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Cultured Meat and Future Food Podcast

Cultured Meat and Future Food Podcast

By Alex Shirazi

Cultured Meat and Future Food is a short-form podcast series discussing the role of plant based food, cultivated meat and food technology. The show is focused on asking industry leaders questions for an audience with a non-scientific background. Cultured Meat and Future Food is targeted towards entrepreneurs interested in the food technology space.
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Doug Grant of Atlantic Fish Co.

Cultured Meat and Future Food PodcastFeb 21, 2024

00:00
24:53
Doug Grant of Atlantic Fish Co.

Doug Grant of Atlantic Fish Co.

Doug is the co-founder and CEO of Atlantic Fish Co. Their Raleigh, North Carolina-based team is using cellular agriculture to address the problem of carbon-intensive, overfished species. Prior to AFC, he co-founded two other startups and covered the alternative protein industry for three years as the host of the "Brave New Meat" podcast, interviewing entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders in the space. He has an MBA from Georgetown University focused on entrepreneurship. Prior to the private sector, he served for 10 years as a helicopter pilot in the Navy.

Feb 21, 202424:53
Ali Khademhosseini, Ph.D. of Omeat

Ali Khademhosseini, Ph.D. of Omeat

Ali Khademhosseini is one of the foremost tissue engineers in the world. Khademhosseini is the founding director at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, out of which Omeat was born. After learning about the environmental impacts of the conventional meat industry, Ali realized that his extensive background in tissue engineering could be applied to develop a process for more sustainably produced cultivated meat. Khademhosseini pivoted his focus to enter the field, developing Omeat’s unique cultivation process poised to redefine the industry. The company has developed a highly differentiated, IP-backed approach that enables the cultivation of any kind of meat in a way that is orders-of-magnitude more sustainable and humane than the conventional approach.

Oct 15, 202339:45
Dr. Mark Post of MosaMeat – A look into the International Scientific Conference on Cultured Meat (ISCCM)

Dr. Mark Post of MosaMeat – A look into the International Scientific Conference on Cultured Meat (ISCCM)

Mark is the scientist behind the world’s first cultured burger. As a medical doctor by training and having worked on tissue engineering for vascular grafts, he became massively inspired by the possibilities of cultured meat, and co-founded Mosa Meat.


On this episode we chat about the International Scientific Conference on Cultured Meat (ISCCM).


Learn more about the upcoming ISCCM event at www.culturedmeatconference.com

Sep 30, 202323:49
Jim Mellon of Agronomics

Jim Mellon of Agronomics

Jim Mellon is an author, entrepreneur and an investor with interests in a number of sectors. He has substantial real estate holdings in Germany and the Isle of Man, as well as holdings in private and public companies through his private investment company Burnbrae Group.

After leaving Oxford, where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics, he worked in Asia and the United States in two fund management companies. Mr. Mellon is the co-author of five books, all written with a view to identifying emerging thematic trends leading to investment opportunities. 

We had a great chat with Jim and learned about his in-depth and hands on experience within the field of cellular agriculture.

Sep 28, 202325:03
MJ Kinney and Cameron Semper: Transforming the Future of Proteins

MJ Kinney and Cameron Semper: Transforming the Future of Proteins

Thanks for joining us on the Future Food Show. This episode is part of the Transforming the Future of Proteins series, where we explore the work of XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion, a global incentivized competition that challenges innovators to reinvent alternative proteins. 

On this episode, we are excited to host MJ Kinney and Cameron Semper.

MJ Kinney is a food scientist and the Founder of FareScience, a consulting company that specializes in next generation food product development. Her specialization in alternative proteins has spanned b2b, b2c, and non-profit sectors, throughout which she has built collective experience in R&D, technical sales, and project management.

Cameron is a research scientist who specializes in molecular biology and recombinant protein technology. As a New Harvest Research Fellow (2019-2021) he used protein biochemistry to study potential cost reductions for growth media used in fish cell culture. He is passionate about the potential of cellular agriculture to facilitate the transition to a more sustainable and decentralized food system. Cameron holds a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Calgary and is currently a postdoctoral fellow.

Sep 08, 202334:59
Dr. Denneal Jamison-McClung of UC Davis: Transforming the Future of Proteins
Aug 28, 202328:51
Ziliang Yang of CellX: Transforming the Future of Proteins

Ziliang Yang of CellX: Transforming the Future of Proteins

Thanks for joining us on the Future Food Show. This episode is part of the Transforming the Future of Proteins series, where we explore the work of XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion, a global incentivized competition that challenges innovators to reinvent alternative proteins. 

