Los Angeles – September 29, 2026 -- Nonprofit Unlikely Collaborators will host flavor chemist Melissa Conklin for a free public talk on October 13, examining why the same bite of food can taste completely different to two people.
The event, called "Taste, Scent, and Perception Box," takes place at the organization's Santa Monica headquarters and will also stream online. Doors open at 5:00 p.m., the program starts promptly at 6:00 p.m. with no late entry, and a reception follows at 7:00 p.m. Registration is required but attendance is free.
Conklin argues flavor is built by the brain, not just the tongue
Conklin, who has spent a decade as a flavor chemist at TasteWorks Flavors, will walk the audience through the chemistry of aroma and taste molecules and the science of olfaction. Her core argument: taste buds detect only basic flavors, while the brain layers in memory, expectation, culture, and emotion to create what we actually experience as "flavor."
That framework explains why a scent that feels comforting to one person can feel unpleasant to another, or why a familiar dish might carry associations with family, celebration, or loss for someone else entirely.
The talk connects to Unlikely Collaborators' Perception Box framework
The session is part of the nonprofit's Spark Salon series, which uses the Perception Box concept -- the idea that beliefs, conditioning, and personal history shape how each person interprets reality -- as a lens for exploring topics like taste and scent. Unlikely Collaborators was founded and is led by CEO Elizabeth R. Koch.
Conklin holds a degree in Chemical Biology from Stevens Institute of Technology and a Master of Business and Science in Personal Care Science from Rutgers University. She is also founder of Siryns, a women's wellness beverage brand.
Past Spark Salon speakers have included psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett, neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki, and broadcaster Krista Tippett.