My Food Job Rocks!

It is an honor to interview the man who introduced one of the first popular culinary science books and probably has inspired thousands of food science professionals, Harold McGee. Harold McGee’s writing style is unique because he really deep dives into a very specific topic. Food Science and culinary friends might recognize him from the book, On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, but now he has a new, stellar book about smells! Nose Dive, A Field Guide to the World of Smells is a fascinating book that dives into not just food smells, but also dives into other interesting smells such as flowers, the human body, and the stars! If you are a food scientist, having a grasp of smells, might be useful in your career. What is probably the best lesson from the famed author Harold McGee, is that he reinvented himself multiple times. His intent was actually being an astronomy but he pivoted multiple times form literature, and then food and what you discovered is that Harold McGee’s success comes from this unlimited curiosity whenever he is passionate in a subject. So these threads, from astronomy, to poetry, to cooking, to smells, has a common theme: intense curiosity. Lots of things to uncover in this interview. From the journey that Harold McGee took to write his smash hit, his lucky opportunity getting the book out there, and Harold’s thoughts on how food has eveolve din his life time. Also learn why Harold wrote a new book, and what he thinks about humans recreating animal-like products like meat and honey. He has a closer connection to it than you think. Show Notes Harold McGee wrote about food in 1970 I started writing about food because I couldn’t get a job in literature I did Astronomy first and then switched to literature Why did you get into Astronomy?: I recall a project in 2nd or 3rd grade Cal Tech I was able to study with a person who figured out that the elements were from the stars What got you into literature?: Standing looking in the stars had to do more with feelings and emotions rather than calculations and I realized I wanted to write What influenced your writing style?:  I did a thesis on 19th century English poetry What is your opinion on Science and Art?: I try to not pigeon-hole science and try and shape it to be more understanding Liebig – Searing meats seal in the juices? Science doesn’t even have a lock on authority. My publisher liked me to talk about cooking, but to add stories when describing things. He really changed the way I write Keys to Good Cooking How do you write about a specific topic?: I really love research. Especially these days, we have the internet If you research a lot, you have to cut things?: Yes, I have a ton of left over notes. Who was talking with you when this book came out?: Actually, nobody in the 1980s. Nobody was really using unique cooking ingredients. Mimi Sheraton – Wrote an article on Time Magazine about the book and it exploded The people I heard form most were not professional cooks, but actually students who wanted to be professional cooks. They would try to get professional chefs to answer questions that wasn’t answered in the book but the chefs wouldn’t give them stellar advice How has food evolved in your life time?: More accessibility to more cool things. A growing interest in food and drink and experience. Food has evolved, hasn’t it?: Yes, how I ate and my kids ate is completely different My Food Job Rocks: I’m amazed about the complexity of cooking. And there’s more to come Let’s talk about the science of smells: I started to dive into flavors at first but then my curiosity took me to a new place: smells. Why did flowers have the same smell of oysters? Borage flowers have the same smell of oysters and cucumbers I had to talk to Flavor Chemists when we work together. How do you communicate smells?: Smells are based off of objective facts and biological memories. Training is all about training that database My job was to give a field guide to smells. Not fully subjective, but a mix of both In the book, there are tons of comparative tables If you “listen” to smells, you can actually get a lot more out of things Top Note Base Note Perfumers actually have a similar method on describing smells When you focus, the smells actually dissipate and you can understand the aroma better. Do you have a method of smelling?: I kind of “pump” my breath so you breathe out and you get some interesting smells. I create an accordion motion with my tongue and that gives me more of a sequence of experiences than one long understanding How do you feel about alternative meat?: Actually, my kids played soccer with Pat Brown’s kids so I knew him in the circles. One day, Pat called me and we had a talk about a crazy food idea that ended up being Impossible Foods. The products are getting closer and for the right reasons. I’m greatful for the personal happenstance that allowed me to get into that industry Will this help scientists?: Yes, it’s a good overview of understanding smells. It can help you be a human GCO in some sense GCO – Gas Chromatography What is one thing in the food industry you’d like to know more about?: I get a lot of alerts from science journals Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry Chemistry and Biodiversity Do you have any advice for someone to stretch their curiosity?: Yes, take advantage of the availability of information. You can get interested in something and go to Google Scholar and just type in a couple of key words and you’ll see amazing things that are published Don’t just limit yourself to a particular discipline or a particular field, they bloom when they synergize Where can we find you for advice?: Nose Dive should be on the shelves and also online stores I can be found at my website, HaroldMcGee.