Ziliang is the Founder and CEO at CellX, a leading cultivated meat startup in China. Over the past 3 years, he has built a team of 40 and raised ~$20 million to bring cultivated meat products to consumers in China and around the world. He was recognized as Forbes Asia and Forbes China 30 under 30 in 2022, and top 50 entrepreneurs by innovation China.

He has been a flexitarian for six years and cares deeply about the negative impact of factory farming on the environment, humans, and animals. As an impact entrepreneur, he is working to create large-scale social impact through a sustainable business model.

Aug 15, 202319:24
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed: Transforming the Future of Proteins

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed: Transforming the Future of Proteins

This episode is part of the Transforming the Future of Proteins series, where we explore the work of XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion, a global incentivized competition that challenges innovators to reinvent alternative proteins. 


Prince Khaled is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of KBW Ventures, and works across several tiers and levels of the business.
Highly active in the green technology ecosystem, he often participates in events pertaining to sustainability, climate change, food security, and how food technology and breakthrough research and development promise to alleviate these pressing world issues.

Jul 29, 202325:59
Bernhard Kowatsch: Transforming the Future of Proteins

Bernhard Kowatsch: Transforming the Future of Proteins

This episode is part of the Transforming the Future of Proteins series, where we explore the work of XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion, a global incentivized competition that challenges innovators to reinvent alternative proteins. 

Bernhard is the Head of the United Nations (UN) World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator, which he created in 2015. The Accelerator sources, nurtures and scales start-ups and nonprofits working to achieve Zero Hunger, as well as running accelerator programs for external partners such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Humanitarian Grand Challenge, and other UN Agencies.


Jul 13, 202320:16
Jordan Wolfe of Cultured Supply

Jordan Wolfe of Cultured Supply

Jordan is the founder of Cultured Supply, a B2B purchasing platform for the bioeconomy. Starting with food and beverage ingredients and products, Cultured Supply is focused on helping companies building more regenerative and localized supply chains direct from the source.


Learn more at https://culturedsupply.com/

Jul 11, 202337:59
Dr. Sirli Rosenvald of TFTAK: Transforming the Future of Proteins

Dr. Sirli Rosenvald of TFTAK: Transforming the Future of Proteins

Thanks for joining us on the Future Food Show. This episode is part of the Transforming the Future of Proteins series, where we explore the work of XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion, a global incentivized competition that challenges innovators to reinvent alternative proteins. 


On this episode, we are excited to host Dr. Sirli Rosenvald, head of alternative protein research at TFTAK. Sirli is a highly experienced food scientist with over 10 years of experience in food research. She has vast experience in managing different teams and projects with a specific emphasis on alternative proteins and sensory and consumer research. She is a recognized expert in the alternative protein space, having published numerous scientific articles and presented at industry and scientific conferences.

Jun 29, 202321:27
Doug McNish, Greg Potter, and Laura S. Hackl of ProFillet: Transforming the Future of Proteins

Doug McNish, Greg Potter, and Laura S. Hackl of ProFillet: Transforming the Future of Proteins

Thanks for joining us on the Future Food Show. This episode is a part of the Transforming the Future of Proteins series, where we explore the work of XPRIZE Feed The Next Billion, a global incentivized competition that challenges innovators to reinvent alternative proteins.

On this episode, We’re excited to host Doug McNish, Greg Potter, and Laura S. Hackl, three of the members of Team ProFillet, to the show.

ProFillet is a collection of some of the world's best minds who have come together to tackle one of the most pressing issues of our time: How do we Feed the Next Billion? The founders at ProFillet come from a variety of industries and have a range of talents: from professional kitchens, science and technology, to marketing, finance and operations. This diversity of perspectives and experiences allows the team to approach challenges from a variety of angles, leading to innovative solutions and better outcomes.


Jun 15, 202326:31
Robert Yaman of Innovate Animal Ag

Robert Yaman of Innovate Animal Ag

Robert Yaman is the Founder of Innovate Animal Ag, a new non-profit organization dedicated to introducing and promoting new technologies to the animal agriculture industry.

