The Aspen Institute

Dominique Carter is an award-winning scientist, diplomat, and entrepreneur. She currently serves as vice president of Food and Nutrition Affairs at FoodMinds where she works with agricultural commodities and food and beverage companies to provide senior counsel on the food and nutrition policy, regulatory and legislative environment and related business implications. She previously held the position of Assistant Director for Agricultural Sciences, Innovation, and Workforce for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she leveraged her understanding of the agricultural enterprise to provide high-quality scientific policy advice to decision-makers. Dominique served in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Chief Scientist, where she provided thought leadership for several initiatives including the development of the USDA Science Blueprint, USDA’s vision for agricultural research and innovation, and the Sustainable Agriculture Intensification Team to develop a five-year roadmap for USDA science agencies to deliver innovative, environmentally, and economically sustainable solutions for meeting global demands for healthy and affordable agricultural products. A Chicago native, Dominique obtained her BS in chemistry from Saint Norbert College and her Ph.D. in microbiology and bioengineering from the Medical College of Wisconsin.