Amogh Ambardekar directs FOODii, giving food and ingredient companies a place to test and de-risk new products before committing to full-scale production. The Food Innovation Institute (FOODii) at LSU AgCenter is transforming from a food science incubator into a regional innovation hub for the American South, pairing pilot-scale processing infrastructure with LSU's agricultural research base. He spent 16 years in food industry innovation and commercialization roles across CPG, B2B ingredients, petcare, and QSRs in international markets, before returning to LSU, his alma mater, to lead FOODii in 2026.