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we have Arvind Gupta, Co-Founder of IndieBio and Po Bronson, Managing Director of IndieBio. They both wrote a book together called Decoding the World, A Roadmap for the Questioner. A, I would say an anthology of all of the wonderful technologies Po and Arvind have incubated through their journey in IndieBio. For those that don’t know, IndieBio is this amazing biotechnology incubator in San Francisco. I’ve spoken there a few times myself. Basically, imagine this incubator that takes these fantastic ideas but also has the equipment to create a viable product for future funding. A lot of companies like Memphis Meats, Clara Foods, Prime Roots, Geltor, Perfect Day, NotCo, Endless West, New Age Meats, Finless Foods. Why am I naming so many of them? Because not only are these companies hot, up and coming superstars in the food industry, but I personally have friends in all of these food companies! It’s been an honor to have the opportunity to interview the team in charge of sparking the flame and I ask how they started and got involved in IndieBio, how young people can contribute to this biotech movement,  and I think we have a very touching and important discussion about the value of doing creative art with your science career. Po and Arvind have great chemistry and it was a blast talking to them. I added a bit of pre-audio banter, because I found it so funny. Show Notes IndieBio – Independent Biology Located in Jessie Street Why IndieBio?: It lowers the barrier of entry of BioTech Startup IndieBio: What are huge problems that no one can address that we can solve? We have areas in new York, China, etc Notable companies that went through IndieBio Memphis Meats Clara Foods Prime Roots Geltor Perfect Day NotCo Endless West New Age Meats Finless Foods Sandhill Road: Silicon Valley Money Worldly Priorities: Do we need an environmental disaster to finally understand that this is an issue?: Cognitive Dissonance is a huge problem. We might need something bigger to happen Do you think there’s going to be more companies solving this?: The younger generation is taking note and they are asking “what can I do to change it?” In most situations, the taste will always have to win for consumer acceptance. Environmental challenges are generally second-teir How did you start?: Arvind: My thesis was modifying e.coli to dissolve wood at 1996 Venture Capital is the ultimate business model to take all the risk How do we have scientists take more risk?: Most safe jobs aren’t as safe as you think Generally, you’ve already bet on yourself with your PhD For Po: IndieBio is a movement, not everyone needs to be a founder, but everyone can be part of the movement. It’s not just the scientists Author of 7 New York Times Best Seller Indie books People thrive in a balance between security and risk and different people have different thresholds Po, you’re an author, why are you in food?: I’ve grown up in it my whole life around food Why did Po and Arvind create a book?: We’re both artists so we get along Dr. June Axup – plays Ukelele and sings science songs In this industry, your mind has to be extremely fast Also, most companies that go here have a sense of performance art because it’s so ambitious My Food Job Rocks: Arvind: We play an important role in having scientists build meaningful companies Po: I love proving people Wrong How do people get into IndieBio?: A one-page application. You can attach a pitch deck if you got it We do 10 startups twice a year every 6 months in San Francisco and New York Where can we find your work? Indiebio.co – You can select SF or NY Decoding the World – DecodingtheWorld.com Social Media: Po Bronson Social Media: Arvind Gupta How’s the pandemic treating you this year?: This batch, we couldn’t do food companies but next batch has a few promising food ones Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This amazing episode is with Ryan Bethencourt, Founder and CEO of Wild Earth, but this guy invests, mentors and influences and has had such an impact in the alt-meat and biotech community. If you’re in the plant-based community and don’t know Ryan, get to know him, follow him on LinkedIn, he is one of the lynchpins in this innovative field and shares a ton of amazing content. So what has Ryan done so far?  Well, started a company? Several. Invested in innovative technology? Scientist? Yep. Been on Shark Tank? Got an investment on Shark Tank! This guy has done everything! A big takeaway from this episode is that Ryan was told no all the time. Why? Because he had dyslexia as a kid but after reading some science fiction and then busting his butt working really hard, he kept on breaking expectations and is now a literal limitless human being and has leveraged his weakness into his greatest strength. I know Ryan personally, and I never knew this story! You’ll learn a bit more about his personal life such as why he moved out of Silicon Valley to Research Triangle Park in North Carolina and set up an awesome sustainable food fund with his wife. Based on the length of the episode and the quality of today’s guest, I don’t have to tell you that you will learn a lot and be inspired in this interview. The best takeaway in this episode is that even if people say you can’t, you can. Show Notes Mark Cuban Shark Tank Deal What do you call yourself when you talk to people?: If it’s simple I say I run a dog food company I also have invested in/helped build 130 startups I cofounded Indiebio and I cofounded Wild Earth The first investor in Memphis Meats, Not Co, Geltor, Clara Foods Arvind and Po’s Book Silicon Valley actually has a biotech ecosystem but it was hard to break in. Once the recession hits, we bought biotech equipment and put them into our garage SOS Ventures backe dour company called IndieBio and we would provide a lab to scientists Y-combinator NotCo in the US Wait, are you an investor and a CEO?: Yes, I’m an AND person. I do both Sustainable Food Ventures What Are You?: I’m many things, but you and I have done the “and”. Give yourself permission to do both and it’s ok to fail and don’t listen to the people who say no I was dyslexic as a child and really had a handicap in school. My parents always believed in me and introduced me to science fiction Science fiction told me about what is possible and taught me to work harder to make these goals happen Once I found that computers helped me work faster, I leveraged technology to do great job. Eventually, after I looked up from the grindstone, I became more knowledgable people GATTACA – the swimming part Book: Three Body Problem Series – Chinese Fiction - Three part series What other cultures can do science fiction well? Each culture can give us a different lense into science fiction Silicon Valley – The Rome of Technology Ryan was always looking at multiple hubs to leave Silicon Valley Steve Case – AOL Focus on the Rise of the Rest Research Triangle Hub Marilis Holme, my wife and I created a new future of food fund in the triangle called Sustainable Food Ventures It is harder to set up a fund in undeveloped projects but it’s worth it What is your strategy in developing cities? Big Idea Ventures Veggie Victory – Rise of Plant-based Meat in Nigeria Plant-based Meat is supposed to be 1% of the meat market right now How do people get money from startups?: Just ask us. We help Book: Zero to One Golden Beef- Real Beef but slaughtered free Tufts University Golden Rice Better Meat Co Motif Foodworks Why did you start Wild Earth?: Funny enough, no one wanted me to make this company and they wouldn’t want to invest in me on dog food Dogs eat everything We are actually getting some interesting data on dogs eating a plant-based diet. We are funding future research For Wild Earth, it’s not just that we’re plant-based, but we care about our pet’s nutrition We want Wild Earth to be the leader of plant-based dog food and make an impact with giant companies. The more we can convince large pet food companies join us, the more impactful you can be Book: Hyper Competition – Managing Dynamics of Strategic Maneuvering Porter’s 5 Laws are Wrong. They only matter in a  static system, not a dynamic system The true barrier is constant innovation Telsa is an example of a constantly innovating product Book: Elon Musk Biography by Ashley Lance Moonshots – Elon needs our help to bring the future of food to feed people in Mars Book: The Future is Faster Than You Think Peter Diamandas from X-prize My Food Job Rocks: I get to feed my dog an amazing product that was once an idea and now is a product Venture Capitalists: generally are risk adverse Softbank and WeWork How do we kick people in the pants about climate change?: I believe in humanity in the long term. I believe we can solve a lot of problems. The Tech investors in the West coast might have awoken to the sheer issue with the climate situation Book: Wizard and the Prophet How do you inspire scientists to take risks to start businesses to save the world?: Scientists want to make science for the love of it. It’s hard for them to take risks. Give yourself permission to try. If you have a  good idea, email me at ryan@sustainablefoodventures.com SustainableFoodVentures.com – We love to fund idea stage companies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We kick off this interview with some product development tips. Lindsey Wisener works with all sorts of clients big and small and so we talk about the best way to say, communicate feedback. Lindsey owns WiseBev, a consultancy with a built-out lab in Indiana It’s important to note that Lindsay built a consultancy with a functional lab from scratch but it took her a while to do so but by leveraging her experience and doing it right, she now thrives with a  small team, making innovative products. We break down step by step how she did it. From what she studied in University to the value of keeping your connections close when you’re ready to try something new. Show Notes Peas on Moss with Lindsay Wisner Robert Kay from Isagenix What do you say in a sentence eor less?: I help people bring their beverage to life I own and operate WiseBev and specifically do beverage I have a small team of scientists. I live in a rural part of Indiana Is it hard to get clients when you’re rural?: Sort of, so I made my own business How do you communicate projects?: I do live tastings with my clients and have an objective when we taste. I take notes while we’re live. How do you communicate feedback?: If it’s objective like a comparison, it’s a bit easier. If the objective is subjective, we talk a bit more specifically about the flavor profile Who do you usually talk to during a tasting?: Generally the Internal R+D team. Once it goes through the gauntlet, I’ve probably done around 50 or so samples so I have a generally good idea How did you find out about food science?: Living in rural areas