Episodes
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Marina Schmidt is a Climate Educator and Founder of the impact media outlet Ɍ2Ǥ MEDIA, an in-depth content studio specializing in agriculture and food sustainability. Her flagship podcast, Red To Green, is ranked in the top 5% globally and has a loyal listenership in over 160 countries. It is obligatory onboarding material for new hires at several VCs and startups and is deemed 'excellent' by MIT. Marina is also the voice and Editor-in-Chief of a new future food podcast funded by the Bavarian Ministry of Agriculture and Nutrition. With over nine years of marketing and strategic communications experience, she serves on the jury for Impact Hub and as an advisor to future food scale-up Formo. Her advice is to set aside a budget for professional development.
This episode is sponsored by Tälist. Sign up for Pia’s fireside chat here. -
Jacqueline Samson is a Senior Engineer at The Better Meat Co., a B2B fermentation-based mycoprotein startup in Sacramento, California. She studied Chemical Engineering at Louisiana State University and previously worked for Evonik, a specialty chemicals company. Outside of work, Jacqueline enjoys hiking and biking, reading, and playing soccer. Her advice is to don’t let the lack of a job posting defer you from reaching out
Reach out to The Better Meat Co. at [email protected]
This episode is sponsored by Tälist. Sign up for their AI-powered candidate-job-matchmaking service here. -
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Sofia Katzin has been working as the Research Development Quality Assurance Manager for Arvela, a black soldier fly producer in Australia. She is passionate about sustainable solutions for the protein industry and waste management sector. Sofia has developed processes, researched roadmaps, managed internal quality programs, and led small teams of scientists and operators. She has expertise in insect nutrition, diet formulation, and breeding performance so if other businesses are looking to improve their processes, she is the person to contact. Sofia’s advice is to pursue your passion.
Links discussed in the episode:
Insects to Feed the World (IFW) conference in Singapore
Arvela’s job boardOther insect protein resources:
Benefits of black soldier fly larvae
Do insects feel pain?
Potential insect farming jobsThis episode is sponsored by Tälist. Enroll in their Masterclass here.
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Parendi Birdie has thrived in startups for the past 15 years and is currently building her fourth, Asentia. Parendi has been at the forefront of the alternative protein industry since 2013. She earned a degree in biochemistry from the University of Kansas, with the goal of advancing the sector. She then helped build two leading alternative protein companies from the ground up: GOOD Meat and Mission Barns. Throughout her career, Parendi has established and led multiple functions, including R&D, marketing, strategic partnerships, and product development. She is a well-rounded entrepreneur with a track record of success, from closing partnerships with leading global meat producers to developing the first commercially available cultivated meat cell lines. Today, Parendi is the Founder & CEO of Asentia. Her ambitious vision is to make meat that's better than anything we've ever known. She's starting with hybrid meat for the massive, untapped market of people who want to eat better, but don't want to give up meat. Parendi also serves the industry as an impact investor and advisor to Food System Innovations, Alt-Collective, and Tälist. Beyond alternative protein, Parendi also ran her family’s business (a Montessori school) for four years, growing the business to $1M+ in annual revenue and a successful exit.
This episode is sponsored by Tälist. Check out their newsletter, Alt Protein Careers Navigator. -
Noga Golan is the Founder and Managing Director of Alt Protein Careers, a company that provides an industry job board, career resources, career coaching, and recruiting services to the alt protein industry. She is also the co-founder of Alt Protein Israel. Noga has an MBA from Stanford University and previously worked in private equity investing. Noga is passionate about the alternative protein industry and even has her own pet chicken named Silkie. Noga’s advice is to do informational interviews with others in careers you aspire to have as well as consider hiring a career coach.
Links to things discussed during the episode:
Ep. 20 - Sandra Einvall (Vegan Graphic Designer, Marketeer, and Entrepreneur)
Ep. 24 - Rebecca Palmer (Chief Marketing Officer at Terra Bioindustries)
GFI’s Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)
Alt Protein Careers’ Resources page
Alt Protein Careers’ LinkedIn pageThis episode is sponsored by Tälist. Check out their revamped job board at Alt Protein .Jobs.