Jun 01, 202333:58
Miguel Neumann of Eternal: Transforming The Future of Proteins
May 25, 202333:26
Robin Simsa of Revo Foods: Transforming The Future of Proteins
May 11, 202331:39
Chris Landowski of Onego Bio

Chris Landowski of Onego Bio

Chris will be speaking at the upcoming Future Food Tech Alternative Protein Event in New York City this June. You can register for the event at https://futurefoodtechprotein.com. Get a 10% discount on tickets using the coupon code CM10. 


Chris Landowski is the Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Onego Bio, a company producing animal-free egg white proteins with precision fermentation.


Chris is a cellular agriculture trailblazer and the scientific mastermind behind the technology. 

The chosen method for producing egg white protein is based on harnessing the microflora Trichoderma reesei for protein production and Chris believes this technology is superior because of its efficiency and productivity.

Prior to co-founding Onego Bio, Chris spent 15 years developing breakthrough precision fermentation platforms at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

He has extensive experience in recombinant protein production and translating this knowledge to enable commercial scale production of animal-free proteins.

One thing I greatly appreciate about this episode with Chris is that he breaks down fairly technical concepts into very digestible bites.

May 10, 202338:53
Jeremy Agresti of Triplebar

Jeremy Agresti of Triplebar

Jeremy Agresti has spent his career developing tools to drastically change the pace of biology with massive-throughput measurements using microfluidics. His seminal contributions as pioneer of miniaturizing biology with microfluidics have resulted in a large number of publications and patents, which have been cited more than 9,000 times, and form the foundation of several companies in the space. His work has allowed Amyris to bring their biofuels and chemicals to market faster, and for companies like Bio-Rad, Illumina and 10x Genomics to bring new single-cell genomics tools and clinical diagnostic tests to market. Jeremy is a co-founder and advisor to Slingshot Biosciences and founder and CTO Triplebar, where he leads a team of scientists and engineers to leverage the power of evolution to bring new biology-produced products to the world and build a sustainable future for the planet.

May 04, 202335:55
Caroline Kolta of XPRIZE: Transforming The Future of Proteins

Caroline Kolta of XPRIZE: Transforming The Future of Proteins

This episode is part of the Transforming The Future of Proteins series.


XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion is a multi-year, $15M competition that incentivizes teams to produce chicken breast or fish filet alternatives that replicate or outperform these conventional proteins in the following ways: access, environmental sustainability, animal welfare, nutrition, as well as taste and texture.


Caroline Kolta is the Program Director on XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion, where she oversees the technical and day to day operations of the competition including project management, knowledge management, stakeholder management, and risk management.

Prior to this, she worked on an array of projects including supporting XPRIZE Foundation’s research on circular and resilient food systems, in addition to designing competitions for alternative protein, circular water economy, sustainable food packaging, and Alzheimer's Disease.

Caroline comes to XPRIZE with 7 years of experience in the international development, governance, and election monitoring sectors in the Middle East and North Africa region as a project manager, researcher, and policy advisor. Her professional career is geared towards advancing human rights and freedoms, civic engagement, and empowering marginalized populations.

She holds an MA in Sustainable International Development, with a focus on Conflict Resolution and Coexistence from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University and a Bachelor of Political Science from Cairo University. 


Learn more about the XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion Challenge at www.xprize.org/feed

Apr 27, 202333:44
Vanessa Haley-Benjamin - New Harvest Fellowship Series

Vanessa Haley-Benjamin - New Harvest Fellowship Series

Vanessa Haley-Benjamin - New Harvest Fellowship Series

Apr 12, 202328:56
Edward Shenderovich of Synonym Biotechnologies

Edward Shenderovich of Synonym Biotechnologies

This episode is sponsored by the Black & Veatch NextGen Ag Team. Learn more about Black and Veatch at https://www.bv.com

Edward Shenderovich is co-founder and CEO of Synonym Biotechnologies. Before Synonym, Edward was the Executive Chairman and co-founder of Knotel, a leading flexible office company (acquired by Newmark), founding and managing partner of Kite Ventures, a global venture investment company, and a founding executive of SUP Media, where he oversaw the company’s strategic development, including the rollout of LiveJournal globally. Previously, he was a co-founder and CEO of Quantum Art, a content management software provider, and a co-founder of Merchantry, a New York-based provider of online marketplace infrastructure (acquired by Tradeshift). Edward has served on the boards of directors of a number of successful companies, including Tradeshift, Delivery Hero, Plated, Domo, and others. He started his career as an Industry Analyst at Silicon Valley Bank. Edward is a graduate of UC Berkeley and a Fellow at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.