allows you to be iin tuned to food science. My animal science class had a video about being a food scientist I ended up being a graduate student in dairy chemistry and worked at Johnson Nutrition Johnson Nutrition focuses on three different types of formula: Baby, Toddler, and Older-than-Toddler Then I worked at Kellogg’s nutrition Insights on failed projects: Sometimes it truly is feasibility. The technology isn’t there yet How is it different from working with Kelloggs and Entrepreneurs?: The big companies are still guarded by financials and technology. The smaller ones have different problems Generally for Entrepreneurs, we have a two day working session and go through the whole process in understanding the challenges of making a beverage What usually shocks people?: Generally the process cost and MOQ quantities. You can’t just make 2000 units. You have to make millions. MOQ- Minimum Order Quantities Shipping Water When did you start your consulting business?: I was 30 and had my first kid and decided to do contract work. I started my LLC 2 years later My first client was from my old boss at Johnson Nutrition that I still kept in contact with. I started with a pH, aW meter, and some scales and had to drive to the local college to use the complex machinery. Eventually, I had enough money to create my own lab I have a 25 acre place and thought I could create lab there. Unfortuantely, there were a lot of challenges such as rezoning, put in a new septic system, approvals, inspection, and it cost 3 x as much and 3 x as long But now it’s all good 4 years later. It’s a good investment for this type of situation My Food Job Rocks: I get to spend all day in a lab creating new beverages What trends or technology are you excited about?: Coffee innovation in tea. You might see some cool things in the tea space in the retail space Have you noticed anything different in the clients you’re getting during the pandemic?: Alternate/non-dairy proteins is not going away. Hard Seltzer/Mocktails and some keto products What is one thing in the food industry you would like to know more about?: Sensory science Ivy Koliker’s episode Do you recommend any books?: Gen Sincero. You Are a Badass What about podcasts?: Biz Chicks, Consulting Success What is some advice you can give on how to start consulting?: Do something you know really well. People kept on calling me on product development Where can we find you?: I’m on Linkedin Lindsey@wisebev.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, I interview Toni Okamoto, founder of Plant-based on a Budget and Michele Cehn, founder of World of Vegan to talk about their new book and their journey in building their business. Combined, they have over 1.5 million Instagram followers and numbers in the six figures on various platforms such as youtube, email lists, and everything else. Toni and Michelle built their following from scratch and turned what they did from hobby to business. In this episode, you will learn the journey that Toni and Michelle took to get there as long as some really insightful tips on running an influencer company. But most importantly, they’re a dynamic duo and an amazing case study of how collaboration amplifies everyone. The funny story is that I’ve met them personally and have even playtested their recipe. Why Funny you should ask. Toni’s husband is Paul Shapiro, author of Clean Meat, and a popular interview in episode 102. When I moved to Sacramento to start Better Meat Co, Toni was one of the first people I met in Sacramento and Michelle also lives there. Since they loved to cook, they would do a lot of fun parties and cook delicious food. One of my favorites is a chocolate pie made of silken tofu. Toni and Michelle are probably the most down to Earth people I’ve ever met.  They are super authentic, super passionate in what they do, and they are just such nice, accommodating people who are just full of sunshine. You can find their new, collaborative cookbook The Friendly Vegan Cookbook wherever you can find books, and we have a link to it in our shownotes! About Toni Toni Okamoto is the founder of Plant-Based on a Budget, the popular website and meal plan that shows you how to save dough by eating veggies. She’s also author of the Plant-Based on a Budget Cookbook, co-author of The Friendly Vegan Cookbook, and the co-host of The Plant-Powered People Podcast. Okamoto’s work has been profiled by NBC News, Parade Magazine, and she’s a regular presence on local and national morning shows across the country, where she teaches viewers how to break their meat habit without breaking their budget. She was also featured in the popular documentary What the Health. When she’s not cooking up a plant-based storm, she’s spending time with her husband and their rescued dog in Sacramento, CA. About Michelle Michelle Cehn is the founder of the popular food and lifestyle website World of Vegan and a YouTube personality who has reached millions through her creative and relatable videos. She is also co-host of the Plant-Powered People Podcast and co-creator of the 12-Day Dairy Detox, Plant Based on a Budget Meal Plans, and 7 Days documentary. Michelle has been on a lifelong mission to make kind and healthy living enticing, easy, and fun, ever since the age of eight when she first became a vegetarian. Also a passionate photographer and filmmaker, you can find her dishing out mouth-watering food photos and inspiration daily on Instagram, hanging with her pup Chance, and stepping into parenthood with her hubby Dan. Show Notes During the pandemic Michelle now has a new baby Toni now has a new dog. Pitbull handle - @eddiethepittie Toni Okamoto – I’m an author Michelle – I own the website World of Vegan Toni’s Platform Toni’s Instagram: 400,000 followers E-newsletter: 60,000 followers Website Plant-based on a budget: 15,000 users/day Michelle’s Platform Michelle’s Instagram: @vegan: 1.1 million people Also do youtube videos Toni’s audience is more budget friendly Michelle’s audience is more focused on veganism Over time, our audience blends We chose the word The Friendly Vegan to promote the love of food On our book, we look for cheaper ways and more available options for the world What’s the most underrated plant-based protein?: Lentils Lentil Shepard’s pie Tuna Salad made of Chickpeas How does the process work?: We started veganiging our family recipes and went from there How did you find out about Veganism? Toni Okamoto’s story: stopped eating meat at 16, then became full vegan in college and then with 11 years of experience, did animal advocacy. Plant-based on a budget is actually a side project What the Health exposure exploded Toni’s career Michelle Cehn’s story: I worked on world of vegan for a while and when I lost my job, I had a choice and ended up working my butt off and ended up getting much more money than I thought I could get What were your metrics on going forward with your blogging projects?: I always had low expectations in terms of how much I need to survive. I would always review business goals Toni Okamoto’s Story: I was always poor and to the point, I was always surviving. I had Paul Schwartz (friend of ours) help me push myself to make bigger goals. I found a $70k salary was an extremely ambitious goal Patreon What was your first Sponsorship story? Toni Okamoto: I did a sponsored post for a baby stroller and got $200 dollars. I had no kids and was transparent that I was doing this to keep the lights on Michelle Cehn: I went to Natural Products Expo West and saw people paying social media influencers I would give companies my media kit and charged $25 dollars per post. Every time I would communicate for a brand and they kept on saying yes so I double the price As an Influencer, surprisingly the difference in success is price per user. If you charge more, you survive more All big companies have a plant-based company now There’s a lot of information, too much so a lot of our content is focused on recipe development and help lift that sector up Vegan is generally a bad word. A lot of people who approach us love us because we’re friendly What is one piece of advice about becoming a professional blogger?: Just do it. Know that there will be challenges and don’t try to focus on the competition What was the make-or-break point that made you keep going?: For Toni, she got an email that talked about this mother taking care of her family using plant-based on a budget For Michelle, it’s every warm piece of feedback Plant-powered People Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michelle Klieger is an agricultural economist and founder of Strategerm Consulting. Michelle and I have been LinkedIn connections for a while and I like her content, which is always insightful and interesting. Mainly because her field dives deeply on the economics of the farmer. We as food scientists aren’t that familiar with not only how food is grown, but how does it move throughout the world or how does your dollar, affect the farmer? You’re in for an eye-opening discussion about the farmer end of the equation. For example, we’ve probably heard of a lot of produce and animals that have gone to waste. Why can’t we all donate all? Other questions like the crazy ways in how food travels for efficiency sakes. Is shipping millions of pounds of food from another country more efficient and sustainable than local? The answer is, that it’s complicated! You’re going to hear us say a lot about this in this episode. If this episode makes you think and you want to understand another important segment of the food industry, Michelle has her own podcast, The Grower and the Economist and her job is to strategize and educate people about the complex world of Agricultural economics Show Notes LinkedIn I’m an Agricultural Economist, recently focused on trade The trade war has recently been putting a lot of strain on the economy Coronavirus hits a lot of issues including imports exports and labor Is the supply chain good and stable?: It’s switched into a Just In Time model. If you focus on efficiency all day, if a disruption hits, you’re in trouble. Efficiency generally means large facilities with a lot of outputs One meat packing plant can carry 5% of the meat production Potatoes excess due to COVID Animals slaughtered because of COVID Why do we waste excess food?: Either harvest is difficult, labor was short, or the tomatoes were rotting We grow on a scale in most places where we can’t understand. Think 10 million pounds. They can only donate 1 million pounds I think the system has proven more resilient than we think Keep in mind that operating margins are low Restaurants need 80% capacity to break even. 50% of seating capacity is slowing killing people. Surprisingly, the government has kept things afloat What is the specialty industry?: One example is high-value yarn. She got the payment for number of pounds of wool which was $100 dollars. Farmer’s market food is generally specialty. The government only pays commodity rate We’ve done a great job optimizing our food system but less good at considering the environmental impact Are grassroots movements