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Noa Weiss is an AI and machine learning consultant and the founder of GreenProtein AI, a non-profit initiative by Food System Innovations leveraging advanced AI technology to optimize plant-based meat production through the modeling of the extrusion process. She has 13 years of experience in the field of data science and machine learning, worked for corporates such as PayPal and unicorns such as Armis Security, and has a Bachelor's degree in Computational Cognitive Science and Psychology and a Master's degree in Psychology, both from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Outside of her work, Noa applies her experience to promote women in tech through founding and leading the Women in Data Science Israel Community, and contributes her knowledge to benefit animals and humans as an AI & Data Strategy Mentor for The Good Food Institute, an Advisory Board Member for Modern Agriculture Foundation, and Research Engineer for Deep Voice. Noa’s advice is to look for ways to leverage your background in the industry and build your skills and career capital.
Links:
Food System Innovations
Beyond Impact article
Open Paws article
Effective Altruism Forum post
Noa's Business for Good podcast episodeThis episode is sponsored by Tälist. Check out their monthly “A Day in the Life of ...” event series here.
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Dr. Bryan Quoc Le is a food scientist, food industry consultant, and author of the book 150 Food Science Questions Answered. He earned his PhD in Food Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he studied the effect of plant-based flavors on mammalian tissues. He has served as a technical consultant for companies and organizations in the food industry, such as TurtleTree, Black Sheep Foods, Blue Diamond, DecoPac, and The Good Food Institute. Bryan's advice to job seekers is to be open to new possibilities and be curious.
Links to things discussed during the episode:
Good Food Institute report, "Cultivating alternative proteins from commodity crop sidestreams"
Bryan’s book: 150 Food Science Questions Answered: Cook Smarter, Cook Better
Bryan’s websiteThis episode is sponsored by Tälist. Enroll in their Masterclass here.
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Florine Kremer is a researcher of alternative proteins at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands. She has a bachelor’s degree in Consumer Behaviour and a masters in Sustainable Food Consumption, both at Wageningen University. With a minor in Climate Change and an internship in Marine Biology in Kenya, she has a very diverse background. She now works in applied research for the Consumer Behaviour department, where her work varies from monitoring protein intake on a national scale to conducting consumer acceptance experiments. Florine's advice to job seekers: don't fixate on finding your ‘perfect’ job right away, and most importantly, use your skills to make alt proteins accessible to all.
This episode is sponsored by Tälist. Check out their resources for job seekers and employers.
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George Stiffman, AKA the Tofu Guy, is a tofu evangelist and author of the book, Broken Cuisine. Through his travels in China, where he worked in Buddhist restaurant kitchens, apprenticed under a fifth generation tofu master, studied at a Chinese university, spoke at food industry conferences, and ate across numerous cities, towns, and villages, he was able to learn more about the various different types of tofu (yes, there are more varieties of tofu beyond silken, soft, firm, and extra firm). He also learned about the incredible ways that it can enhance the culinary experience. George’s goal is to encourage a greater adoption of tofu within the western diet, which he does through promoting his book on tofu and consulting with restaurants. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in East Asian Languages and Culture with a minor in Consumer Behavior from University of Southern California. George’s advice is to always keep your endgame in mind and try to find a niche for yourself in the industry.
George’s contact info:
Email: [email protected] Instagram: georgestiffmanLinkedIn: George StiffmanLearn more about tofu and read the e-version of Broken Cuisine at brokencuisine.com.
This episode is sponsored by Tälist. Sign up here to join the Tälist network and find your dream job in the Alternative Protein industry.
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Brenna Taylor is the Senior Supply Chain and Logistics Manager at Rebellyous Foods, a plant-based chicken startup based out of Seattle. Her role there has evolved from Operations Coordinator to Supply Chain Manager to her current position. Prior to working at Rebellyous Foods, Brenna was the Corporate Campaigns Coordinator for The Humane League. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology with a Minor in Political Science from Old Dominion University and an MBA with a focus on supply chain from the University of Maryland.
Links to things discussed during the episode:
Animals Charity Evaluators
HowGood
Vegan Women Summit
FoodNavigator
Our Hen House
Red to Green
Rebellyous Foods job openingsThis episode is sponsored by Tälist. Check out their blog.
