by Inc. Magazine.
• 2021: Female Thought Leader of the Year and Most Innovative Woman of the Year - Technology at the Stevie Awards for Women in Business.
• 2022: Named one of the "Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business" by the San Francisco Business Times.
• 2023: Included in the "Power 100" list by the San Francisco Business Times.
• 2023: Lewis Latimer Fellow from The Edison Awards.
• Forever Influential Honor Roll by the San Francisco Business Times.