Dr. Bridget L. Baumgartner is a molecular biologist, biotechnology strategist, and entrepreneur working at the intersection of emerging technologies, ecological resilience, and climate adaptation. Her career spans academic research, government innovation programs, conservation biotechnology, and climate-focused startups, with a consistent focus on how advanced technologies can responsibly address large-scale environmental challenges. She is the founder of Designer Ecosystems, LLC, a company developing projects and products at the intersection of biotechnology and climate mitigation. She is also the co-founder and CEO of ReefStarter, Inc., a climate resilience startup developing modular reef-inspired coastal protection systems designed to reduce wave energy and coastal erosion while supporting marine habitat restoration. ReefStarter combines marine engineering, ecological design, and advanced manufacturing to create infrastructure that functions as both coastal defense and ecological enhancement. Before founding these ventures, Dr. Baumgartner served as Director of Research & Development and Program Manager for the Catalyst Science Fund at Revive & Restore, where she managed a global portfolio of more than seventy projects exploring how emerging biotechnologies could support wildlife conservation and ecosystem resilience. Under her leadership, the fund awarded approximately $15 million to projects involving genome engineering, synthetic biology, reproductive technologies, genetic rescue, and biodiversity genomics. Her work also included governance and policy discussions surrounding the responsible development of technologies such as gene drives and other genetic interventions.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Baumgartner supported the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Biological Technologies Office through her role as a Lead Associate and Senior Life Scientist at Booz Allen Hamilton. There, she contributed to the development and management of high-risk research programs in synthetic biology, genetics, molecular engineering, and quantitative biology, helping evaluate emerging technologies and coordinate multidisciplinary research teams.

Dr. Baumgartner earned her PhD in Cell & Molecular Biology from Baylor College of Medicine and completed postdoctoral research at the University of California San Diego in the laboratory of synthetic biologist Jeff Hasty. Her scientific work has included research in molecular genetics, systems biology, and cellular adaptation, with publications in journals including Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Across her work in science, technology development, and entrepreneurship, Dr. Baumgartner has focused on building interdisciplinary approaches that combine biology, engineering, governance, and long-term systems thinking to address the intertwined challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, and ecological resilience