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Rebecca Palmer is the Chief Marketing Officer at Terra Bioindustries, a Canadian based company that upcycles spent grain to make plant-based protein ingredients and sugar feedstocks for fermentation. She has a masters in biotechnology and a bachelor's degree in biological sciences (with a specialization in plant science), both from the University of Guelph. In 2021, Rebecca and her partner won the Proteus Innovation Competition, where over a 4 month period, they developed an abstract, a business plan, and a pitch, all of which has helped her land her role at Terra Bioindustries. Her advice is to write down your success as well as figure out what you're better than others at and how it can benefit the world.
Links to things discussed during the episode:
Ikigai
Mitacs
Bioenterprise
IRAP
FoodHack newsletter
GFI newsletters
Alt-Meat newsletter
FoodNavigator newsletter
Terra Bioindustries Contact Us pageThis episode is sponsored by Tälist. Discover their latest features for candidates and employers here.
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Bryce Rogers is a Project Engineer at Edge Foods, a New York based cell culture media and growth factor B2B startup for cultivated meat companies. He previously worked for High Impact Engineers and has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California.
Natalie Fernandez is a recent mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Waterloo seeking roles in the alternative protein industry. She also co-founded the Waterloo Alt Protein Project. Their advice is to search for jobs that seem tangentially related to your goal, seek out opportunities that enable you to learn more, have a vision, and don’t be too hard on yourself.
Links to things discussed during the episode:
Effective Altruism (EA) Global
The Waterloo Alt Protein Project
High Impact Engineers podcast: Engineered for Impact
Bryce’s email: [email protected]
Natalie’s email: [email protected]This episode is sponsored by Tälist. Sign up here for their matchmaking service to receive personal job recommendations based on your profile and preferences.
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Anirvan Guha is the Head of Formulations at Multus, a London based company that develops custom ingredients and growth media for cultivated meat companies. He has a masters in biomedical engineering from the University of Michigan and a PhD in Physics from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Anirvan's work on designing artificial systems that mimic nature has been published in top scientific journals such as Nature and Advanced Materials, and now he is using that experience to help serve the cultivated meat industry. His advice is to figure out what skills are needed in the industry and then determine which of those you can further develop in order to make a greater contribution to the industry.
Links to things discussed during the episode:
Anirvan’s mentors: Xin (Tony) Tong, Lei Yin, Michael Mayer
Multus’ growth media facility
Multus’ Careers pageThis episode is sponsored by Tälist, matching Alternative Protein businesses with the best talent from around the globe. Check out their redesigned website.
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Katie Morley is the Sales Manager at Plant Based World Expo North America where she is responsible for bringing companies to the annual exposition event held in September in New York City. Previously, she was the Sales Support Specialist at Plant Based World Expo Europe. Katie has a BA in Human Geography from the University of Brighton in England and has done extensive fieldwork in North Africa, Greece, and Scotland. Her advice is to build relationships with people in the industry on LinkedIn.
Below are links to the resources discussed in this episode:
Root Foods
Plant Based Food AssociationThis episode is sponsored by Tälist, a service providing talent solutions specifically focused on the alternative protein industry. You can register here to be a part of the Tälist Talent Database, a matchmaking service for the alternative protein industry.
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Sandra Einvall was a marketeer at Brave New Food, an Dutch organization that connects food innovators together to accelerate the transition to a sustainable food system. However, she recently transitioned to working full time on Fikat, the sustainable Swedish plant-based treat startup she founded in 2021. While studying graphic design, Sandra started the Vegan Student Association Utrecht and grew it to be the biggest vegan student association in the Netherlands. During this time, she also completed social media and design internships at Lazy Vegan, a frozen vegan convenience meal company. Sandra’s advice is to demonstrate your passion for this industry and embrace the community.
You can learn more about Sandra’s story by checking out this Brighter Future interview with Sandra.
Follow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode.This episode is sponsored by Tälist, a service providing talent solutions specifically focused on the alternative protein industry. They have one of the most extensive job boards in the alternative protein industry with over 1,500 jobs posted every month from more than 1,000 organizations. Check it out here.
