The Spoon Podcast

In this conversation, Mike interviews Brent Franson, CEO of Death Clock, a company that uses AI to predict when you're going to die (aka life expectancy) based on health data. Brent and Mike discuss the origins of Death Clock, the importance of preventative health, and the role of consumer responsibility in managing health. Brent shares insights on the demand for longevity solutions, his entrepreneurial journey, and the potential for health tech to democratize access to quality healthcare. The conversation also touches on the challenges and opportunities in the longevity movement, including the impact of big tech companies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Mike sits down with Rachel Konrad, former head of communications at Impossible Foods and now a lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, to talk about the state of alternative protein and where Impossible lost its way. Drawing on her experience as the company's first communications hire, Konrad argues that Impossible’s biggest mistake wasn’t market headwinds but a strategic shift away from its original biotech ambition toward a conventional CPG playbook. Mike and Rachel discuss founder vision, venture capital incentives, and the missed opportunity to license core technology to major food brands. They also discuss what a real turnaround would require if Impossible hopes to reclaim its original mission and relevance in the future of food Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Mike sits down with Alex Shirazi, a food technologist, conference organizer, and longtime observer of the cultivated meat industry, to talk about his latest project, A Scientist’s Cookbook. Shirazi explains why he chose to launch a cookbook via Kickstarter as cultivated meat products inch closer to market. They discuss writing a cookbook for products that aren't yet widely available, the cooling of investment in the sector, hybrid products as a bridge to scale, and the political pushback against alternative proteins. Alex also talks about the origin story and the future of the Cultured Meat Symposium. You can find and support Alex's Kickstarter for The Scientists's Cookbook here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hotdogfyi/a-scientists-cookbook/description Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Wolf sits down with Matt Barnard and Matt Amicucci, PhD, the cofounders behind one.bio and its newly launched consumer brand GoodVice, to discuss why they believe the modern food system is broken and why it starts with fiber. The conversation examines the science of dietary fiber as a biological signal and how decades of food processing have stripped those signals. They talk about why most fiber on the market today either doesn’t work or creates trade-offs consumers won’t tolerate. Barnard and Amicucci explain their new consumer line, GoodVice, which they view as a reference product, why GLP-1 drugs have accelerated awareness of fiber deficiency, and how restoring whole-food signals to everyday products could change the future of metabolic and gut health without requiring discipline, restriction, or sacrifice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At CES 2026, the future of cooking took center stage in a conversation about whether robots will replace chefs or simply become their collaborators. The Spoon Podcast host Michael Wolf moderated a discussion with Tyler Florence, celebrity chef and longtime Food Network host; Nicole Maffeo, founder of Gambit Robotics; and Ali Kashani, CEO of Serve Robotics. They discuss how AI and robotics are entering professional and home kitchens, where automation will take hold, and why creativity, culture, and the human touch remain essential. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Mike is joined by Tim Beissinger (CTO of Heritable) and Charlie Andersen (CEO of Burro) to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping agriculture. The conversation explores everything from AI-driven plant breeding to how autonomous robots are tackling labor shortages, improving yields. Both Tim and Charlie will be at CES in January, so make sure to check the CES Ag Tech conference (produced by The Spoon and MIke!) out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Michael talks with Arturo Elizondo, founder and CEO of The EVERY Company, about the company’s nationwide rollout inside Walmart products, its $55 million Series D fundraise, and the strategic shift toward becoming a “boring but sexy” B2B ingredient supplier powering baked goods behind the scenes. Arturo talks about the early IndieBio days, the decade-long journey from USDA intern to food-tech founder, and why he believes egg-based supply chains are destined for disruption as avian flu risks intensify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Spoon Podcast, registered dietitian and longtime CNN food journalist Carolyn O’Neil joins Mike to traverse the fiberverse and discuss the growing trend of fibermaxxing. Carolyn discusses the science behind different types of fiber, and why Gen Z’s favorite prebiotic sodas are suddenly everywhere. She also breaks down how fiber actually works in the body, why most people get only half the recommended amount, and how social media, CPG innovation, and even CGMs are reshaping consumer nutrition habits. If you haven't subscribed to Carolyn's podcast, you can find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Michael talks with Eliot Horowitz, founder of MongoDB and now CEO of Viam, about why the physical world is lagging behind the AI revolution and how Viam is building the foundational platform robotics has been missing. Eliot shares why robotics needs its “AWS moment,” how better tools can shrink development timelines from years to months, and why practical automation, from kitchen assistants to back-of-house restaurant robots, will arrive long before humanoids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Mike is joined by Anna Hammond, founder of Matriarch Foods, a social-impact food company that turns farm surplus and manufacturing byproducts into shelf-ready ingredients and meals for food banks, disaster relief, and food service. Anna has an interesting career journey, going from museums and art publishing to building a triple-bottom-line food startup tackling food waste at industrial scale. Mike and Anna discuss her career path, the economics of upcycling, and how food waste is quickly becoming a real business opportunity. Enjoy the podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices