Dr. Krishna Bala, President and Founder of Dr. Vanilla. is a renowned Flavor Chemist with over three decades of experience in the flavor and food science industry. He began his career at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he earned his doctorate and developed a passion for the science behind natural flavors.
Recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on vanilla sourcing, formulation, and processing, Dr. Bala has dedicated his career to mastering the art of vanilla. His extensive fieldwork has taken him to the foremost vanilla-producing regions of the world, including Madagascar, Mexico, Indonesia, India, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea.
In Uganda and India, Dr. Bala led groundbreaking research on vanilla curing, focusing on the development of high-vanillin, premium-quality vanilla pods. Early in his career, he introduced innovative vanilla curing and extraction technologies that have since become industry standards.
Dr. Bala has shared his expertise by publishing scientific papers and articles in renowned industry publications such as Perfumer & Flavorist Magazine and has been a sought-after keynote speaker at international vanilla conferences for over 30 years. Under his leadership, Dr. Vanilla. continues to champion excellence in vanilla production, sustainability, and innovation.
Sirisha Koneru, Partner, Strategy & Market Development, leads business strategy, partnerships, and commercialization at Dr Vanilla, working closely with customers and internal teams to bring premium Madagascar vanilla and natural extract solutions into market with consistency and reliability.
With over two decades of experience at IBM leading complex, large-scale programs across operations, financial performance, and cross-functional teams, she brings a strong execution discipline to scaling the business.
At Dr Vanilla, her focus is on translating the company's deep expertise in vanilla science and sourcing into practical, market-ready solutions, ensuring alignment between formulation, production, and application across categories such as frozen desserts, beverages, and wellness products.
