My Food Job Rocks!

We showcase the After Animals Podcast, a podcast that focuses on the future of food, and in this case, a world without having to use animals to feed people. This podcast is created by Ulara Nakagawa and Sharanya Krishna Prasad and every month, they share a high-quality interview with a change-maker in the alternative meat/other product space. Though I’ve met both, I have had some personal discussions with Ulara. She was first introduced to me by Alex Shirazi from the Cultured Meat Symposium and I gave her some advice for her podcast while I was in San Francisco. She uses my podcast equipment gear while at a conference to interview Japanese Clean Meat Scientist and founder, Yuki Hanyu, CEO of Integriculture who did this fascinating presentation on how to grow meat in your apartment using various devices such as a mini fan, a warm towel rack, and an egg. I guess that’s cheating a bit, but still, gotta start somewhere. Yuki has a fascinating imagination that he got from anime and manga and being somewhat of a closeted Japanese culture fan, I actually vibed with him quite well. Enjoy this episode. If you like this podcast, check out afteranimals.com for several other interviews including episodes of the people who lead Shiok Meats and Spearo Foods and NovaMeat Show Notes After Animals Podcast Cultured Meat Symposium Intregriculture Yuki Hanyu Funding for Integriculture Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode was recorded when I was still living in the Bay Area! This was planned to be another podcast but things fall through. I always had this episode in the back of my mind one, because Nona Lim is just a really cool person, but also her story showcases the tenacity and perseverance of an entrepreneur. We do this outside in Marin County I would say around August 2019, wow, such a different time where you can go outside, and talk to people with a cough, which Nona Lim has in this interview. I remember it was such a beautiful day by the sea. Nona was around the area after speaking with a mutual friend so I brought my gear, planted it in the middle of the plaza, and recorded. So a disclaimer, this has some background noise. This is a short episode because we’ll be having a Podcast Showcase later in the week. Tuesday or Wednesday. This will be the After Animals podcast hosted by Ulara Nakagawa and Sharyna Krishna Prasad. I let Ulara borrow my equipment during the Cultured Meat Symposium to talk to an eccentric Japanese cell-based meat scientist. This is a short episode, so after about 20ish minutes, after the episode, I’ll give you an update on my life and an update on the future of My Food Job Rocks. Enjoy the episode. Show Notes Robyn Rutledge Why did you name your company Nona Lim?: Easy to pronounce, and gets to the point LaraBar was a last-minute name Lara Bar sells to General Mills I started in Singapore, did consulting in London, and move to the Bay Area I started a meal kit business but it wasn’t the right timing Then a detox online business How does Fencing help you with business?: The hustle and the stress honestly. You’re worried about your competition but you have to shut it all out. Competition makes you go into winning. For Business, you might not want to set high goals. Risks and comfortability: Accept the fact that it may not be successful and all you have to do is to enjoy the journey. You should want to do it, but it might fail. In 2019, there’s a lot of money (some still argue that there still is) raising money, unfortunately, has an expectation How did you start Nona Lim?: After the detox/ meal kit program, I thought of what food I enjoyed? Noodles. Whole Foods was interested so I created rice noodles and bone broth before bone broth got big I since learned to pace the innovation because some people can’t understand it If you have a  bunch of resources, then you can invest in earlier projects but without money, it might be better to catch tailwind Dave Chang Is it hard to get funding?: It’s mainly timing but it’s always hard Serial founders have it easy to get money What is the best way to grow a food company?: Depends on what you want in life. Some people want to grow it quickly, or a lifestyle business, or even serving the next generation Some categories are faster than others What’s next for Nona Lim?: We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of innovation. We tend to be the thought leaders in Asian food, especially in the fresh area Any advice in starting a food business?: Don’t. Just kidding. Think product. Multiply three to four time the funding and timing What would be your first hire?: It should complement your skillset. If you are good at technical, do a first hire in sales Contact me at Nona@nonalim.