Not many people look at intricate lab equipment as toys, but that's exactly how Matt sees it. He feels most alive when he's studying the great puzzle of life at its tiniest piece—the molecular level. That small focus has brought some pretty big changes. He joined us in 2000 and has led a revolution in nutraceutical development—not just in our company, but our whole industry segment.

After getting his PhD in microbiology, Matt then spent five years in a university setting conducting biochemical and molecular genetic research. In simpler terms, he studied what makes cells change and grow—and later how to duplicate them. He's a pioneer in identifying novel regulatory protein phosphorylation cascades that are central to the development of tumors, inflammation, insulin sensitivity, and other diseases.

In addition to being a published author of some very heavy research, he's also helped develop and market new food technologies and products for Fortune 100 companies like Kellogg and Miller Brewing Company. He's responsible for multiple patents, with still more pending. And we make sure he has plenty of toys (and fellow scientific playmates) to play with…in perhaps our industry's most sophisticated labs.

So if molecular research is his greatest joy, what would be his second? Fishing. Lucky for him, he's in Gig Harbor, WA—a fisherman's paradise.