Pierre Agostini
2023 Nobel Laureate in Physics | Emeritus Professor, The Ohio State University | Pioneer of Attosecond Science
Suzanne Lee
Founder & CEO of Biofabricate | TED Senior Fellow | Pioneer of Biocouture & Biofabrication | Designer, Author, Sustainable Materials Innovator
Speaker Suzanne Lee is a leading voice on biofabrication — growing materials from biology instead of extracting them from oil. Founder and CEO of Biofabricate, TED Senior Fellow, and author of Fashioning the Future, she advises global consumer brands on the shift to bio-based materials. Audiences gain an executive-ready view of the post-petroleum material economy and the opportunities it unlocks.
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Suzanne Lee biography
Speaker Suzanne Lee is a designer, biofabrication pioneer, and one of the world’s leading voices on the next industrial revolution: a material economy grown with biology rather than extracted from oil. Founder and CEO of Biofabricate — the global platform connecting biomaterial innovators, investors, and consumer brands — she has spent more than two decades pushing the fashion, beauty, packaging, automotive, and construction industries toward a more sustainable material future.
Lee first introduced the concept of “Biocouture” in 2003, when she began growing clothing materials from microbes. That early experiment evolved into a global movement. She founded Biofabricate in 2014, and the company now organizes the influential annual BioFabricate Summit, which brings together leading scientists, designers, brand executives, and investors building the bio-based materials of tomorrow.
From Lab Bench to Boardroom
Between 2014 and 2019, Lee served as Chief Creative Officer of Modern Meadow, a New York biotech company growing animal-free leather alternatives. She is a TED Senior Fellow, special advisor to Parley for the Oceans on biomaterials, and a Launch Material Innovator — an initiative founded by NASA, Nike, USAID, and the U.S. State Department to accelerate breakthrough sustainable materials. She is also the author of the seminal book Fashioning the Future: Tomorrow’s Wardrobe, which charted the early collision of fashion and biotechnology.
Today, Lee advises some of the world’s largest consumer brands on how to integrate biofabrication into product strategy, R&D investment, and sustainability commitments. She also leads Biofabricate’s educational platform, helping creative and corporate teams build literacy in mycelium, bacterial cellulose, lab-grown collagen, algae, and other emerging biomaterial categories.
As a speaker, Suzanne Lee gives executive and creative audiences a vivid, science-grounded view of the post-petroleum material economy and the strategic decisions companies must make now to lead it. Book her through Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring one of the world’s most respected innovation speakers to your next event.
Suzanne Lee Speaking Videos
Suzanne Lee - Why "biofabrication" is the next industrial revolution
Suzanne Lee - The Future Of Leather
Suzanne Lee Keynote Topics
Suzanne Lee makes the case that the next great industrial transformation will not be digital — it will be biological. In this keynote, she walks audiences through the breakthroughs that allow companies to grow leather from microbes, packaging from mycelium, dyes from bacteria, and structural materials from algae. She lays out how biofabrication can replace petroleum-based and animal-derived inputs at scale, and what this shift means for product strategy, supply chains, R&D, and brand positioning across consumer industries.
Fashion is responsible for some of the largest material and water footprints on the planet. Suzanne Lee shares her vision for a fashion industry built around living systems — leather grown without animals, fibers cultured in bioreactors, dyes brewed by microbes, and clothing designed to be biodegraded as easily as a leaf. Drawing on her own pioneering Biocouture work and on the global brand and material innovators in the Biofabricate network, she shows leaders what 'designing with biology' looks like in practice and what it requires from their teams.
From plastic packaging to cement and synthetic textiles, the modern economy still runs largely on petrochemicals. Suzanne Lee explores how biofabrication offers a credible, scalable alternative — materials that can match or outperform incumbents in performance, while dramatically reducing emissions, waste, and toxicity. She shares case studies from across fashion, beauty, packaging, automotive, and construction, and helps leaders understand how to evaluate, source, and partner with the new generation of biomaterial companies.
Consumer expectations, investor pressure, and incoming regulation are converging on the same point: brands need a serious story about materials. Drawing on her work as founder and CEO of Biofabricate and her decade-plus advising global brands, Suzanne Lee shows executive teams how to integrate biomaterials into product strategy, sustainability commitments, and storytelling — without falling into greenwashing or science-light marketing. The keynote leaves leaders with a clear roadmap for becoming a credible post-petroleum brand.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Suzanne Lee
Why Suzanne Lee?
Suzanne Lee is the original architect of the biofabrication movement and one of the only speakers who can take an executive audience from cellular biology all the way to brand strategy without losing either side. As founder and CEO of Biofabricate, she has shaped how the world's largest consumer brands think about leather alternatives, mycelium materials, lab-grown collagen, and algae-based packaging. Her keynotes are vivid, visually rich, and rigorously scientific, leaving audiences with a tangible sense of the post-petroleum material economy. Book Suzanne Lee through Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring this rare combination of science, design, and business strategy to your next event.
What is biofabrication?
Biofabrication is the use of living systems — bacteria, yeast, algae, mycelium, mammalian cells — to grow materials that have traditionally been mined, drilled, slaughtered, or synthesized from petrochemicals. It enables companies to produce leather without animals, packaging without plastic, dyes without heavy metals, and structural materials without cement-level emissions. Pioneered by Suzanne Lee through her 'Biocouture' work and her company Biofabricate, it is increasingly viewed as a foundational technology of the post-petroleum economy.
What is Biofabricate?
Biofabricate is the global platform Suzanne Lee founded in 2014 to connect biomaterial innovators, investors, and consumer brands. It runs the annual BioFabricate Summit, publishes industry-defining research, and operates an educational platform that helps brand and creative teams build literacy in emerging bio-based materials. Biofabricate's mission is straightforward: help build a sustainable material world built with biology, not oil.
What audiences book Suzanne Lee as a keynote speaker?
Suzanne Lee is regularly booked by global fashion and beauty brands, automotive and luxury groups, packaging and consumer goods companies, sustainability summits, design schools, investor forums, and innovation conferences. Her keynotes work equally well for chief sustainability officers, R&D leaders, designers, and senior brand executives. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring Suzanne Lee to your next event and give your audience a forward-looking view of the bio-based future.
How to book Suzanne Lee as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Suzanne Lee as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Suzanne Lee's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Suzanne Lee or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Suzanne Lee speaking fee?
Suzanne Lee speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Suzanne Lee to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Suzanne Lee.
How can I contact Suzanne Lee?
We only work with Suzanne Lee on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Suzanne Lee and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Suzanne Lee speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Suzanne Lee for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Suzanne Lee for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Suzanne Lee is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Suzanne Lee for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