effective? Such as the consumers voting with their dollars?: I do believe that it’s important and it’s one of the questions that isn’t being asked. We aren’t really asking people about how much they would pay for premium food. Asking a farmer to add more stuff I really hard There’s a huge trade-off of diversifying volume and specialty. There’s a huge risk in farming such as natural disasters It’s not a widget I studied animal sciences. I wanted to be a wildlife veterinarian After an incident with a leopard attacking crops, it had me thinking about our crop system I felt like I could deliver more impact by focusing on agriculture than healing animals I took the GRE, went to the University of Maryland, moved to DC. Worked for a nonprofit in conservation and then agricultural consulting One example: What do Americans think of Chilean kiwi? Another: Japan’s export tracking how do you sell Chilean Kiwi’s?: I learned that Kiwis are not that sweet, not that valuable, and more of a salad fruit Adam’s Kiwi’s story: We actually ship kiwis to other countries and receive kiwis to other companies In a carbon output, ships are actually more efficient than trucks Life Cycle Analysis ShamePlane What is one thing in the food industry you’d like to know more about?: Price parity. What are consumers looking for and what are they willing to pay for? We’re at a point where we have enough food and it’s safe Right now, our choice is challenged a little bit such as Cocoa-cola cutting flavors for instance Aluminum can shortage What if Beef disappears? What would happen? Gallstones from cows How are you learning? The Square Meal - Eating in the Great Depression Webinars from Kansas state Women in Ag in Boston Group Future is Faster Than You Think Rabobank Podcast How do we think of food differently?: On the farm side, we think of seasons. Food takes time to grow. Stategerm offers agricultural strategies Michelle@strategerm.com The Grower and the Economist – a farmer strategy podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before we get started, just wanted to let you know that this episode is sponsored by Food Edge, an online virtual summit taking place this week and I’ll be interviewing the founder of this digital summit today, but first, let’s hear a little bit more about this event from Lauren. Use promo code "MFJRVIP" to receive 20% off tickets to the Food Edge digital summit taking place October 21-23rd, where you can choose to attend 1,2 or all 3 days! So one of the PR people I worked with introduced me to Lauren Abda, Founder of Food Edge, Branch Food, and Co-Founder of the Branch Venture Group so I can help her talk about Food Edge on the podcast. Then the pandemic hit, that was delayed, and now they have a brand new online conference filled with great speakers and great resources. So we circled back to talking about it and they offered to talk to Lauren. I always research my guests and I didn’t realize that Lauren was this super connector who knew like, every food company in new England. From my experience, knowing super connectors like Mark Nathan from Austin or Cynthia Maxey from San Francisco is the easiest way to get involved in a group of wonderful people. How did Laura become a super-connector? By starting a meetup 7 years ago and building it bit by bit. Eventually, she was able to create money-generating revenue and had enough runway to connect full time. So we also discuss how the pandemic has affected her specialty. Like everyone, events, conferences and connecting with people has been completely altered as the pandemic continues on but the good news is that there’s been a lot of adaption and a lot of innovation. Lauren talks about how her companies have adapted and how others have as well. Disclaimer, my audio messed up! Maybe you might not notice it because of the editing but I recently bought a new sound mixer and forgot to plug it in to the software, blah blah blah. Rookie mistake! But that goes to show that even if you make rookie mistakes, you keep going. Even after 230 episodes. Show Notes Happy Lights Boston Winter Survival Branch Foods Branch Venture Group We’ve funded about 9 companies with around $2 million dollars Atlantic Sea Farm – Saco, Maine. Seafood harvesting company What States count as New England – Everything North of New York Where do you live?: I live in Boston. I chose to live here because I went here in graduate school. I worked for the WTO and have a degree in food policy Meetup.com What do you tell people who ask what you do?: I work with innovators who change the future of food I have a degree in Food Science from the University of Vermont Tufts University Dan Barber was a graduate Wolfgang Puck’s kids were graduates Cell based research happens in Tufts Dim Sum I started the Branch Foods meetup group at 2013 just to network in the food industry. I made the group to share ideas, and collaborate and it started to take off Laura started a meetup in 2013 and just did events weekly. Eventually, made more events and was able to monetize Coworkering space – Branch Food in partnership with Cambridge Innovation Center How has the Pandemic affected your business: We realized there’s a lot of pain in the food industry because of this so we had to relieve the pain by connecting them to the community. Serving Up Support Food-Sol Babson Branch Food meetup group Greentown Labs Mass Robotics Labs Central What tech is really fascinating in Boston?: Nori – an all-natural protective silk-based layer. Diversification of protein is very interesting I’m excited to learn more about: blockchain and supply chain. Anything that makes things more sustainable What resources helped you create Branch Food?: Omnivore’s Dilemma – it set people on the journey on what’s in our food. Food Inc. The Art of Gathering Mountains Beyond Mountains Tufts program: Nutrition Communication Food and Nutrition Bulletin Tufts How do you recommend scientists branch out?: Science helps people think critically and takes the informationa t hand to make a good decision You have the critical thinking skillset on what you want to do Food science is broadly applicable and is a good foundation for every food company today Branchfood.com Foodedge.co Lauren@foodedge.com facebook, twitter, etc Other ways to get involved Venture Fizz Green Horn Connect A great way to start meeting people Boston Public Market for meeting local vendors (Downtown) Communal Kitchen Stockpot Maulden Kitchen   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk a lot about Sustainability on the podcast. Generally, it’s either through technology, or packaging, or advocacy, but how do you convince someone to care? Manuel Gorrin has done this his whole career, from plants to corporate. In this episode, Manuel talks all about sustainability. From tools used to discuss to the common worker, to new techniques such as Regenerative Organic Certification, which is a new practice and is different than Regenerative Agriculture. Confused? We get into it in a lot of detail. Learn about the journey in how Manuel met Greta Thunberg, and how he collaborated with her to amplify the voices of kids who want to discuss Sustainability. What’s probably the most enlightening thing about Manuel is his kind heart and compassion to animals, life, and the planet. From childhood to his job now, his focus was always making the world a bit better and it’s quite amazing. Show Notes Blaze PR How do you describe yourself?: I am trying to save the world. But you’re a chemical engineer: yes, but we are still involved in the process The fires and the virus are a wake up call and we need to do something about it I focus on Soil: We protect the health of the soil Nature’s Path is the largest organic cereal company. We are family owned. How do you communicate sustainability?: We actually align through a training. Sustainability is our vision which is to leave the Earth better than we found it You need to make it simple and easy to digest so for example, we have 6 rules What do you recommend for young companies to aim for sustainability goals?: Find the passion first and focus on what you are doing Sometimes you have to find your passion through working How did you find your passion?: Surprisingly, networking. Just getting in contact with the stake holders, I got opportunities. Greta Thunberg Youth Movement How to ask for expertise: Ask them “I want to learn more from you” What did you study in college?: When I was a child, I wanted to save animals. I went into chemical engineering to try to innovate in oil. Then I found out how terrible oil is for the planet. Universidad Simon Bolivar I started as a wastewater treatment engineer Then supervised a vinegar plant Earthlings - documentary on youtube What did you do in Kraft Heinz? Build plants. Sustainability is really hard to break in not only in corporate setting but a global setting Why did you switch to marketing?: I felt the need that if we want to move the needle, we need to amplify the message. The company also saw my passion for sustainability and let me have a chance. Are there any trends happening in sustainability?: ROC – Regenerative Organic Certification. If you do a certain procedure, you can make organic products and sustainability Patagonia, Dr. Brenners, and us are part of the pilots for this program Regenerative Agriculture is not the same as ROC The True Cost – Documentary Patagonia says – “don’t buy our stuff” Project Drawdown – an organization What is one piece of advice to start something: You can create your own Green Team in a company and get people excited in sustainability Christine Liu started sustainability in Boeing @manuelgorrin LinkediN: Manuel Gorrin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sensory science isn’t just tasting, it’s so much more. After all, you have five senses. What about the feel of toilet paper? Or the smell of kitty litter, or the sound of paper crackling. Not only that, but the metrics you use and how you train your panelists all matter when it comes to getting valuable data for your product. Though Sensory Spectrum is a service, I ask Ivy Koelliker, on some tools and tips that either you, the budding food entrepreneur or the food technologist on the bench can use to optimize your prototypes. From cat urine to plant-based meat, this episode has it all. How do these relate? You’ll find out. Special thanks to Kristin Bernardi for not only being a fan of My Food Job Rocks but also reaching out to interview one of many extremely talented colleagues. Why did I choose Ivy? Mainly because her blurb had to do with plant-based meat. Yes, the big secret, I interview people to help me do my job better! About Sensory Spectrum Founded in 1986 by Gail Vance Civille, Sensory Spectrum provides Consumer Research, Descriptive Analysis, Training & Education and on/off site Sensory Services Management. Our research and consulting span a wide range of consumer products and ingredients to include foods, non-foods, packaging, and devices. We have onsite objective panels, consumer quantitative & qualitative research, discrimination testing and data analysis, with experienced sensory scientists trained in project management and creativity to provide guidance and data interpretation to our clients for everything from fuzzy front end research to claims support. About Ivy Koelliker Ivy Koelliker joined Sensory Spectrum in 2010. As a Director at Sensory Spectrum, Ivy manages a team of consultants whose expertise spans a wide variety of consumer product categories and sensory research techniques.  