Meet the Minnesotan making peanuts safe

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Bryant Williams is on the verge of becoming a very big deal.

As he was in the process of developing an ultra-healthy peanut butter aimed at fitness enthusiasts, Williams cracked the nut on removing allergens from peanuts through gene editing CRISPR technology.

“I instantly realized this would be the biggest thing I ever worked on,” said Williams, a 38-year-old chemical engineer who has spent most of his career in research and development for large Minnesota food manufacturers including General Mills and KLN Family Brands. Williams’ challenge was setting up the infrastructure to grow and manufacture the allergen-less nuts on his own. A partnership is about to fast track this innovation, which could be a game changer for the food industry and the more than 6 million Americans with peanut allergies. However, new research finds introducing babies to peanuts, a reversal of longstanding recommendation to avoid peanuts until age 3, dramatically reduced allergy prevalence—by as much as 43%.

Williams’ Minneapolis-based CoreWellness is teaming up with Agrinetica, the U.S. division of Better Seeds, an Israeli biotech company that grows more resilient crops through gene editing. As Williams was trying to stand up his business over the last two years, Agrinetica had also been developing a “super peanut,” engineered with allergens dramatically reduced. Now working together, Agrinetica will produce the nuts and CoreWellness will focus on commercialization under the new brand name Nurtured Nuts.

The partners are in the process of securing FDA approval, but it could be 2027 before allergen-friendly peanut products — protein bars, peanut butter cups, powders — hit stores. Human trials are required, and the company has to grow the crop — right now, Williams said, it’s just 50 gene-altered peanut plants sitting in a lab.

How is it possible that a solo entrepreneur who was peddling his superfood-packed Hardcore Peanut Butter at local co-ops and pop up shopping events just a year ago could be first to market with a game-changing safe peanut? “Nowadays, food innovation is mostly packaging and flavor,” Williams said. (Think: flaming hot everything.) “No one really wants to take the risk to develop something new.”

Neighborhood Development Center, the St. Paul-based economic development non-profit, gathered an intimate group of foundation leaders, executives and policymakers around a family-style dinner table last week to unveil plans for a $26 million project at Lake Street and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis intended to help entrepreneurs scale businesses. Called the Ruckus, the 24,000-square-foot, three-level building will house classrooms, labs, event space and room for an incubator program with tech experts to assist early stage entrepreneurs. NDC bought the burned-out lot following the social unrest of 2020 and has been working on blueprints and fundraising. They’ve secured 40% of the budget, NDC President and CEO Renay Dossman said. Ameriprise and Wells Fargo are among the businesses that have written checks. “We’re trying to help entrepreneurs that want to take their business to the next level and build generational wealth,” Dossman said.

MN love note: Medtronic CEO and chairman Geoff Martha published an essay last week on LinkedIn that lays out the “Minnesota advantage” and calls on corporate giants to support the small and midsize businesses that drive innovation. “Minnesota has long stood out as a place where innovation and quality of life come together,” he wrote. “But as the landscape shifts, we can’t take that strength for granted.” Medtronic will release its Q2 earnings report on Tuesday. My colleague Victor Stefanescu recently wrote about the innovation reckoning happening within the medtech giant.

St. Paul’s slide: To understand what’s plaguing downtown St. Paul, you need to know the rise and fall of Madison Equities. Strib reporter Katie Galioto takes us inside the family-owned company that peaked with a $200 million portfolio of downtown real estate, including the iconic First National Bank building, and today is in ruins.

Luxe life: Gucci is now open at Southdale Center. The luxury brand, which long eluded the Twin Cities, finally decided (or succumbed to pressure from Simon Property Group) to join the new luxury wing that anchors the Edina mall’s $400 million makeover. We know Minnesotans will carry Louis Vuitton-logo toes and wrap themselves in Burberry plaid scarves. Are we ready for Gucci’s edgier designs? Keep your eyes peeled for the signature green and red stripes.