Check out Capacitor, The free worldwide database of biomanufacturing capacity at https://capacitor.bio/

Feb 13, 202327:29
Joshua March of SciFi Foods

Joshua March of SciFi Foods

On this episode, we’re excited to have Joshua March. Joshua is Co-founder and CEO of SCiFi Foods, a startup creating transformational products by combining cultivated meat with plant-based ingredients to make burgers shockingly close to the taste of conventional beef.

A serial entrepreneur with two exits to his name, Joshua was previously the Co-founder of Conversocial, a digital care platform for messaging that integrates with many of the world's leading brands.

Joshua has a passion for all things food science, environmental sustainability, and believes in the potential of synthetic biology to create superior products for a rapidly growing world. Originally from England and now based in San Francisco.

Jan 11, 202322:19
Sophie Letcher - New Harvest Fellowship Series

Sophie Letcher - New Harvest Fellowship Series

Sophie Letcher is a PhD student and New Harvest Research Fellow in the Biomedical Engineering Department at Tufts University. She is a part of David Kaplan’s (growing!) cellular agriculture research group, and so far, her research as focused on two main topics. The first is using bioelectricity (endogenous electrical currents) to control muscle cell proliferation and differentiation, and the second is furthering the field of entomoculture (insect cell culture for food). Prior to starting at Tufts, she received her B.A. at Kenyon College in Neuroscience, then worked as a research technician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA.

This episode was originally recorded in December 2021.

Dec 19, 202231:47
Explained: UPSIDE Foods Receives First FDA "Green Light" for Cultivated Meat –with David Kay
Nov 19, 202209:44
Lejjy Gafour of CULT Food Science

Lejjy Gafour of CULT Food Science

The Cultured Meat Symposium 2022 is taking place on October 28-29, 2022. Learn more and register for the event at https://cms2022.com

On this episode I chat with Lejjy Gafour of CULT Food Science. We chat about Lejjy's background, his start within the cellular agriculture industry, touch on Future Fields, and learn about CULT Food Science.

Additional show notes will be posted soon.

Are you a regular listener? Be sure to Subscribe or Follow on your favorite podcast platform.

Oct 09, 202231:12
Deniz Kent of Prolific Machines

Deniz Kent of Prolific Machines

Alex Shirazi sits down with Deniz Kent, Co-founder and CEO of Prolific Machines. Prolific Machines is a Stealth startup based in San Francisco. They are working on technologies that seriously reduces the cost of cultured meat production. On this episode we chat about Deniz' background and how the company came to be.


Learn more about Prolific Machines at https://www.prolificmachines.com/

Sep 08, 202228:42
Patricia Bubner of Orbillion

Patricia Bubner of Orbillion

The Cultured Meat Symposium 2022 is taking place on October 28-29, 2022 in Downtown San Francisco. Learn more and register at https://cms2022.com

This episode of the Cultured Meat and Future Food Podcast features Patricia Bubner of Orbillion. Alex and Patricia chat about Orbillion, different cuts of cultivated meat products, and the importance of messaging within the industry.

Learn more about Orbillion Bio at https://www.orbillion.com/

Aug 31, 202243:15
Yonatan Golan of Brevel

Yonatan Golan of Brevel

On this episode I speak with Yonatan Golan of Brevel. I was introduced to Brevel in one of my favorite ways possible, at a networking event! The event was hosted by Black & Veatch at the Future Food Tech event in New York City. There I met someone from the Brevel team who eventually connected me to Yonatan. I am so glad I was able to speak with Yonatan about the fascinating topic of micro-algea and how it could very well be one of the biggest protein solutions. 

Learn more about Brevel at https://brevel.co.il/

The Cultured Meat Symposium 2022 is taking place in San Francisco on October 28-29, 2022. Learn more and register for the event at https://www.cms2022.com

Aug 17, 202233:54
Peter Nesaei and Reza Ovissi of OceanTastes, Inc.

Peter Nesaei and Reza Ovissi of OceanTastes, Inc.

This episode features Dr. Peter Nesaei and Dr. Reza Ovissi of OceanTastes, Inc. OceanTastes, Inc. is a cultivated seafood startup based in California. We discuss how the Peter and Reza met, their inspiration for creating OceanTastes, Inc. and the exciting journey ahead.


