Julie Barrett O’Brien has long been a transformational leader.  As CEO of the newly launched OpenBiome Foundation, she is leading the organization’s evolution from a pioneering stool bank into a global engine for microbiome innovation, access, and impact. She’s guiding the organization’s next chapter—one focused on advancing science, supporting patients, and powering discovery through global partnerships and collaboration. 

She began her career in the coffee industry. As Director of Dunkin’s billion-dollar coffee and beverage category, where she and her team drove double digit growth year after year. She led the policy team for ethical supply chain management and pioneered one of the first Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives on the globe.

As a member of the senior leadership team at Management Sciences for Health, she played a critical role in changing the face of global health. She was among the earliest advocates for investing in health system strengthening and was instrumental in bringing a successful resolution on Universal Health Coverage to the United Nations.

A distinguished lecturer at Yale’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and a guest lecturer at Boston University’s School of Public Health, Julie holds an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School and a BA from the University of San Diego. She’s co-authored several articles, has been an Adviser to the Clinton Global Initiative, the World Bank, and NAFTA’s Commission for Environmental Cooperation. She also serves as Board President of The Coffee Trust and of Play on for Africa.