2026 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit

Sara El-Sayed has a joint position as the Director of the Biomimicry Center and Assistant Research Professor at the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems. El-Sayed has a doctorate in food system sustainability, specifically on regenerative food practices in arid regions, and a master's in Biomimicry, both from ASU. She also has a Biomimicry Professional Certificate from Biomimicry 3.8. She held a postdoctoral position at the School for Future Innovation and Society in Public Interest Technology. Her research interests include weaving biomimicry and Indigenous knowledge systems, exploring ways to have more regenerative and net-positive local food systems, and supporting local Arizona producers.

She is the co-founder of several enterprises in Egypt. Nawaya is a social enterprise working as a catalyst to transition small-scale farmer communities into more sustainable ones through education and research. Dayma is an LLC responsible for outdoor environmental education, teaching young adults about Biomimicry and local Egyptian communities. El-Sayed is on the board of Slow Food, an international movement that started in Italy, aiming to safeguard local food cultures and traditions, and does so by promoting good, clean, and fair food for all.