Learn more about OceanTastes, Inc. at https://www.oceantastes.com

The Cultured Meat Symposium 2022 is taking place on October 28-29, 2022. Learn more and register for the event at https://cms2022.com

Aug 08, 202229:58
Brett Thompson of Mzansi Meat Co.

Brett Thompson of Mzansi Meat Co.

The Cultured Meat Symposium 2022 is taking place in San Francisco on October 28-29, 2022. Learn more and register for the event at https://cms2022.com.


On this episode, Alex chats with Brett Thompson of Mzansi Meat Co., one of the first cultivated meat companies in South Africa and even on the continent of Africa. Learn about how Brett's background in plant-based foods and animal advocacy lead to the first investor check and what's next for Mzansi.


References in this episode:

South African Consumer Adoption of Plant-Based and Cultivated Meat: A Segmentation Study: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2021.744199/full

Plant-based and Cultivated Meat Adoption in Egypt, Kenya, and Nigeria: https://www.credenceinstitute.org/_files/ugd/e40e4e_ec6909e70bc242e894d42d5eb34f85fb.pdf


Aug 03, 202228:56
Caroline Wilschut of Meatable

Caroline Wilschut of Meatable

The Cultured Meat Symposium is taking place on October 28-29, 2022. Learn more and register for the event at https://cms2022.com

On this episode, Alex Shirazi sits down with Caroline Wilschut of Meatable to chat about who we need to educate about cultivated meat products and the understanding of the technology over the last few years.

Learn more about Meatable at https://meatable.com

Jul 24, 202230:24
Elysabeth Alfano of VegTech™ Invest

Elysabeth Alfano of VegTech™ Invest

Elysabeth Alfano is the CEO of VegTech™ Invest, the advisor to the VegTech™ Plant-based Innovation & Climate ETF. The VegTech™ ETF has created a completely new impact asset class: plant-based innovation and alternative in the capital markets. The company has also launched the industry benchmark index, VegTech™ Plant-based Innovation & Alternative Proteins Index. Elysabeth is a plant-based industry expert and speaks globally on the intersection of sustainability and our global food supply system, including recently at the U.N. Global Leaders Compact Summit. She is the CEO of Plant Powered Consulting, and advised multinationals and C-Suite Executives on the industry landscape, direction and whitespaces. Finally, Elysabeth hosts the Plantbased Business Hour, which features the CEOs and thought leaders in the industry. The Plantbased Business Hour is considered, “The Gold Standard” for those who want to understand, participate in, and capitalize on this secular trend.

Learn more about Future Food Tech Alternative Proteins at www.futurefoodtechprotein.com

Jun 22, 202235:07
Laura Katz of Helaina

Laura Katz of Helaina

Laura is the Founder and CEO of Helaina. Founded in 2019, Helaina is the first company to produce human milk proteins that are identical to those in breast milk, creating a new category of infant formula. Disrupting the infant formula category which has been stagnant for decades, Helaina has raised more than $25 million. Laura became NYU’s youngest ever adjunct professor in Food Science & Technology in 2017 and was featured in Forbes’ 30 under 30 list in 2022.


Learn more about Helaina at www.myhelaina.com

Learn more about Future Food Tech Alternative Proteins at www.futurefoodtechprotein.com

Jun 19, 202224:43
Will Patrick of Culture Biosciences

Will Patrick of Culture Biosciences

Alex sits down with Will Patrick of Culture Biosciences, the company leading the way for bioreactors in the cloud. 

Design, monitor, and analyze high-throughput bioreactor experiments in Culture's Cloud Lab from your laptop. 

Culture essentially acts as a Bioreactor in the cloud allowing companies to radically accelerate their research. We learn about the basics of the platform and the ideal applications.

Learn more about Culture Biosciences at https://www.culturebiosciences.com/

Jun 16, 202243:39
Trevor Williams of the Farm Traveler Podcast

Trevor Williams of the Farm Traveler Podcast

Trevor Williams is a former high school agriscience teacher turned podcaster that started the FarmTraveler podcast in 2019.  Farm Traveler has one goal, that being to connect consumers with farmers, ranchers, and entrepreneurs in the agriculture industry.  Trevor has published over 150 podcast episodes, educational videos, and Farm Tours on the Farm Traveler Youtube channel, and produces two other agriculture-focused podcasts.


Subscribe to the Farm Traveler Podcast at https://thefarmtraveler.com/

Listen to Alex's episode on the Farm Traveler Podcast at https://thefarmtraveler.com/2022/04/13/ep-145-what-is-cultured-meat/

Jun 09, 202247:08
Michele Simon

Michele Simon

As a public health attorney, food policy expert, author, and thought leader, Michele uses her passionate and fearless voice to advocate for a better food system through her writing, media appearances, and consulting.

Michele’s extensive writings on the politics of food and alcohol led to the publication of her first book in 2006, Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back. NYU Professor Marion Nestle described it as “brilliant.”

Michele founded the Plant Based Foods Association in 2016. As Executive Director of the nation’s only membership association to promote the interests of plant-based food companies, she grew the organization to over 300 members and led a team of policy and retail experts. Her leadership and strategic efforts enabled PBFA to fight the powerful meat and dairy lobbies, while forging new marketplace opportunities for the industry.

Michele currently runs her own strategy consulting business, where she offers advice on policy, media relations, investing, and coaching for women.

Michele Simon is admitted to practice law in California, has a master’s degree in public health from Yale University and received her law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

We cover a lot of diverse topics and I will be first to admit that it was very interesting to understand certain viewpoints as it comes to reducing animals in the food system, restaurants offering vegan options (and whether that’s a good thing), and taking a closer look at reporting that’s out there in the industry now.

May 01, 202201:03:02
Tim Olsen of Merck, KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Tim Olsen of Merck, KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Thanks for tuning in to the Cultured Meat and Future Food Podcast. On this episode we are exciting to have Tim Olsen of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.

Tim joined Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany in 2020 as Head of Commercial for the Cultured Meat program. His goal is to commercialize technologies that enable large scale cost effective and sustainable production of cultured meat and seafood products. Previously, Tim directed laboratory operations and led the development of bioinks at Allevi, a 3D bioprinting company. Tim then held the Senior Scientist position on the Process and Product Development team at RoosterBio, a regenerative medicine company focused on fueling the rapid commercialization of scalable human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) and exosome manufacturing technologies. His skillsets include stem cell culture optimization, media development, and scaling manufacturing in bioreactor systems. Tim then transitioned into commercial operations at RoosterBio as the Northeast USA and Europe Account Manager to leverage his technical skillset to focus on bringing solutions to the customers who were working on bringing regenerative medicine products to the clinic and the market. Tim received a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Clemson University (2015) and sits on the External Advisory Board for the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The College of New Jersey, his undergraduate alma mater.

Feb 22, 202237:05
Dr. Aletta Schnitzler of TurtleTree

Dr. Aletta Schnitzler of TurtleTree

Dr. Aletta Schnitzler is the Chief Scientific Officer at Turtle Tree. Previously, Aletta held various roles at Merck KGaA across Cell Therapy Bioprocessing and Cultured Meat R&D and Strategy. Aletta received her Ph.D. in 2007 from Boston University School of Medicine in the fields of immunology and neuroscience, focusing on trophic factors that influence immune cell activation, as well as neural differentiation and maintenance of phenotype.

Learn more about TurtleTree:

https://turtletree.com/

Jan 14, 202229:25
Tobias Messmer of Mosa Meat

Tobias Messmer of Mosa Meat

Tobias Messmer is a Jr Scientist in the Stemness & Isolation team at Mosa Meat and a PhD student at Maastricht University.

After completing his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Molecular Biotechnology at Heidelberg University, and internships at Cambridge University and Harvard University, Tobias’ current work focuses on molecular characterization of muscle cells during the proliferation and differentiation stages of cultivating beef. In 2020, Tobias has co-founded the Cellular Agriculture Online Symposium (CAOS) - an online platform to facilitate scientific exchange in the Cell-Ag space.

Read the Blog Post:
https://mosameat.com/blog/cultivating-beef-without-fetal-bovine-serum

View the Publication:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00419-1

Jan 13, 202225:21
Jamie Harris of Animal Advocacy Careers

Jamie Harris of Animal Advocacy Careers

Jamie has a History degree from Oxford University and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from Nottingham University. Dedicated to reducing animal suffering, he has volunteered for a variety of effective animal advocacy organizations, including Faunalytics, The Humane League and the Good Food Institute. He is also working to grow the effective altruism movement by managing the local group Effective Animal Altruism London.

Jan 13, 202228:41
Nick Cooney of Lever VC

Nick Cooney of Lever VC

Nick Cooney founded and serves as Managing Partner at Lever VC, an early-stage venture capital fund focused on alternative protein startups. The alternative protein sector includes both plant-based meat and dairy companies (Nick’s past investments in this space include Beyond Meat, Miyoko’s Kitchen, Sunfed Meats, and Good Catch Foods) as well as cultivated meat companies (Nick’s investments in this space include Memphis Meats, Aleph Farms, and Avant Meats). Through Lever VC and his prior fund, Nick has invested in several dozen alternative protein companies globally, with a combined net value of over $7+ billion USD.

Jan 05, 202233:47
Joe Fassler of The Counter

Joe Fassler of The Counter

Joe Fassler's piece "Lab-grown meat is supposed to be inevitable. The science tells a different story." brought new discussions to the cultured meat industry.

Joe Fassler is deputy editor of The Counter, a nonprofit newsroom covering the business, politics, and culture of American food. Twice a finalist for a James Beard Media Award, his food journalism has been anthologized in The Best American Food Writing and appeared in publications like TheAtlantic.com, The Guardian, and Smithsonian.

Dec 09, 202131:05
Josh Balk of the HSUS returns to the Future Food Show

Josh Balk of the HSUS returns to the Future Food Show

Josh Balk is the Vice President of Farm Animal Protection at the Humane Society of the U.S. In addition, he is the cofounder of Hampton Creek, now Eat Just Inc, a food technology company famous for producing the Just Egg product.

Prior to working with HSUS, Josh is known for his work at Compassion Over Killing. He has been an advocate for animals for almost 20 years.

This is Josh's second episode on the future food show, where we dig a little bit deeper into the great work that he and his team are accomplishing and the future of food.

Nov 27, 202140:14
John Sanbonmatsu of CleanMeat-Hoax.com

John Sanbonmatsu of CleanMeat-Hoax.com

John Sanbonmatsu is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, where he teaches ethics, political theory, and the philosophy of technology.  He is author of the book, The Postmodern Prince:  Critical Theory, Left Strategy, and the Making of a New Political Subject, editor of the book, Critical Theory and Animal Liberation, and is the creator and curator of the www.CleanMeat-Hoax.com website.  His new book, The Omnivore's Deception:  What We Get Wrong about Meat, Animals, and the Nature of Moral Life, is expected to be released at the end of 2022.

Nov 16, 202136:04
Michelle Egger of BIOMILQ

Michelle Egger of BIOMILQ

As a passionate food scientist, Michelle looks to combat global food security and malnutrition in everything she does. She has expertise in dairy fermentation, formulation, and processing and is thrilled to ditch the cows for humans. Inspired by upstream solutions for infant nutrition at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, she became obsessed with advancing human nutrition through better infant feeding options. Michelle seeks to harness the capacity to drive environmental and social change through creative food solutions with a consumer-first design. Her entrepreneurial expertise in social impact and sustainable business models drives her commitment to seeking mission-aligned partners.

Oct 20, 202130:42
Reducetarian Foundation, Brian Kateman

Reducetarian Foundation, Brian Kateman

Brian Kateman is the lead producer of Meat Me Halfway, a documentary about finding common ground at the dinner table. He is cofounder and president of the Reducetarian Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing consumption of meat, eggs, and dairy to create a healthy, sustainable, and compassionate world.


Learn more about the Reducetarian Foundation:

https://www.reducetarian.org/

Learn more about Meat Me Halfway (Documentary):

https://www.meatmehalfway.org/

Aug 30, 202126:14
Simon Fried of MeaTech

Simon Fried of MeaTech

This episode is sponsored by the Black & Veatch NextGen Ag Team. Learn more about Black and Veatch at https://www.bv.com

Simon, head of business at MeaTech, grew up around restaurants, has business experience including food retail, FMCG, distilleries and 3D printing. Combined with his academic background in risk, behavioral economics, and behavior change, he’s excited to be playing a part in the cultivated meat mission.

Aug 20, 202124:02
The Cocoa Concept, Linda Lilly

The Cocoa Concept, Linda Lilly

The Cultured Meat Symposium (CMS21) is taking place this October 22-23, 2021 in Downtown San Francisco. Learn more and register for the event at https://www.cms21.io.


Linda Lilly is the Director and Founder of The Cocoa Concept. She grew up in the south of Germany, studied Film and Literature in Munich and Vancouver before moving to London to work for Sony Pictures. After changing her take on nutrition and fitness in 2018, Linda went through a physical and emotional transformation herself that led her to not only lose over 20kg but also to spend more and more time researching products that will benefit her mind and body. In 2020 she founded her own company The Cocoa Concept with the purpose to introduce the benefits of Cocoa Husk Tea to the UK market. Whilst still working full time at Sony Pictures she realized that there is an opportunity, people like her who want to lead a healthy lifestyle who want to enjoy themselves without feeling guilty need to know about this product. She constantly tries to challenge herself, practice mindfulness and set positive affirmations to achieve her goals. Linda is currently a candidate at the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator Program.

The Cocoa Concept wants to underline the importance of what we are putting into our bodies – they create a pure product with a natural chocolatey sensation, no dairy, no artificial sweeteners, no sugars, or additives. Their first product is called Cocoa Husk Tea, which is made from the outer shell of the cacao bean. Cocoa Husk is a by-product in the chocolate making process that would otherwise go to waste. That's where The Cocoa Concept comes in and uses it to create a unique and healthy way to enjoy a calorie-free hot chocolate suitable for everyone – no matter whether you are vegan, dairy free or want to cut down your sugar intake. The Cocoa Concept was born to support people in leading a healthy lifestyle, elevate their fitness journey and promote mindful moments.  You can buy their product directly on their website or find it in cafes and health stores across London. They’ve recently been featured in Vogue Magazine as “the latest tea trend”.

Learn more about The Cocoa Concept here:

https://www.thecocoaconcept.com/

Aug 16, 202125:36
Catching up with The Better Meat Co. and Paul Shapiro
Jul 31, 202143:47
Cellular Agriculture Australia, Bianca Le

Cellular Agriculture Australia, Bianca Le

The Cultured Meat Symposium 2021 (CMS21) is taking place this October 22-23, 2021 in person. Learn more and register at https://cms21.io

Dr Bianca Le is a cell biologist and Honorary Fellow in Agriculture and Food at the University of Melbourne. Bianca completed her PhD at the Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University and is currently the Director of Cellular Agriculture Australia, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting and accelerating R&D in the cellular agriculture industry.

When Bianca’s not doing science, she talks and writes about it. She is an experienced science communicator and has contributed to various national policy projects spanning diversity in STEM workplaces, waste management, and science diplomacy at the Academy of Technology and Engineering. Earlier this year, Bianca was one of the 60 STEM experts in Australia selected to be a part of 'Superstars of STEM', a nationally funded program to elevate the public profile of prominent women in STEM.

Jul 16, 202136:17
Vow, Marie Gibbons and Soroush Pour

Vow, Marie Gibbons and Soroush Pour

The Cultured Meat Symposium 2021 is taking place in San Francisco on October 22-23, 2021. Learn more and register at https://cms21.io


Marie Gibbons is a well known name in the industry. She recently moved to Sydney from Berkeley, CA to join Vow as a research scientist

As a passionate animal lover and veterinary student-turned-cultured meat researcher, she joined the cellular agriculture field in 2016 in hopes of removing animals from food production. She was granted research fellowships with both New Harvest and the Good Food Institute and spent her graduate studies focusing on large scale cultured poultry production at North Carolina State University and Harvard Medical School. Upon graduation, Marie joined Memphis Meats, now Upside Foods, as the founder of their media development department. There, she spent over 2 years developing scalable, edible, animal component free media for multiple species and cell types. She now works with Vow's incredible team of scientific researchers, engineers, robots, and office dogs to create delicious and exotic cultured meat products using automated, high-throughput platform technology.

Also joining us on the show is Soroush Pour.

Soroush joined Vow as Head of Engineering in February 2020. He founded, built and exited his first software company while an undergrad at Duke University as a fully funded Robertson Scholar. He was one of the first engineers and later engineering managers at San Francisco FinTech API company Plaid as it grew from 15 to 170 people, now worth over $13B. Before joining Vow, Soroush worked as a consultant in the alternative protein industry, doing independent research as well as consulting work supporting multiple alternative protein organizations. His goal is to bring about a food system that can feed billions while protecting the beautiful blue planet we all depend on. At Vow, he and his team create intuitive software and high-throughput robotics to make cultured meat lab R&D drastically faster and less manual than it otherwise would be.

Jul 12, 202143:28