School of Public Policy alum Ethan Brown MPM ’97 has agreed to be the School’s commencement speaker on May 23.
Brown founded Beyond Meat in 2009 and has served as president and CEO since its inception. Beyond Meat is a leading plant-based food company dedicated to creating sustainable protein alternatives that promote human health and environmental well-being.
Brown’s background spans clean energy, environmental policy and sustainable food innovation. Before founding Beyond Meat, he worked as an energy analyst for the National Governors’ Center for Best Practices and later joined Ballard Power Systems, a hydrogen fuel-cell company, where he rose from an entry-level manager to reporting directly to the CEO. He also created and opened a center for fuel reformation and held key industry positions, including Vice Chairman of the Board at The National Hydrogen Association and Secretary of the United States Fuel Cell Council.
In recognition of his impact, Brown has been named to The Bloomberg 50 and Newsweek’s Top Innovators. He, along with Beyond Meat, received the United Nations’ Champion of the Earth award, the organization’s highest environmental honor. In 2024, Beyond Meat received Fortune Magazine’s Change the World recognition, was named the World's Best Brands by Time Magazine, and Brown was selected as one of The Independent’s Top 100 Climate leaders.
Ethan Brown exemplifies the impact we strive for among our alumni—bringing policy expertise, innovation and a commitment to sustainability into the private sector. His leadership at Beyond Meat demonstrates how bold ideas and a strong public policy foundation can drive meaningful change in industry and society.
“Ethan Brown exemplifies the impact we strive for among our alumni—bringing policy expertise, innovation and a commitment to sustainability into the private sector. His leadership at Beyond Meat demonstrates how bold ideas and a strong public policy foundation can drive meaningful change in industry and society,” said Robert C. Orr, dean of the School of Public Policy.
Beyond his work in sustainable food, Brown serves on the board of the American Cancer Society’s CEOs Against Cancer (LA Chapter) and is a Henry Crown Fellow in the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute.
Brown maintains strong ties to the University of Maryland. He serves on the University of Maryland College Park Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the Dean’s Advisory Council for the School of Public Policy, the latter founded by his father Peter G. Brown. Brown and his family have an animal rescue and rehabilitation sanctuary in rural Maryland.
Brown earned an MPM with a specialization in environmental policy from the University of Maryland, an MBA from Columbia University, and degrees in history and government from Connecticut College.
The School’s ceremony will take place at 3:00 pm on Friday, May 23 at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Dekelboum Hall. The University’s main commencement will take place on Wednesday, May 21 at 7pm.
