Management

Dr. Uchenna Chukwu
Founder, President and CEO
Dr. Chukwu received her B.S. in Biology from Tulane University and a doctorate in Food Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL. Her research experience includes Food and Biochemical Engineering, Bioprocess Engineering, Membrane Separations, Value-Added Processing, Fermentations, Food Product and Process Development, and Intellectual Property.

Dr. Chukwu has extensive expertise in discovering and developing bioprocessing systems that concentrate, recover and purify value-added products like acetic acid (vinegar) and calcium magnesium acetate (snow de-icer) from agricultural and biological systems. More recently, Dr. Chukwu pioneered the discovery of using food-grade enzymes as a cooking aid to reduce the cost, time and fuel energy required to cook tough vegetables like beans, greens, and the like. Dr. Chukwu also has extensive corporate and entrepreneurial experience that includes designing, formulating, plant and consumer-testing food products, such as snacks, desserts, and beverages. As Dr. Chukwu is licensed to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office as a Patent Agent, she has developed a comprehensive intellectual property portfolio that protects each discovery that is pursued.

Some of the critical challenges facing developing nations is eliminating hunger and promoting widespread economic development. These challenges can be solved by using a nation's own agricultural resources since agriculture is usually the most developed industry for many developing countries. Dr. Chukwu's has a passion to help economically build developing countries using the agricultural resources that are currently available in developing nations. Consequently, she founded CRC to serve as a vehicle to discover, develop and deliver creative concepts that leverage the three major agricultural markets - fertilizer, food crops and export crops - to address these challenges.

In light of poor consumer acceptance of genetically manufactured organisms (GMO’s), CRC strives to create and develop alternative strategies that do not rely on genetic manipulation of biological systems. Through CRC, Dr. Chukwu is able to fulfill her commitment to deliver technologies to resource-poor farmers in developing countries, contribute to poverty alleviation by increasing productivity and nutritional benefit from crops and generate income through adding value to cash crops.

Dr. Chukwu has been honored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), The Honor Society of Agriculture, Gamma Sigma Delta, Illinois Chapter, Phi Kappa Phi, the National Science Foundation and INROADS/NC Triangle, Inc. She is a Professional Member of IFT, Licensing Executives Society-USA, Minnesota Intellectual Property Law Association and the National INROADS Alumni Association.