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Angel Li is committed to inducing positive societal change for the planet, people, and animals. She has 7 years of solid experience managing a EU-funded sustainable protein project as well as community initiatives to shift the public towards a plant-based diet. As a GRI certified sustainability professional with a master’s degree in Sustainable Development, she strives to influence food policy and collaborate with various partners to transform the food system. Prior to becoming Plenitude Project Manager & Policy at ENOUGH, Angel worked in community outreach, stakeholder/corporate engagement, and institutional change development at Green Monday. The advice she gives is to share your ideas and opinions on social media as well as to upskill to evolve with the industry.
Below are links to the resources discussed in this episode:
Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU)
Marina Bay Sands campaign
Green Monday cooking videosFollow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode.
This episode is sponsored by Tälist, a service providing talent solutions specifically focused on the alternative protein industry. They recently released an Impact Calculator to provide a personalized calculation of the positive impact you could make by joining the industry.
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Chris Bryant is the Director of Bryant Research, a research organization based in the United Kingdom, which focuses on shaping better food choices through social science. Chris has a BA in Business Management, a Masters of Science in Policy Research, and a PhD in Energy, Environment, and Resilience. Chris was also the Director of Social Sciences for the Cellular Agriculture Society and currently co-organizes the Research to End Consumption of Animal Products (RECAP) Group. Taking on the responsibilities of the job you want to have is the advice that Chris has for job seekers in the alternative protein industry.
Below are links to the resources discussed in this episode:
Cellular Agriculture UK
Cellular Agriculture France
Cellular Agriculture Germany
Good Food Institute
ProVeg
New Harvest
RECAP ResearchFollow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode.
This episode is sponsored by Tälist, a service providing talent solutions specifically focused on the alternative protein industry. To learn more, you should connect with the founder, Pia Voltz, on LinkedIn.
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Nate Crosser is a Principal at Blue Horizon, a global food, agriculture, and bioeconomy impact investment firm based in Zurich. To date, they have deployed over $850 million into an ecosystem of over 75 companies across 6 continents. Nate also writes the environmental biotechnology newsletter, Fifth Industrial, and previously worked at the Good Food Institute, a biotechnology incubator, and holds a Juris Doctor in Commercial Law. Nate’s advice is to think creatively and look for ways to link your passion to the alternative protein industry.
Below are links to the resources discussed in this episode:
LIVEKINDLY
GFI’s State of the Industry reports
Blue Horizon’s job board and talent network
GFI’s investment page
Venture Deals by brad Feld and Jason MendelsonFollow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode.
This episode is sponsored by Tälist. Join their LinkedIn group to connect with a network of alternative protein job seekers and employers.
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Frederik Lau is a Master's student of biotechnology and engineering writing his thesis on cultivated meat. In addition, Frederik was a facilitator for the Alternative Protein Fundamentals Programme organized by the Cambridge University Alt. Protein Society as well as Leaf, a program teaches youth how to use their future careers to do good. He is also a local radio host on a philosophy show and the fellowship director for Effective Altruism Denmark, where he organises and manages online programmes about effective altruism. Finally, he teaches high schoolers about the "whats" and "whys" of alternative proteins. In this episode, Frederik’s talks about his experience with imposter syndrome and gives the advice of applying for jobs even if you don’t think you're qualified enough because you never know what opportunities that may lead to.
Below are links to the resources discussed in this episode:
- Alternative Protein Fundamentals Programme
- Amanda Dahl Hansen’s The Future of Protein Programme syllabus
- Frederik’s radio show, Folkets RadioFollow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode.
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Mathilde Do Chi is a food law/regulatory affairs consultant and started her own consultancy agency called Vegan Food Law. She has gained expertise in Europe, Asia, and North America food law/regulatory affairs in both the private and public sectors through working with the FAO of the United Nations, Japanese government, French government, NGOs, global consultancy firms, multinationals, and law firms. Mathilde has a Diploma in Food Psychology, a Masters of Laws in both International Trade & Investment Law, and a Masters of Laws in Food Law. On top of all of that, she is the VP of Regulatory Affairs for both the Vegan Society of Canada and the Vegan World Alliance as well as the Chief Compliance Officer for BeVeg. Mathilde’s advice is to be curious and learn as much as you can about the industry.
Below are links to the resources discussed in this episode:
- Vegan and plant-based food labelling report/guidebookFollow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode.
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