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  I’m really excited about this episode. Today, we have a jam-packed episode full of startup advice, inspiring challenges, and an accelerator breakdown all in one with founder, Andrew Ive. One of my favorite parts of this interview is the talk about startup ecosystems. Not only on how we think they are formed, but how they can be transferred. Other questions such as investing is also brought up. Why do people invest in companies? And has COVID changed the way we think of investing? Last, I don’t think we’ve talked too much about the structure of accelerators on this podcast. Andrew delivers a breakdown of the flaws of a typical accelerator and what Big Ideas does differently to help accelerate their cohorts to the next level. Though Big Idea Ventures only focuses on alternative meat innovation, don’t let that discourage you! There are plenty of problems in today’s world so the lessons here are transferrable and I hope that within this interview, you can find your big idea and try it out on the world. Show Notes When someone asks what you do for a living, what do you say?: I find and back great entrepreneurs in the food space. I find founders and teams to change the world for the better What’s your job title?: General Managing Partner Why is it called that?: In funds, a general partnership is an entity Are you a VC?: I think of myself as an entrepreneur by bringing people together. A VC to me, is a numbers guy What did you study at college?: I studied geography at Kings College with a mix of politics I came up with this game in college called the Brain Game. It was the opposite of Trivial Pursuits My first job was in Proctor and Gamble and I learned a ton about marketing and product development It’s easy to be sucked into corporate life when you first start. If I haven’t have reset and gotten my MBA, I wouldn’t have pursued entrepreneurship When you moved to the US, what did you feel was the entrepreneurial magic in the US?: After 8 years, we went back to London. After 6 months, we missed “home” or the US. What we noticed in the English system was that English financial systems like to make older systems more productive. America has a more developed ecosystem of investors. As a founder you know who to talk to at the beginning stages. Generally, Investor ecosystems are made to pay it forward through the entrepreneur always assumes that the point of investing is to make money Some people are focused on other big factors than just money What made you get into food?: I was the Managing Director for Food X, which was a food Accelerator spinoff As I started to invest in companies, I found our about plant-based and cell-based meat Our first fund focuses on Plant-based, Cell-based meat, seafood and dairy We ended up getting around 800 applicants and chose 12-13 companies. The 2nd cohort, we have 25 plant-based and cell-based companies What do you look for when you choose companies?: Whenever I would go to conferences, I would step up and ask for big ideas. We are looking for big ideas that is moving the industry forward. Has the chance to be successful globally Product, Business ideas that have the potential to have a  global impact. They have to be popular everywhere Though Cell-based isn’t available en mass right now, it’s a technique available in 5 years where it can grow Has COVID affected the way you invest?: We will continue to invest. However, a lot of investors are re-evaluating their potential or current investments. Technically, it doesn’t matter about funding and validation. All that really matters is your product is solving a big problem, you’ll get traction. Accelerators: There’s a new accelerator almost every day Shawn Roderick: Tech Crunch guy taught me how to develop an Accelerator What you really need to do in an accelerator is be much more focused on your current problem. You have to rapidly find a problem, and get it done but it has to be incremental by making progress and covering gaps Y-Combinator Tech Crunch SOSV People who are creating Accelerators and you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re potentially killing them Crunch Base has a report that shows the most valuable Accelerators The Accelerator community generally know each other For food ProVeg is a good one SOSV is a good one Most Accelerators are 12 week programs but the first 4 weeks you spend looking for problems, the next 4 weeks, you are fixing them, last 4, demo day. We are doing a 5 month model instead of a 3 month model Christian Cadeo from Singapore Tom Mastrobuoni We have over 100 mentors and a list of Investors Mentor Page (some guests have been on My Food Job Rocks) I truly believe we can solve the world’s greatest problems as long as we back them Bigideaventures.com Page on LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have returning guest Dr. Maya Warren, who is now a co-founder of Ice Cream for Change, a soon-to-be non profit that’s a platform of ice cream lovers and makers advocating for social change and civic action. Maya joins me as we talk about life as a food scientist in quarantine, such as how traveling has given us the opportunity to try new things, but also the different ways we optimize our homes into our R+D kitchen. A great takeaway from this episode is that you get a delicious recipe for No-Churn Ice Cream. Maya has been perfecting and sharing this recipe on her Instagram and it has exploded in popularity. I also personally ask Maya what we do as individuals to make the world a better place? Especially at a time where all of this socialite unrest is happening. Her perspective here is profound and important. If you want to hear about Maya’s fascinating life and her job at Coldstone Ice Cream, check out episode 181 for an inspiring interview with this ice cream rockstar. Enjoy the episode. About Ice Cream for Change Ice Cream for Change is a platform created by Dr. Maya Warren, also known as “The Ice Cream