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.