Nicole Rawling is the founder and CEO of the Material Innovation Initiative (MII), a nonprofit established in 2019 to accelerate the development and adoption of sustainable, animal-free materials. MII works at the intersection of science, entrepreneurship, investment, and industry, partnering with researchers, startups, investors, material manufacturers, brands, and the media to identify critical gaps in the ecosystem, provide evidence-based recommendations, and help direct research and capital toward the highest-impact opportunities.Nicole’s expertise spans ecosystem development, organizational strategy, and corporate governance. She is a licensed California attorney and a serial founder, having launched ten companies with a long-term success rate of 90 percent. She has also served on the boards of directors of eight companies.