Doctor” and the face of ice cream, as well as Mona B. Lipson, AKA Miss Mona Makes Ice Cream, to bring together ice cream lovers and makers advocating for social change and civic action. From dismantling racial injustice to fighting climate change, their goal is to use the power of ice cream (it really does have a special way of bringing people together) as a force for good by helping to raise money and awareness for organizations that are driving solutions and making real-world impact across the globe. Learn more by visiting www.icecreamforchange.org About Dr. Maya Warren Dr. Maya (The Ice Cream Doctor) a native of St. Louis, MO, is an ice cream scientist, motivational speaker, and world traveler. She has a PhD (UW-Madison) in Food Science, specializing in the microstructure, sensorial, and behavioral properties of frozen aerated desserts. She is also part of the winning duo (#SweetScientists) from the 25th season of the Emmy Award winning reality show, The Amazing Race (alongside her friend and former lab mate, Dr. Amy DeJong). Currently, Dr. Maya uses her knowledge and skills to travel the world teaching, researching, and exploring frozen aerated desserts. She is also the creator and host of Ice Cream Sundays with Dr. Maya (Instagram Live - @maya.warren) where she brings people of all ages together and teaches how to make No-Churn Ice Cream right at home. Show Notes How did you survive the lockdown?: I’m in Los Angeles California right now. Usually, I have to fly 150-200 flights a year and it came to a screeching halt During quarantine, I saw that people were making bread but I wanted to make ice cream Very few people actually don’t have ice cream makers so I decided to make a  non churn ice cream and share it on Instagram Ice Cream Sundays with Dr. Maya Ice Cream for Change Mona Lipson My word for 2020 is: pivot How has not traveling affected your life?: I dread cooking for myself. I also have to create ice cream every day so the dishes pile up How do you separate your lab life to your kitchen life?: I separate my stuff in the kitchen from lab mode. For offices, try to vary it up and like to swith where I do my work. Adam’s the opposite: Everything Is together in one place, and I only like to work in one place Tik Tok content: Why not post on Tik Tok? I’m still getting my feet wet on Instagram so I don’t want to stretch myself too thin. Personal branding is a full-time job Ice Cream for Change – organization of ice cream makers Inspired by Bakers Against Racism Bakers Against Racism BLM Ice Cream always makes people happy How can we use the power of ice cream to combat systemic racism? How does Ice Cream for Change work?: Whoever wants to, can participate and part of the profits go to a nonprofit that focuses on systemic inequalities Memorial Funds from Victims NAACP Power Play NYC Black Girls Code Black Girls Rock What can enthusiasts do to get involved in ice cream for change?: Reach out to us! Salt and Straw Slack- The ice cream collective (ask to join) How to make No-churn ice cream: Heavy Whipping Cream Fold sweetened condensed milk Fold in evaporated milk add flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, key lime pie Recipe here: https://www.mayawarren.com/new-page What’s the weirdest ice cream request you’ve gotten? Not really weird, but key lime pie is next. People want coffee too Dragonfruit powder - Pitaya Powder How can we as individuals and companies do better in solving today’s problems?: Walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Take time to step back and think and then do change. In 2020, change is starting to happen. Cops is off the air after 30 something years Where can we find you?: Find me at MayaWarren.com or @maya.warren. icecreamforchange.org or @icecreamforchange   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ashish Jogi connected with me through Siddharth Bhide. You might remember him when we interviewed him at JUST but now he’s at the Good Food Institute in India, an organization that we also have interviews with. The plant-based scene in India is growing and Ashish is one of the people helping companies over there launch products. We talk a variety of topics ranging from Intellectual Property, product development, food trends, and of course, current issues such as the pandemic. How do they look at things differently than we do at the United States? Though we are the forefront of alternative meat here, do Indians, whoa r emostly vegetarian strive for the same protein experience we do? I really liked the answer in this interview. Disclaimer, I did this interview really early so if I sound like a mess, I was tired! We do this call with me in Texas and Ashish in Mumbai. Enjoy! Show Notes I used to be an IP lawyer and used to work for Novartus. A pharma giant company How did you start the company?: My wife actually started it. She’s a food scientist How hard is it to get IP: Really hard How did you get your first client?: Abuli, my wife, worked with DOW Chemicals and worked with a cchef who wanted to make his own product There are over 100 startups in India Good Dot Big Idea Ventures Plant-based Egg India What plant-based products are Indian replicating?: We’re a bit different than other countries I thought beyond meat tasted like actual meat but I didn’t like it because I don’t taste like meat Plant-based dairy is