Ivy specializes in food descriptive analysis and training food descriptive panels, and has expertise in statistical techniques, including linking consumer and descriptive data.  Ivy has an M.S. degree in Food Science from Rutgers University and completed her B.S. in Biological Sciences there, as well. She also has a Grand Diploma in the Culinary Arts from the French Culinary Institute. Show Notes How do you describe what you do?: I taste food and I tell people about it Sensory Spectrum Malodor – analyzing and mitigating bad smells Trained Panelists – we hire trained panelists Spectrum Method Training How to taste better?: Remove personal bias, be descriptive, and practice, practice practice. When you practice, taste various different products and be aware of the notes What is the flavor that your company wants? What is the flavor your company wants to convey? Buy top competitor products and see what’s similar and different among them All food companies have plant-based meat divisions What have you noticed about plant-based meat: The top tier companies nail appearance, getting close on texture. Flavor: some are getting close but no one is hitting it exactly. Meat flavors tend to be in the meat broth or mushroom flavor notes. It’s great, but misses the mark National Restaurant Association JUST Egg Did you find out about food science before college?: No. I found out about it during my Masters Rutgers University Culinary School taught me the ways of working and being efficient at work After Culinary School, I decided to get my degree in Food Science and then worked in the sensory lab Dr. Beverly Tepper Food trends and technologies: Sustainability Research Chef Association Griffith Foods Sustainability is a trend Non-traditional Savory options Boba Popsicle Sensory Evaluation Techniques with Gail Civille (owner of Sensory Spectrum) ASTM – Documentation for sensory test protocols Delgado Coffee How do you get into Sensory Science?: Though a degree will give you an edge, some of our people don’t have sensory sciences but you can still get internships or be an analyst. Statistics is very important in Sensory Science Because food is personal, we have to really eliminate the bias of our controls Sensory Spectrum – you can send a quick message   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You are listening to episode 236 with Lisa Donovan, Writer, Baker and author of Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger. She’s a James Beard Award recipient for her writing in Food & Wine. Her publisher, Penguin Random House asked me to interview her so that means this podcast, has made it! Anyways, something to note is that we as professionals love to script our lives. Especially early on. By this age, I want to be vice president of this thing, or that thing, you know who you are. But what if you couldn’t? What if you had to fight to just survive? Or what if opportunities come as they show up? Not fall into your lap, but rather finding opportunities and then working relentlessly to get them? That’s Lisa Donovan’s life. A ballet dancer, art reviewer, baker, and now, writer. As I go through my professional journey, if I decided to stay the course, I don’t think I would have been where I am today. I wouldn’t have a  podcast, have started my own company, or have moved to all of these amazing cities. Something to chew on. This interview shows Lisa as an unstoppable and creative force technically, but her new memoir, Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger showcases the struggle of being a single mother and the struggles and successes of being a woman in the restaurant industry. Take note on how we describe the technical process. On the surface, Lisa’s skillset can be considered art, but art has a technical process and something to think about, is how you can put art, in your technical process. Show Notes How do you describe yourself?: It changes quite a bit but I haven’t worked in professional kitchens in a while. Now, at this moment, is writer first. Has your writing been beneficial for your baking?: Each has a technique and a process until it’s “put on the menu”. There’s a nuance for each and you use the same parts of your brain. When you edit, you have to put everything on paper and then cut out the rest. You have to create a central story and some stories might not make it and needs to cover the themes Sometimes the rewarding feeling is having someone personal read your book What got you into baking?: Survival honestly. I had to do it at night when the kids were sleeping. Eventually, I got a job as a server and persisted in baking Rhodesian Ridgeback How did you get into writing?: As reviewers came to try things, I would ask them about what they do and how they did it John T Edge – Founder of the Southern Foodways Alliance Kat Kinsmen How are you surviving lockdown?: I want to try to make things that are just beautiful and I’m thinking a lot about it James Beard Award: Dear Women: Own Your Stories – Lisa Donovan Sean Brock Kitchen Parnassus Books Now Serving in LA Instagram: Lisa Donovan Website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices