Meet The Team

ISOThrive is committed to providing you the best possible products to feed your microbiome and help maximize your overall health. We have assembled an extraordinary team of scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs, surrounded by a world class group of advisors.

Peter Swann, M.D., FACOEM, FAAFP
Co-Founder, Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Swann is a subject matter expert in the fields of prebiotics, probiotics and the microbiome. He is a Board Certified Family Physician with a focus on patient health, wellness and prevention. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Tufts University School of Medicine, Dr. Swann is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. He received his Clinical Research Training through the NIH. He is also a Member of the Board of Trustees at the University of California, Merced. When not practicing medicine, Peter can be found playing tennis, lifting weights or playing the saxophone.
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Lee. R. Madsen II, Ph.D.
VP and Chief Science Officer
Dr. Madsen, one of the inventors of ISOThrive, is head of ISOThrive’s R&D laboratory. Lee oversees commercial scale-up applied R&D as well as fundamental new research in the field of prebiotics and the study of the microbiome. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry and Nuclear Science and a Ph.D. in Analytical and Macromolecular Chemistry from Louisiana State University. Specializing in bench-to-pilot process scale-up, Dr. Madsen is an expert R&D and regulatory scientist with a focus on carbohydrate research and development (in the cane sugar, biomass, and energy sectors). Dr. Madsen also has extensive experience with natural products including the identification and quantification of fatty acids, polyphenolic antioxidants, specialty waxes, and polysaccharides. In his spare time, Dr. Madsen takes great pleasure in the discovery and enjoyment of craft beer and spirits.
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Jack Oswald, M.B.A.
Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer & CEO
Jack is co-founder and one of the inventors of ISOThrive. A serial entrepreneur, his current focus is health and nutrition. Jack is a Member of the Board of Trustees, as well as on the faculty of the school of engineering at the University of California, Merced. Jack is a graduate of Dartmouth College (AB Engineering) and Harvard Business School (MBA). He is also an avid pilot holding Commercial, Multi-engine and Instrument ratings. In his spare time, he loves to nurture his vegetable, fruit and herb garden, pickle olives from his 45-year-old rescued heirloom olive tree and make pizza in his wood-fired pizza oven.
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Sarah Stanley
Bioprocess Research Scientist
Sarah received her B.A. in Biology, with a double minor in Chemistry and Archeology, from Colorado College. She received her MS in Molecular Biology from George Mason University. Her past research has been with environmental microbes. Outside of work, Sarah plays rugby with aspirations of coaching one day. She also knits, backpacks and bakes amazing pies.

Our Advisors

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John Selling, M.D., Co-Founder and Medical Advisor
Dr. John Selling is Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine and Gastroenterology at Stanford Medical School. He is a graduate of Yale School of Medicine and is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. His daily life involves patient care and teaching medical residents at Menlo Medical Clinic and Stanford Hospital. His research in gastrointestinal physiology has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine and in Gastroenterology. He has presented his research at the plenary session of the annual meeting of the American Gastroenterological Association. He considers it an honor and privilege to care for his patients. He enjoys spending his leisure time with friends and family outdoors, by backpacking, hiking or playing tennis or golf.
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Eric Martens, Ph.D.
Dr. Martens is Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School. Current projects in Dr. Martens’ laboratory are aimed at identifying the molecular function of the bacteria and systems involved in recognizing, binding and degrading complex carbohydrates commonly found in foods or in the gastrointestinal mucosa. Focus areas include the cellular regulation of polysaccharide metabolism in various species of symbiotic gut Bacteroidetes and the role that some glycan degrading abilities play in inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Martens obtained his B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Martens shares with his two sons a fascination for colubrid snakes. Interestingly, they hibernate in the winter and don’t need to be woken up for feeding until mid-March.
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Patrick Gillevet, Ph.D.
Dr. Gillevet is a Professor in the Department of Biology and is the Director of the Microbiome Analysis Center at George Mason University. Pat’s scientific research is focused on the Molecular Ecology of the Human Microbiome, Phylogenomics and Evolution. He has developed a Multitag sequencing methodology that allows the profiling of hundreds of samples at one time. He is using this technology and supporting Bioinformatics analysis to investigate various diseases associated with the human microbiome as well as environmental diseases that affect coral and other marine life. Pat is an avid scuba diver and enjoys combining his field research with underwater tourism.
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Barb Stuckey
Barb is President and Chief Innovation Officer at Mattson, a California food development firm, and author of Taste: Surprising Stories and Science About Why Food Tastes Good. She is known as an expert in food and beverage product development, food trends, and the science of taste. Barb splits her time between San Francisco where she dines out regularly (it’s a tough part of her job) and Healdsburg, where she drinks in the taste of the wine country. She enjoys eating around the world, spending time with her artisan Devon Rex cats, and beating her fiance at Scrabble.
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Scott Allison
Scott is CEO of Allison+Partners, one of the fastest growing public relations and public affairs agencies in the nation. Founded in 2001, Allison+Partners now operates 18 offices on three continents and represents some of the world’s leading brands. The firm was named a 2010 Agency of the Year by The Holmes Report and has won an enviable list of global leaders as clients. His success has led to his recognition as a finalist for both the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award and the American Business Awards Communications Executive of the Year. A passion place for Scott is Maui. It’s where he recharges his batteries.
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Allan Prager
Allan brings to ISOThrive his experience as founding CEO of Juvenon, a dietary supplement company based on research conducted by scientist Bruce Ames and licensed from University of California, Berkeley. Juvenon achieved success through emphasis on science and careful attention to branding and PR, including a Reader’s Digest cover headline that said, “The New Pill that can End Aging.” Allan lives in the Bay Area and spends his volunteer time leading efforts to fund and build the new National Environmental Science Center in Yosemite National Park.
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Karl P. Ronn
Karl is Managing Director of Innovation Portfolio Partners, a Silicon Valley based firm that helps CEOs and the Top Management of Fortune 500 companies find and develop new to the world products and services. He is the co-author of The Reciprocity Advantage about how to embrace this decade’s disruptions to create new businesses through partnerships. Karl has 30 years’ prior experience at Procter & Gamble. Swiffer, Febreze and Mr. Clean Magic Eraser are billion dollar businesses he helped to create and grow. He was also responsible for Global R&D for Pharmaceuticals and Over-the-Counter Health Care including Actonel, Vicks, Prilosec, and In-home Diagnostic Tests. Karl loves cooking, eating out, traveling, wine (and the SF Giants.)