trending because of lactose intolerance and environmental concerns Siddharth Bhide – Used to work in JUST Egg, now at Good Food Institute What plant-based proteins are interesting in India?: Oat milk, chickpea protein, but now people are blending their own Why Does Your Food Job Rock?: I meet with people who are full of enthusiasm and ideas Cell-based meat in India: Plant-based is more easy to convince in india than cell-based. It would be a mixed result How is GFI helping the ecosystem?: They are building networking opportunities and resources. Such as processing and materials Biggest Challenge in the Food Industry Right now: Manpower in the industry post-COVID. No one wants to be in Mumbai because of the pandemic In terms of the supply chain, certain things are open, and certain things are not. This will be a problem in terms of supply. All industries are important but how do we live with it? Do you think technology will spread to cities?: It’s difficult because there’s no technology infrastructure outside the cities Do you have any advice for someone to go into the food industry?: Make sure you love food, curious about food, how it’s made Website: fudtekey.com   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stacie Waters is the CEO and owner of Bilinski’s Sausage company. A Multi-generational sausage company that thinks about sausage a bit differently. Instead of the standard beef or pork sausages, Bilinski’s focuses on chicken and plant-based sausages. This wasn’t always the case, and there is a bit of an unorthodox legacy in how Bilinski innovates. There is always a struggle when it comes to keeping or breaking legacies and there are a ton of examples in this episode of keeping legacies and breaking them and it’s very fascinating all of the strategies Stacie used to build Bilinski’s This includes considering a name change to a family company, or growing the chicken sausage as their most valuable product, or how to properly try and introduce a plant-based line. One of the most powerful messages in this interview is changing the legacy of leadership. When Stacie joined Bilinski’s, all of the old management didn’t like her and left and Stacie had to work hard to not only right the ship, but to accelerate it. Not only did Stacie change the philosophy of Balinski’s, but grew it into a national, agile brand. That and a rant about wheat-gluten in this episode. Enjoy! About Stacie Waters Stacie is CEO and owner of Bilinski Sausage Co, a third-generation family business, headquartered in Cohoes, New York. Under her direction, Bilinski’s transformed from a regional old-world sausage company to a one of the country’s most innovative and respected organic meat processors, committed to making sausages from responsibly-raised organic chicken and simple, every-day ingredients. Stacie grew up in the meat business but began her career in the technology industry after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University.  Later, she earned a Masters degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and served as an advisor to the US government on national security policy issues. In 2004, she returned to New York’s Capital Region to reinvent and grow the family business. Stacie lives in Clifton Park, NY with her husband and two sons and enjoys hiking, training for triathlons, and inventing new flavors of sausages in her home kitchen.  Show Notes What do you say to people when you introduce yourself?: I own a sausage factory. A natural and organic sausage manufacturing plant Why do you focus on chicken?: It’s better for you from a health perspective and more sustainable than pork and beef. Chicken also mixes flavors very well I’m actually not related to Joseph Bilinski, the original founder but my family was involved in the food industry as a food distributor. My parents bought Bilinski’s Why did your parents decide to keep the name?: Bilinski’s is well known regionally and we wanted to keep that legacy. Certified Organic: The customer who was interested in organic was interested in healthier, newer flavors. Why did you create a plant-based sausage line?: It’s a reflection on how our customer eats. We use real food in a convenient form. Wheat is the oldest form of plant-based meat and it’s a lot less processed than pea protein Seitan Wheat is generally a lot less processed than all other protein isolates High Peaks Plant-based meat doesn’t have to taste like meat, it can taste like something new. Plant-based meat can fill all sorts of different niches For Bilinski’s, we choose a customer who wants minimally processed Because you do both meat and vegetarian, how have sales been during the pandemic?: Unfortunately, it’s really hard to tell. Our meat products are still at the forefront because they’re easy ti buy and stock up We know our products solve a sustainability problem both chicken and plant-based We’re scaling back on new flavors and focusing on our core sellers Why go with High Peaks instead of the Bilinski’s brand?: Two reasons. To not confuse our core base but also because it’s fun to come up with a fresh start. My Food Job Rocks: I love the feedback my customers give me when they try our products I had won an award in highschool on an essay about how I wanted to take over the family business Where did you work before?: I was a policy analyst working on