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Alumni Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Forward-thinking leaders
This award recognises alumni who are forward-thinking leaders in their industry, profession, field of research or area of expertise.
To be eligible, nominees must meet the following selection criteria:
- Nominees must have graduated from the University of Sydney.
- Nominees must demonstrate visionary thinking across any field or industry. For example, sustainability and technology, elements of design and architecture and creative new ideas.
2024 winner
George Peppou
Bachelor of Science '12
CEO and Founder, Vow
What piece of advice would you give your younger self?
A shocking amount of the world is built on blindly followed dogma, if you think something can be done better it likely can. It's a lot easier to prove that by doing it than to convince others to do things differently. Being relentlessly curious is a powerful tool to do this, hone and use this skill at every opportunity.
Watching Thursday theatresports at Manning bar with a bunch of good friends each week.
Build Vow into a huge and impactful food company.
Biography
George Peppou is the CEO and Founder of food-tech start-up, Vow. Vow’s mission is to complement agricultural processes by culturing meat from cells, creating an entirely new category of food.
George began his career as a chef while studying at the University of Sydney and in his second year, he discovered a love of biochemistry. Following the completion of his degree, he continued to pursue big ideas, working at UTS in their Design Innovation Research Centre, as an inventor which earned him over 30 patents to his name and founding agrifood accelerator, GrowLab.
If you think something can be done better, it likely can.
George Peppou
In 2019, he launched Vow. Vow’s unique approach emphasises a tantalising and distinctive culinary experience. Vow’s process involves growing meat outside the animal, using this technology to invent new culinary options.
In April 2024, Vow secured regulatory approval from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to produce and sell the world’s first cultivated quail product. Vow is currently the only company of more than 150 globally selling cultured meat anywhere on the planet.