Our Team
Kevin E. Mis Solval, VIBE Director
Dr. Mis Solval is the Project Director of the Value-Addition Institute for Business Expansion (VIBE) at the University of Georgia, where he leads efforts to strengthen Georgia’s food and agriculture sectors through food innovation, entrepreneurship, and strategic partnerships. VIBE serves as a statewide hub for value-added food business development—connecting industry, researchers, and communities to transform ideas and resources into sustainable economic opportunities.
As Director, Dr. Mis Solval provides visionary leadership to expand Georgia’s capacity for value-added processing, commercialization, and business incubation. He oversees collaborative programs that help food entrepreneurs and small businesses develop new products, optimize manufacturing operations, and access new markets. Under his leadership, VIBE promotes rural prosperity and workforce development by integrating university expertise with industry needs and local innovation.
Dr. Mis Solval is also an Associate Professor of Food Science and Technology at UGA, where his research focuses on sustainable food process engineering, marine collagen valorization, and smart packaging technologies. He has secured more than $2.7 million in competitive research funding from federal and state agencies, including USDA NIFA, USDA Rural Development, and Georgia Sea Grant. His applied research has directly supported product innovation and competitiveness for over 60 Georgia-based companies.
An entrepreneur and translational scientist, Dr. Mis Solval is the co-founder of JellyCo USA LLC, a UGA spin-off commercializing jellyfish collagen-based biomaterials. His work bridges science, business, and community impact—advancing VIBE’s mission to drive innovation, enhance value addition, and stimulate economic growth across Georgia and the southeastern United States.
Dr. Carla Schwan, VIBE Co-Director
Dr. Carla Schwan, VIBE co-director, is a food microbiologist and serves as the director of the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Her research and Extension programs address emerging topics related to home food preservation methods, including canning, freeze-drying, and fermenting.
Current research projects focus on the microbial validation of recipes such as kombucha and kimchi, the survivability of pathogens during freeze-drying, subsequent shelf-life studies, and the intersection of microbial contamination and food access.
Carla also provides leadership and training focusing on consumer and retail food safety. She has gained extensive experience through her work in countries such as Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Paraguay, and the United States. During her trips to these countries, Carla has worked with culturally diverse individuals and audiences, helping them understand food safety, processing, preservation, and public health.
Besides her passion for international research and development, Carla really enjoys offering multiple annual in-service training programs for UGA county-based faculty covering food preservation, consumer food safety, and ServSafe® Food Protection Manager Certification.
Anna Grace Peebles, Program Coordinator
Anna Grace Peebles holds a Master of Education in Workforce Education and a Bachelor of Family and Consumer Science Education with a culinary emphasis from The University of Georgia.
Anna Grace’s career has spanned diverse roles, from teaching in high and middle schools to coordinating community-based programs as an extension agent. She is currently serving as the Program Coordinator at the Value-addition Institute for Business Expansion (VIBE). She support the center’s day-to-day operations while collaborating with external partners on various programs to expand business opportunities. She enjoys getting to speak with farmers and helping to assist them with their next idea.