weapons of mass destruction My father one day said he might sell the business and I decided to take over the family business at that time What is one thing in the food industry you’d like to know more about?: Fermentation. The food science involved is really interesting What flavor products are you thinking out?: Because our R+D team is stuck at home, we are actually thinking a lot more and we’re focusing on chicken-bake type foods like chicken pot pie or lemon pepper. Curry is hard because everyone has an opinion about meat Any advice for anyone going into the food industry?: You really have to like it. It’s a 24/7 job Where can we find you?: info@bilinski.com. It actually comes to me, Stacie. highpeaks.life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marie Wright, President of Creation, Design & Development and Chief Global Flavorist at ADM Nutrition, discusses collaborating as food scientists to develop flavors effectively, the importance of reputation in the industry, and the impact of the pandemic on food trends. They also explore cultural differences in flavors, Peruvian food, and the future of the food industry.

Prime Roots is an innovative alternative meat company in the Bay Area that just launched a bacon made out of Koji, the same stuff that ferments soybeans into soy sauce Being in the alternative meat circle in the Bay Area, I’ve been pretty much in touch with the Prime Roots team since the beginning. They are a really fun, quirky group of young scientists and entrepreneurs so I get along with them well and that’s why it was a delight to finally interview John Frelka, their food scientist on the show. John is very active in the Food Science community. His involvement in IFT in college focused mainly on food science communication including telling Food babe to stop spreading misinformation and setting up the popular page, Don’t Eat the PseudoScience. He also founded a group called Citation Needed in Ohio State and when I went there to do a seminar about podcasting, people always mentioned if I knew John which shows the impact that he has there. John and I dive into a lot of subtle tricks and tips on how to explore the unknown with the tools you have. Since both of us are in young startups with a lot of IP and never enough resources, this comes up regularly so we discuss some helpful tips to help you solve hard problems. If you’re a student, you’ll also hear first hand how both John and I were involved in IFT and how Product Development Competitions and how that specific skillset allows us to excel in the startup environment You can find Prime Roots products in select Bay Area stores. Email prime roots for more information. We have their email on the show notes but you can also just google them. Show Notes The Ohio State Citation Needed – Group about communicating food science Open Letter to the Food Babe at the IFT blog Don’t Eat the Pseudoscience IFT Communicator’s workshop Vani Hari’s new company trouble with heavy metals What do you tell people in a sentence or less?: I’m a  food scientist at a new startup that uses fungal sorce Prime Roots launches valentines bacon Vegan friendly ready to eat meals We use Koji in our products. We harvest the cells How did you study this?: It can be difficult because there’s so little information and it’s so new I learned on the fly. I first went to the literature, and second is talking to people in the space or expertise in the industry Do you have a specific process when mimicking meat?: You have to think of the point B and you have to think of everything. Take it piece by piece. One day the color, one day the flavor, etc A lot of the tests are a bit of trial and error. Sometimes you need to find out what needs to be achieved. Look up the properties. Sometimes it’s all about communicating to the right people How did you find out about food science?: My mom has been in the food industry my whole life I went to UC Davis for undergrad In food science, you’re learning about all of the sciences What made you want to pursue your PhD?: Big food companies only wanted PhDs. I got my Masters first and then went to Ohio State to get my PhD Dr. Linda Harris Dr. Dennis Heldman Why move back to the bay area?: The Bay Area is really nice. Also my family is here I believe working at startups gives you a faster experience curve than a bigger company UC Davis Brewing Club actually posted the job for Prime Roots My Food Job Rocks: It’s exciting to be in a startup that can solve sustainability issues Food Trends and Technology: There are so many really amazing food scientists working on alternative meat products Feeding Tomorrow 2050 The biggest challenge the food industry has to face: How do we make food in more efficient ways? As consumers, reducing meat even somewhat 1-2 meals a week can make a huge impact. As manufacturers, reducing waste is important. For example, upcycling foods Regrained Renewal Mill IFT Next Award The Tofu Manufacturer that works with Renewal Mill One thing in the food idsutry you’d like to know more about?: More about the equipment How do you learn more about machinery?: I actually learn a lot about machinery from trade shows. If you describe a goal or process, it might help you meet that Recommended Trade Shows?: IFT Expo, IFT Section Supplier Nights What are some resources that you use in your job?: Actually google searching. Trade Organization Websites for example are really useful Good Food Institute Association for Morticians What advice would you give someone who wants to go into the food industry?: If you’re interested in anything food-related, just apply to those jobs. You can be a marketer or scientist. To get knowledge, invest into IFT webinars UC Davis Food Tech Club What events did you do for IFT?: Product Development Competitions. As a student, when you’re in  school, you don’t have the option and this is the most useful one Most organizations do product development competitions and each has a different twist What did you learn when creating Citation Needed?: Even if you have the evidence, how do you convince people about science? It’s about the stories. You can’t convince someone if you say they’re stupid. People are unfortunately distrustful of established people versus students. Which is a problem twitter: @madfoodscience  LinkedIn: John Frelka Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Minh Tsai started Hodo Foods with a simple farmer’s market stand after finishing up a wealthy career in investment banking and I asked him, why? His answer surprised me, but within context, it makes sense. Minh is someone who’s addicted to learning and solving problems and the intricacies and growth of the business has kept him in the tofu business for a little less than 16 years. Not only can you buy Hodo tofu in places in Whole Foods, Safeway and Target, but they also supply to Chipotle! We go through a variety of topics in this episode ranging from how Hodo’s factory is dealing with the pandemic, Asian humility, Minh’s incredible journey at Hodo as well as its challenges and innovations which pair in hand with some interesting tofu science facts. We also get into a very passionate discussion on blending plant-based meat and animal-based meat, and if you follow this podcast often, know about my experiences with that, and also talk about partnerships. Namely how Minh helped get a well-known upcycling company called Renewal Mill off the ground, where they were able to commercialize Hodo’s soy waste stream into great products. About Minh and Hodo Minh Tsai, Founder and CEO, Hodo Today, Hodo is one of the most original and sought after plant-based brands in the US. But Vietnamese refugee Minh Tsai never expected he’d be running such a company. Minh simply decided to make the delicious, organic artisan foods he grew up eating in Vietnam, but found elusive in the US. He started with one farmer’s market stand in the San Francisco Bay Area 15 years ago. Through innovating his own take on wholesome, traditional methods, Hodo products quickly became must-have ingredients for renowned chefs. Now, Hodo is found in ingredient-driven restaurants from Chipotle to Benu and Daniel, and in thousands of retail stores nationwide including Whole Foods Markets and Target. About Hodo Hodo handcrafts delicious, wholesome, organic plant-based foods for people who love to eat well. We use artisanal methods only, and we source every ingredient thoughtfully. Proudly made in Oakland, California. Beginning with one farmer’s market stand and growing to thousands of retail stores and restaurants nationwide, Hodo’s innovative yet traditionally-made products quickly became a favorite of renowned Chefs and home cooks alike. Hodo is served by ingredient-driven restaurants from Benu and Daniel to Chipotle, and retail stores from Whole Foods Markets to Target. Show Notes We’ve always had good food safety programs, COVID just amplified Meat factories getting Coronavirus Unfortunately, COVID and worker safety is all about controlling the probability. We have to find ways to increase the probability Has the pandemic slowed or accelerated sales?: We have a diverse sales demographics. Food services plummeted but retail and online grew really fast What do you tell people in a sentence or less?: I’m in the food business. But if they’re curious, they will dig deeper. If I say I make tofu or plant-based food, they just like up light up How often do you tell people that you’re the CEO of Hodo Foods?: Almost never Asian Humility Why don’t you like talking about yourself?: I like talking to the person, not the status. I don’t think it’s that interesting until context is made such as someone who’s working for a food company It monopolizes the conversation unfortunately Ideally, without context, you might not get a prolific conversation Describe the steps to get to where you are today: I always wanted to nourish people and wanted to work at the UN. I ended up going to Investment Banking because I couldn’t get a job because I was so new. I ended up moving through the ranks in investment banking What was the time where you decided to jump into tofu? I’d call myself an auto-didact, someone who keeps on learning I would end up being in M/A, then equity capital markets, and then I quit because I didn’t get the people I was working with. My manager asked me to work over Christmas and I said “no” to him. I didn’t understand why he had to work over Christmas and New Year while they were making millions and millions of dollars Did a little bit with a small consulting company working with dot.coms building buisnesses Then Charles’ Schaub On Money: Though we all care about Money, I’m in the United States, I can learn everything and I can reinvent myself any time. And that’s why I started a tofu business I started a tofu company when artisan was taking over. IE: Blue Bottle and CowGirl Creamery You first start by making food and once your friends tell you it’s good and would buy it, you might have something What made you feel confident about differentiated yourself: From the time we started Hobo, no one is able to make what we make It’s mainly because our process was really hard and our brand was really new Why did you decide to do hard tofu patties?: People liked it and you have to pasteurize it Mapo Tofu My Food Job Rocks: Some days are really hard but things are always different and I’m always learning Renewal Mill (see episode 4): I met Clare when I was speaking at Harvard Business School. I mentioned that we have a waste product that we produce and Clare reached out to pursue that idea. That now became Hodo Foods Regrained uses a distributed scale Renewal Mill will use their technology to do other byproducts How much Okara is produced?: It’s a 1:1 ratio of tofu to Okara. One pound of Soy beans should give you 1 lb of Okara Why help out Renewal Mill?: Why not? It’s a business. It also helps our image I wish we could talk about more things at Hodo Foods but we don’t have Paul Shapiro – Business For Good We generally treat all of our customers as partnerships. If they ask for something, we will try to innovate and help out What advice would you give people who are feeling down in today’s economy?: Forget the current climate. To start a food buisness, the barriers remain the same. You have to go through brokers and distributors. Try and sell in different channels. Perishability is a huge deal. You don’t need a national brand to be successful. There are plenty of small, local brands who are doing amazing. Reach requires more money and more cost In thisi climate, online is more critical than ever before. The shipping can kill us though Bread SRSLY Instacart, Imperfect, Sunbasket, Purple Carrot, etc Frozen is actually more stable than Refriderator Where can we find you for advice?: minh@hodofoods.com. You can bug me, but I don’t have a lot of patience dealing with common questions. I advise a few companies as well Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I first interviewed Weber Stibolt in episode 92, when he was a Quality Assurance Specialist at Eight O Clock Coffee. A couple of years later, he’s now at one of the most talked-about food startups at the moment: Beyond Meat. The last interview we’ve had from Beyond Meat was episode 24 with one of their food engineers so it’s good to get an update on what’s happening there. So I ask Weber about his transition over there. From applying to the job, moving to the new town, and progressing through the ranks. We talk a lot about one of our favorite programs in IFT, the Emerging Leader’s Network as we were both participants in it. Weber went a little bit farther and became a peer mentor. Probably the best part of this interview was that Weber made his role by presenting a need and making a case. This is a great example that if you’re in the right company, and if you can identify a potential opportunity, you can actually carve out your own unique path. Show Notes A year ago, I was working in coffee and I got an opportunity to work at Beyond Meat Central Missouri Emerging Leader’s Network – Weber and I were in it and Weber became a peer mentor for it Emotional Intelligence How do you learn Emotional Intelligence?: The firs step is to recognize it and use it as a tool to help you move forward Did you seek this job or did you find it interesting: More the former. Coffee is a bit boring because it lacks a challenge. I wanted a better problem solving canvas. There wasn’t enough growth in my abilities. Beyond Meat IPO Was there a change when Beyond Meat went IPO?: Not really. The mission was the same. What is the difference between measuring the quality of Beyond Meat versus the quality of coffee?: Surprisingly, sensory is still a huge part of my day What notes do you look for?: On a flavor perspective, it’s fairly neutral. Nothing on the realm on pungent. Moisture and texture are important too. Oil is also important Small changes can have a fairly big impact. Adding an extra lb of flavoring for example, will affect a lot. What about raw material?: We actually are very happy with our pea protein lots. However, two different manufacturers can be totally different PURIS – suppliers in Beyond Meat Quality Systems Manager: Making paperwork digital Kelly Wilson – VP of quality Gallup Personality Test SQF Conference guy about risk IF I leave a beyond meat in the fridge, would it rot as regular meat?: Technically it’s less risky Why Does Your Food Job Rock?: I’m doing so many cool things in Beyond Meat Trends and technology: We spend a significant amount of money on R+D Plant-based fried chicken in KFC is super convincing It’s made of wheat and soy What is one thing in the industry that you’re interested about?: Cell-cultured meat Clean Meat by Paul Shapiro My podcast case is politics and a few comedy podcasts like Mark Marron’s pocast Any advice on switching roles?: Change Management is extremely important. Every single job has a  change management component Where can find we find you?: LinkedIn’s the best   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices