Investing in a Post-Animal Economy: Elysabeth Alfano and VegTech ETF

Paul Shapiro: [00:00:00] Welcome to the business for good podcast to show where we spotlight companies, making money by making the world a better place. I'm your host Paul Shapiro. And if you share a passion for using commerce to solve many of the world's most pressing problems than this is the show for you. Hello and welcome to the business for good podcast.

Episode number 84. Before we get onto this episode, I just wanna share one piece of listener. Adam from British Columbia sent in a very nice message writing. Hey Paul, hope you're doing well. Just wanted to say that I recently discovered business for good podcast and I am loving it. It is highly informative and super inspirational makes me want to start my own business to help improve the world.

Well, Adam, I hope you will do just that. And I'm looking forward to hopefully, maybe one day talking with you about it on this show. That would be awesome. So thanks so much for listening and for the kind words, and by the way, there's four seasons of business for good podcast. So don't just listen to the new episodes.

You can go back and listen to the older ones. A lot of them are evergreen and really interesting and inspirational too. [00:01:00] Oh, and by the way, Adam, you should totally leave an apple podcast review as should everyone else listening to this as well. Now onto episode 80. One of the most common questions that I get from listeners is how can I invest in the companies that you feature on the show?

Well, most of them are startups that are on the hunt for VC dollars. And that means that the average retail investor just isn't typically gonna be able to invest in these early stage private companies. But what if there were a way to invest money in an index fund that only included companies working to replace the exploitation of animals in our economy?

It turns out that there is now such a fund and it was co-founded by Elizabeth AFAO, perhaps she is most well known as the host of the plant-based business hour. But Elizabeth has now started the veg tech plant-based innovation and climate ETF, which is traded on the New York stock exchange under the ticker EA TV.

Think of it kind of like the S and P 500, but instead it's more like the plant-based. That's because this ETF or exchange traded fund [00:02:00] is a collection of 40 publicly traded companies up and down the animal free supply chain. This isn't companies that only are just not harming animals, rather it's companies that are actively involved in actually replacing animal use in the economy.

That includes well known players like beyond meat and only, but also the ingredients companies that supply them and more, the basic bet is that over time, the inefficiency of animal use will drag down the companies that are dependent on it. While animal free companies are going to thrive. The ETF was launched right around the beginning of 2022.

And anyone, regardless of how much you have to invest can take that bet on animal free technologies and invest in it, whether conventionally through fidelity or Charles Schwab, but also through Robin hood and E-Trade and more so basically instead of betting on one or two companies in the space and ETF is a way to diversify your.

As the performance will just be the sum performance of all of the companies in that ETF. And in case you were wondering, yes, the ETF does have Tesla in it, not just for its climate impact, but also since the [00:03:00] electric car maker has now gone, leather free too. Elizabeth is someone who has devoted much of her life to trying to help animals, which of course I greatly admire.

And I'm rooting for the success of her new venture here too. So that both animals and the people who want to invest in a better future for them will both be better off. Elizabeth welcome to the business for good podcast.

Elysabeth Alfano: So happy to be here. Thanks for having me. It

Paul Shapiro: is my pleasure. As you know, I am a regular listener of your podcast and I'm honored that I've been a guest on your podcast twice.

I presume I'm not the only person to repeat, but I do. I have an aspiration to repeat. And so I don't know if I'm gonna be like the Tom Brady of the plant-based business hour here, but I don't know. I presume I'm not the only person to repeat is that.

Elysabeth Alfano: You're not the only person to repeat, but you are just one of two and you shall be the only person to repeat, which I think we might do in March together.

So I'm looking forward to it.

Paul Shapiro: Ah, what an honor. I'm so glad I was only speaking half and jest. Well, you just reminded me that. Yes, I, I do remember that now. So. I cannot wait. I [00:04:00] will be the Brady of the Pape business hour. So I'm so glad. Okay. But we are not here to talk about your podcast, which is an interesting show unto itself.

And I do encourage people to listen to it. It's a great way to hear from people who are helping to lead an advanced the plant-based business world. So if you don't subscribe to it, I do recommend it. But you have a new endeavor, a new business of your own. And I'm really looking forward to talking about it.

So let's just get right down to this Elizabeth, because for a lot of people, the financial world is a murky world. They don't comprehend it. You have started a new ETF. So for those who aren't in the know what is an ETF.

Elysabeth Alfano: Yes. Okay. So an ETF is an exchange traded fund it's available on the public stock market.

So we're talking about public opportunities here, not venture capital, not private equity and an ETF is going to be a basket of companies that. Encapsulate a specific theme. So if you're interested in investing in a specific theme like we [00:05:00] are, of course, we're investing in veg tech. In fact, we are defining and leading a completely new investment sector, veg tech being companies that are innovating with plants and plant derived ingredients to create animal free products for sustainable consumption.

We believe this is part of a global secular. Probably all the folks listening to your great podcast here, understand that as well. See that plant-based innovation. And we'll talk about how plant-based innovation is also fermented proteins and cultivated meat, not just plant-based foods. Is really the way of the future.

More and more consumers are demanding this, but also more and more industry folks, you know, as, as you at the better food companies start to work with Hormel and, and other companies like this industry, folks are also seeing the writing on the wall for better business equations. They want to use their resources in a better manner.

And they're looking at plant based innovation to do that. So we believe from all sides of the aisle, that consumer, as well as established food industry is pushing towards plant-based innovation. So we are excited to be the [00:06:00] only ETF focusing on plant-based innovation. And that is the innovation that actually replaces animals.

From the food and material supply system for a much more efficient food future.

Paul Shapiro: Very nice. So there's so much to unpack there, Elizabeth, and I wanna get into a lot of that, but just to be sure that people know what we're talking about here. So you can go, most people have heard of the S and P 500. You can go invest in the S and P 500.

These are these 500 companies that they think are basically representative of public traded companies out there. And, you know, you can just invest in the. That's one way to basically buy stock in a fund like that. What you're doing though is not the S and P 500. It's more like the plant-based 40, because you have 40 stocks that are in this ETF that you have created.

And we can talk about what those are. So basically, if you invest in the veg tech ETF, you're essentially investing in a fund that is pegged to the performance of these 40 companies that you Elizabeth and your colleagues have determin. Are the ones that you think [00:07:00] are the not only from a mission impact perspective, we're gonna do good for animals in the planet and so on, but also are going to provide good returns.

Is that an accurate assessment of what is happening here? That

Elysabeth Alfano: is a hundred percent an accurate description of what's going on here. And I'll just add a little bit more to say, so. We are listed on the New York stock exchange. Huge honor there, but you can go wherever you normally go to buy your stocks.

And as you say, you know, some people might invest in S and P 500. That of course makes a lot of sense. So some people might choose to invest in veg tech and you can do that through Schwab or fidelity or Robin hood or whatever is easiest for you. And I love that you say that it is the plant based 40.

I'll probably use that. That's so nice. And, and snappy. So, you know, you have diversification over 40 companies, even though all of these 40 companies are working towards the same mission and goal. And a lot of people have said to me, well now hold on. I've heard of Oley and I know of beyond meat, but like where are the other 38 companies coming from?

And one of the things that my [00:08:00] partner, Dr. Sasha Goodman and I wanted to do together is we wanted to invest through our et. Up and down the plant-based supply chain. So of course it's CPG the stuff that you buy in the grocery store, but it's also the ingredient companies behind them. It's also the technology companies that are working on research and innovations in fermented proteins and cultivated meat.

It's also all the ag tech companies that are. Doing greenhouses and using less animal manure and, you know, focusing on really plants and the distribution of plants to people. And it's also materials, you know, we say plant based and we're always thinking of food, but it's also makeup companies and material companies because.

We need to get animals out of both the food and material supply chain for a better impact on our environment. We can talk about that too, if you'd like I

Paul Shapiro: do we wanna talk about that as a perfect segue, Elizabeth. So tell me why should I or any listener here, invest in this. As opposed to anything else. So if I let's say I'm really concerned about my ROI.

Of course, I care about animals, but [00:09:00] this is my money after all. I wanna make sure I'm gonna get the most money for my investment. So why is it better to invest in the plant-based 40? We're now we're gonna use that term again, rather than the S and P 500 or any other thing that I could invest in. I could just go put in on Amazon or Tesla, which of course are popular stocks right now, but why am I gonna do better?

In the veg tech ETF. What's the argument for investing in this fund?

Elysabeth Alfano: Okay. Well, I'm certainly not going to tell anybody else what to do with their money. So this is a perfect segue for me to read all the disclosures that FINRA would like me to read. So, you know, investing of course involves risk everybody.

The funds investment objectives, risk. Charges and expenses must be considered carefully before investing the prospectus and summary prospectus contain this and other important information about the investment company that's us. And it may be obtained by visiting E a TV dot veg tech invest. Dot com read it carefully before investing you'll find the prospectus.

You'll find our top 10 [00:10:00] companies. Then you can click on a link and you'll find the plant based 40. You'll have all the information you need to make a decision for yourself. And of course investing is a personal decision. I want everyone to make their own personal decision. That said to answer

Paul Shapiro: by . Yes. And before you do answer, I just wanna say for, and appreciate that disclaimer, for those who aren't familiar with, FINRA's the financial industry regulatory authority.

It's basically a self-regulatory organization that regulates brokerage firms and exchange markets, like what we're talking about here. So that's what Elizabeth is talking about. But so now with that, disclaimer, Elizabeth, why, why should I invest in, in veg tech? What, what's the argument that I'm gonna get a better return?

Not just that I'm gonna do good in.

Elysabeth Alfano: Yes. So let me tell you exactly. First of all, I'll say, continue to invest in the S and P 500 or whatever you do. So no one is saying, take out all your money and put it here. What we are saying, however, is some of your money. So I was recently asked by the New York stock exchange itself in a podcast called what's the fund they asked, well, you know, what should people invest in?

And I [00:11:00] say, look, if you are. Living on planet earth and care about your air, your water, your land, and air, water, and land for the generations to come, that you love, particularly your family. Then you're gonna wanna invest in a satellite way as part of your portfolio. What I mean by that is, you know, if you don't care about animals or secular trends, you just wanna live on the planet.

So that's everybody, you're probably looking at 3% of your portfolio. You would divert to this because you believe that you are looking for innovations that make a healthier. Now, if you are a legacy investor, someone that has children, someone that gets the memo, their kids are already plant based. Maybe they're even dabbling in plant based.

They see the writing on the wall. There's a secular trend here. They wanna take advantage of that secular trend, a secular trend, meaning we're all moving towards

Paul Shapiro: this. Help me understand secular there. I presume you don't mean the opposite of religious. So how are you using secular there? It

Elysabeth Alfano: impacts. It's not young or old or Democrat or Republican.

It [00:12:00] is impacting everyone. It's something we all do. Regardless of the other things we do in our lives that make us join one group or another, it is impacting everyone. So, you know, just like the cell phone, nobody uses landline anymore. We indeed have graduated to a cell phone, nobody types on the typewriter.

We have moved on to something called the computer. We see we at veg tech invest the company that has created the veg tech plant based innovation and climate ETF. The ticker is ETV. I don't even think we mentioned that thus far. So let me say it again. The, the ETF is called the veg tech plant based innovation and climate ETF.

The ticker is eat V E a. So, what we believe is that just like moving from the landline to the cell phone, just like moving from the typewriter to the computer, we will be moving to a plant-based foods and material supply system. And so if you are someone who wants to be at the beginning of a trend like that from an investor standpoint, You might put 5% of your portfolio into VE tech.

And then [00:13:00] if you are someone who has been waiting for this kind of product for a long time, and I'll tell you all the people who reach out to me on my podcast, the plant-based business hour asking me like, when is an ETF gonna come? When is an ETF gonna come? So I know there's a lot of pent up demand for this kind of product that drives capital to the companies that are innovating for a more E.

And cruelty free food supply system. Those folks are waiting. They can't get it fast enough. They might invest something like eight or 10% of their portfolio, but this is what we call a satellite play. It's something that you invest in as time goes on a little bit more, a little bit more. And ultimately as the trend grows, you're growing with it.

But no one's saying like, take out all the money from the piggy bank and put it in this. No, no, one's saying that again. I see FINRA, like taking notes on what I'm saying. So I wanna be mindful, you know, this is part of an entire portfolio, not the only thing.

Paul Shapiro: Got it. So speaking of portfolios then, so you got these plant based 40 Elizabeth.

So it took some time to figure all this out, who you wanted to. I'm sure it took [00:14:00] a lot of diligence. So let's just talk first about who's in here. So you mentioned companies, like, of course people think about beyond meat. Do they think about Oly, but there's other companies. And they are not all just vegan food companies.

So tell us who are some of the bigger holdings that the fund has and why do you choose them? Yes.

Elysabeth Alfano: So we have a couple criteria that are very important to us, so they can't be involved in producing animal products or animal feed because we don't wanna be supporting the entire global food supply chain.

So there are companies like, let's say the tattooed. 50% of their products have dairy in them. So they would not make it into our fund, for example. So we have these guidelines that we set up for ourselves that they have to be actually replacing animal products and not producing or encouraging any animal use or production as well as actively innovating with plants to create a better food and material supply system.

So some of those companies would be like MGP ingredients and ingredient. So they are [00:15:00] ingredient companies, particularly with ingredient unit they're actively. Helping plant-based companies scale up and, and doing more than just supplying ingredients. So those types of companies, then we have I'll call them plant based innovation or, you know, veg tech companies like AMS, which is working on replacing shark squealing as a oil in makeup.

So they are a B2B company that's working on fermented proteins as well. GGO Bioworks is also a company that's working on fermented proteins and is working with Mo. To replace animal heme with a plant-based team through fermented proteins. So very exciting there. Then we also have companies like Olaplex and L beauty.

These are companies that are committed to creating body care, self care products that don't have any animal ingredients in them. I really am excited about both of those companies actually. And then we have what I'll say sort of classic. [00:16:00] Ag tech companies like local bounty companies that are working on greenhouses and better farming techniques, better agricultural techniques to create plants more prolifically, efficiently, et cetera.

So those would be the, if you will, categories that you see in the fund. And again, if you go to E AV dot veg tech, invest dot. There's a link there. You can click on the fact sheet and it's gonna tell you about these sectors. So we have food and beverage. We have ingredient companies. We have veg tech, you know, the innovation companies.

We have the ag tech companies and we have materials. So not just food. So those would be the five categories and we are global. So some from Israel, some from Europe, London, stock exchange, Canada. The us Hong Kong. So it's a global because obviously our food supply system is global and we believe we are seeing a shift in the global food supply system.

And again, very excited to be the only ETF, at least to our knowledge and our research that are focusing as we are focusing on plant-based [00:17:00] innovation and this secular

Paul Shapiro: trend. Very cool. Very cool. So I do wanna talk about some of the other ETFs that are out there, but I just wanna also ask you so. Some of these.

Oh, by the way, I do wanna just reaffirm what you were saying earlier. You had alluded to this, but just to make it explicit, there are hundreds of startups in the space that venture capital funds are investing in. And oftentimes people say, oh, how can I invest in these early stage companies? If I don't have a lot of money, like the VCs do to put in, and this is not an answer to that.

Right. So you're not going to be able to invest in these early stage privately held companies. This is only a way to invest in publicly traded companies. Right. So I would argue the opposite. Okay. Tell me why

Elysabeth Alfano: I'm wrong. It's not that you're wrong. It's, it's a different way of looking at it. So one of our main goals is to allow, I mean, who's moving the plant-based sector forward.

It's gen Z and millennial. And they don't have the opportunity to invest in venture. That really requires $250,000. If you're lucky, you can find something that's $50,000, but very [00:18:00] difficult for the individual younger individual to do that and to make venture make any sense you wanna do $50,000, 10 or 20 times.

So very difficult to enter into venture. So this is a way that the average individual can partake in this trend can help support, can help drive capital to these companies that are changing. Our food supply system can help participate in getting animals out of the supply system can invest alongside their values.

We all know how good that feels. This is their opportunity to do that because venture just isn't available to them.

Paul Shapiro: Right? So you're making an excellent point. It is a way that smaller number investors can get involved in the space. It is not a way though, that they can invest at these early stage private startups.

That that is all I was saying, right?

Elysabeth Alfano: Yes. Although I will say on the stock market, there are some publicly traded, like eat beyond. They have several venture companies. In their stock, if you will. So they they're on the [00:19:00] stock and just like eat well group, which is in our fund eat well, group is out of Canada and they have several venture companies in their offering of the eat well group.

So Elizabeth,

Paul Shapiro: not all of the companies in here are making food ingredients for the plant-based space or making materials. Replace animal materials like fur and so on. You also have Tesla in here, which is obviously so far, a pretty well performing stock that I'm sure is doing good for your fund and obviously doing a great deal for climate.

But aside from climate, is there, do you perceive an impact on animals also from the Tesla investment? Oh

Elysabeth Alfano: gosh. A hundred percent. So Tesla committed the first car company to do this committed a hundred percent to vegan leather in their. And leather automobile leather is second only to shoe leather in terms of how much leather is produced and its impact on the planet.

So when Tesla committed to a hundred percent vegan leather, it also forced other automobile companies to do that. So now Mercedes-Benz and BMW have 50% of their automobile. Leather is vegan leather. [00:20:00] So Tesla has been not only an innovator in how it's using vegan leather and mandating a standard that is a hundred percent, but also they've impacted the industry.

So we consider them definitely a plant-based materials company.

Paul Shapiro: Oh, very cool. Funny you say that. I think I had actually heard about their weather swap, which I didn't remember hearing. So I appreciate you reminding me of that, but that's very cool. So I'm really glad to hear that. So in addition though, to the fund that you have.

Said that this is, you know, the only one of its kind on the market. There are some others though. So for example, I know there's though VanEck future of food ETF and they do some interesting future food tech investments. They're not entirely plant based, but tell me what's the difference? Like why is veg tech different from VanEck aside from the fact that they are not exclusively doing plant-based right.

So

Elysabeth Alfano: that's really, it, they're not exclusively doing plant-based so they're not focused on plant-based innovation. They're focused on the food supply in general. So their weights and proportions will be different. So as we really focus on plant-based innovation [00:21:00] and technology, you know, their packaging and machinery is, you know, I don't really wanna talk about their fund, cuz of course only they could be the experts on it, but not only do they have meat and dairy companies in there, but their concentration is more up and down the entire industry.

Like I say, machinery as well as, you know, ag tech and things like that. So really not focused on plant-based innovation, more general in the food supply.

Paul Shapiro: Got it. Interesting. Yeah. And I saw in their fund that they're invested in companies like Tyson foods, the largest meat manufacturer in the United States also, which does have a tan in the plant-based waters as well, or I guess their foot in the plant-based waters.

But obviously they are most of their body is in the

Elysabeth Alfano: animal based water. Yes. And it's funny that you mentioned this, I know you have a question for me at the end of those podcast about interview that I would recommend, but here's a like spoiler alert to how I'm gonna answer. Jeremy Coller was just on the plant-based business hour, which is my podcast, as you know, and I'm quoting Jeremy here that Tyson just Tyson alone produces more experiment from its dealings than the entire United [00:22:00] States.

Interesting. It's pretty freaky. So no, Tyson's not in our fund just

Paul Shapiro: to be clear. Well, that's interesting. And for those who aren't familiar, Jeremy Coller is the head of collar capital. He is a, a British billionaire. Has invested a lot in the animal free protein space. So go check out that interview.

Please

Elysabeth Alfano: do, if I can just give a shout out to him. So he is really the preeminent food tech investor in the world at caller capital. He manages 25 billion, but through his efforts, Funding and founding a fair farm animal investment risk and return. His network of investors represents 47 trillion and he provides them with data about the risks of investing in animal meat and animal production.

So. He is truly a wealth of knowledge and a force to be reckoned with. Great. I'm a

Paul Shapiro: big fan of Jeremy's and his colleague Rosie Wardle, and more so let's get back to VE tech ETF though here, Elizabeth, because this is a business, you're not just offering people like the rest of us, a chance [00:23:00] to invest in the businesses that are being publicly traded that are, are good for animals in the environment.

But the ETF itself is a business that you and your team are running. So how do you make money from this? Like people invest and then. Yes.

Elysabeth Alfano: So there is a fee involved with investing just like within a ETF, you know, and those fees can range anywhere from like 35 BS. You know, these are percentage points or all the way up to 95.

So just like you always do when you're investing in the market, you know, there's some kind of transaction fee usually involved. So we have one as well, and it's 75. And again, I would really encourage everybody to go to E AV dot veg tech, invest.com so that you can see the fee transaction fee involved.

And

Paul Shapiro: so just to be clear, so to put it in, in layman's terms that people understand. So when you say 75, that means 0.7, 5%. So if you're going to invest $10,000, you're gonna be spending $75 in a, basically a payment of a management fee. Is that right? That is exactly right. [00:24:00] Got it. Okay, cool. So let me just ask you, then let's say I'm a skeptic Elizabeth, and I'm looking at beyond I'm looking at Lee, I'm looking at very good food co and I'm seeing these stocks have not done that.

Well lately actually there's a lot of talk about whether they were overvalued. Whether their revenue to, to evaluation was out of skewed, whether that ratio was basically skewed. So what would you say, what would you say to somebody who's looking in this and says, you know, the most publicly known companies that are in this space, their stocks have not performed well compared to regular S and P 500 index fund type.

Of

Elysabeth Alfano: late. I mean, I, I don't think you would say that if you got into, beyond meats in may of 2019 and you know, you got in at, I think they launched at like $35 and they went, I

Paul Shapiro: think it was 25 actually, if I remember correctly.

Elysabeth Alfano: Oh, well, it's funny that you say that because I tried to get in at 35 and I was like up at six in the morning trying to put my thing in and before I could, it was already passed 35.

I think I had like really started at 36, but [00:25:00] yes, if you. Pre-market if you were someone who was able to get in earlier than when the market actually opened, I think it was 25 or even less, but for those of us who were, you know, struggling on our apps to do it that day, it was in the thirties. And then it shot up to like 58.

And then obviously from there at one point it was at 212, I believe. And now has sort of come back down to earth if you will. So yes, there is some correction for these multiples as these companies are, or the multiples are trading rather high compared to their revenue. So yes, you know, beyond meat has been corrected as has the very good butchers and only now least a sort of an outlier, I think, because they've come to the market with a.

Lawsuits on their hands. And I think that is just very short term impacting their share price. As we say, we're here for the secular trend. So we're here for the long term investments. We're not like a day trade or something like that. So we believe in all of these companies, very long term, we also believe, you know, the stock market as a [00:26:00] whole, not just plant-based has had a rough January.

I don't know when this podcast is coming out, but people will probably remember January of 20, 22 for being a volatile time in the market, regardless of when this comes out. So great time to buy and get in as things are all correcting, but we see that there's no question as to whether the global food supply system is going to change.

And that, that innovation is going to be around getting animals out of the food and material supply system. The animal equation is so efficient, both you and I talk about that on our podcast. So producing food for a global population as we go from 7.8 billion people on the planet to 10 billion people, but we're not getting more land and we're not getting more water, which means we can't throw these resources away.

We're going to have to use our land and water better, which means we can't farm animals on them because it's so inefficient. That's just really the high level. Definition there or explanation there, but so it's no question that we're, it's part of a secular trend and we've got, you know, rough economic times this January of 2022, but we don't think [00:27:00] that's going to impact things long term.

Paul Shapiro: Got it. So you're basically saying that actually their drop is all the more reason to get in right now because you can essentially buy low and over time the inefficiency of using animals for food and, and clothing. And so. Is so great that these companies are gonna do better. Yes. And

Elysabeth Alfano: I'll just add to that, that this is one of the reasons why we bring an ETF to the market is because you have that diversification of 40 companies.

So you're not reliant on will. One company make it will one company, you know, you're not tying your entire future to one choice. You're spreading it out over 40. And so we're looking at the sector as much as we're looking at any one individual company. Now that said, of course we do our due diligence for every individual company and not every plant-based company is in our fund because some just aren't run well enough, we're mature enough or strong enough to be included in the fund.

At least today we are actively managed. So we're constantly making these decisions. What should come in the fund, what should come out of the fund, both Sasha Goodman and I are experts [00:28:00] in the plant-based field as are you Paul? So, you know, Tightly tied to the research and the trends and speculation as to the future.

So we're deep in the knowledge of this field, but not every company's gonna make it into the fund. That's

Paul Shapiro: funny you say that because I was talking with a friend of mine, Stu Strom Wasser who runs green circle capital. And he was telling me, listen, there's some people they'll just invest in anything.

That'll save a cow and that's not a good investment strategy. Cuz some people wanna save. Cows might not be good business. And so I think it's funny that you're, you're mentioning that because of course you wanna make it queer that it's not just being good for animals. It's also good sound business plans so they can succeed well,

Elysabeth Alfano: a hundred percent.

So I'll add to that. That's why our name is veg tech, and that's why we focus on plant based innovation. And so it is exciting to see those consumer products at the grocery store. You say, Hey, I recognize beyond meat. That's super fun, but we're really looking at the ingredient companies. Business to business supply companies, the innovation companies, the technology companies up and down the supply chain, [00:29:00] really pushing the entire sector forward with technology and innovation.

Got

Paul Shapiro: it. Okay. Well, very cool. So Elizabeth, you have a very long history of doing good in the world for animals. This has been a real motivating factor for you for a very long period of your life. And you have started a number of endeavors to try to get the word. Through a whole variety of means this ETF being the latest one.

So first my hat's off to you for having a, a career of animal advocacy and making a business out of it. I really admire that. So I wanna ask you for somebody who has the experience and the expertise that you do, and you're talking to dozens and dozens of companies and investors on your podcast, you have done so much diligence for this et.

If there are resources out there that have been helpful for you, that you would recommend to other people, what would those be? If somebody's like, you know, I really admire Elizabeth. I want to try to follow in her footsteps and do good in the world via business. What do you think would be something you would recommend?

Elysabeth Alfano: Oh gosh. Well, I'm gonna say, because you did sort of alert me to [00:30:00] this early on and I'm going to list off many things that have been inspiring to me from a general inspiration standpoint. I guess you could say business as well, but generally just inspiration as a. Get your hands on Jane Goodall's books.

Any of them, if you can see her speak in public, she exudes knowledge and compassion and smarts and science and peace, her delivery, her way of speaking. It is hard to leave a Jane Goodal. Event, without feeling that the situation has been life-affirming for you. So I, I definitely recommend that now from a business standpoint.

Paul Shapiro: And before you go on, I do wanna interrupt just to say that I loved her book harvest for hope, which is a, a great look at the food system in particular. So of course, most people know Jane Goodall for her advocacy for great apes, but she has a wonderful book about farm animals and agriculture in general called harvest for hope that I do recommend, and we'll include notes to that in the show notes for lyric episode@businessforgoodpodcast.com.

Okay. Elizabeth, what.

Elysabeth Alfano: Okay, so go to [00:31:00] YouTube and find creative director, John Schoen craft S C H O O and C R a F T. I believe I've got that right. He talks about how Oley took their adverse situation of the Swedish dairy lobby. Puling them basically when they were just a small alt dairy company. And they took the Swedish dairy lobby lawsuit and turned that into an ad campaign sharing with everyone.

How. Goliath of a lobby was puling this small startup. And that's really what, you know, Oakley's been around for 20, 25 years, but it was that ad campaign that really turned to the consumers in their favor and changed their business direction forever. Really? So it's a very. Fun and inspirational video about how you can be the underdog and come out on top with very small dollars and resources of being crafty with what you've got.

I love that. And then of course, I, I have to send people so sorry, everybody, but I have to send you to my podcast. Plant-based business hour. You can get that wherever you [00:32:00] get your podcast. So iTunes in other places, or you can go to Elizabeth, elon.com plant-based hyphen business hyphen hour, but catch that interview with Jeremy caller.

There's also a great interview with Walter Rob who's, the former co CEO of whole foods, and he talks about the plant-based sector in general, saying that in his 40 years of working in the food industry, he's never seen a sector grow like the plant-based innovation sector. And that he thinks it's a trend akin to digitization.

So he's a big inspiration for us as we create veg tech, the plant-based innovation and climate ETF on the New York stock exchange. So just a plant-based business hour in general could help with business. Cool.

Paul Shapiro: Okay. Well, we will definitely link to those specific interviews along of course, with your website@businessforgoodpodcast.com on the show notes for this.

So Elizabeth you, and every episode of your podcast by asking people if they have any go to phrase that they like to use when they are feeling down in the dump. So I'm gonna ask you that first, and [00:33:00] then I'm gonna ask you what I end when I ask everybody at the end of each of the business for good podcast episodes.

So first. Life is giving you lemons. You are down in the dumps.

Elysabeth Alfano: What do you do? I've got two phrases that I go to. One is a straight physics phrase. A body in motion stays in motion. Doesn't really matter if you're not making huge strides that day. Keep moving might be baby steps might be inches might be centimeters.

Keep moving a body in motion stays in motion. My next phrase, which I always stand by as well, noses to the grindstone eyes, to the sky.

Paul Shapiro: Nice. Very nice. Well, I have told you, when you asked me this on your podcast, I told you my phrase is actually I just say, Hey Siri, call Tony. And I call my wife. That is my experience of things are hard.

I call my wife. So she is a great source of, of advice and comfort to me. So I also though do have on my wall here, a quote from the very Sage and wise philosopher, Rocky Balboa, who said, it's not about how hard you can hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and [00:34:00] keep moving forward. And I think about that often when I feel like if I have fallen, can I get back up and, and keep going?

And so you're going to like physics and maybe like Isaac Newton, I'm going to Rocky BBO here.

Elysabeth Alfano: one of my favorite movies though, like Rocky one and two, like some of the greatest movies ever.

Paul Shapiro: Yes. What about four though? Are you gonna neglect the fight against Yon Drago? Oh, I hated that one. No. Why? Why? Wait, just felt so

Elysabeth Alfano: canned.

Whereas Rocky BBO and one and two was really this like heartfelt character I could relate to by the time it got to four, I didn't relate to the individual so much. It felt more like a movie promotion. I Don. Sorry.

Paul Shapiro: Wow. Wow. Wow. Okay. Well, I, I'm a huge fan of the franchise. I do like four as well, which is kind of this iconic cold war Rocky, for those of you who haven't seen it.

But I think that the first Rocky which won the Oscar for best picture was very deserving of it. And I agree with you is very heartwarming tale for a lot of reasons, so,

Elysabeth Alfano: okay. Wait, can I give a sense, we're going off track here. Can I give a little bit of detail to this? So [00:35:00] Rocky, when they were filming it, there's that one.

Scene when he comes back home in the middle of the night after he says like, Hey, my shorts are wrong. People are gonna have to see the movie show what I'm talking about. But, and he goes to the ring the night before the fight and he says, Hey, you know, you've painted my shorts wrong. You've got me not looking correctly.

And they say, oh, well, who cares? Just put on a show. And he comes home to sleeping Adrian. And he, and he says, I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if I'm strong enough. I just have to go the distance. I just have to stay standing. And she says, okay, don't worry about it. And they go to. So the, like behind the scenes story that I've heard is that they didn't have any money to keep shooting.

And so everybody said, you have to cut this scene. And Sylvester Stallone said, let me just do it in one take, because this is integral to understanding that he doesn't even care. If he wins winning for him, the personal win is just to stay standing. And I always love that, that he like. Advocated for that scene and did it in one take very

Paul Shapiro: nice.

The movie is admittedly like over 40 years old, but I still don't wanna have a spoil alert and tell anybody whether he beats Apollo or not, [00:36:00] but know that what Elizabeth is saying is very relevant to the outcome of the movie here. All right. Well, some other time we're gonna have to talk about Rocky because it is a, a great passion of mine, but in final here, Elizabeth, I do wanna ask you you've you've started a lot of things from podcast ETFs and a consulting business in.

But I presume that somebody who is a serial entrepreneur like yourself is, and a serial creator, like yourself has lots of ideas about what you hope will be created in the world. And you just don't have the time to do it. Or maybe you don't think you're the one to do it for whatever reason. And so if there are people out there who are thinking, I would like to do something good in the world, like what Elizabeth is talking about, but I'm not sure where to.

What ideas would you put out there to help people who maybe want to do something? What would you suggest needs to be created?

Elysabeth Alfano: I'm looking for plant-based materials. Like plant-based wool. I'd really like to see a good plant-based wool out there. I know a lot of folks are working on plant-based leather.

Thank you everybody. They're working on plant-based makeup and soap and shampoos and things. This is great candles. All this kind. I want to [00:37:00] see a good plant-based wool. Go for it, everybody.

Paul Shapiro: All right. You heard it here. Well, maybe we will be having the founder of whatever the plant-based wool company that gets started from this inspiration today.

Elizabeth will be a future guest on this show. So we'll see. That would be really fun. And I would, I would love to talk about that, but. I wanna say, thank you for all that you're doing to help animals in the planet. Congratulations on the launch of this new fund. I know it's been a real labor for you.

It we've talked about it many times in the process of you creating it. And I am really thrilled to see it get birthed into the world here. So we will include in the show notes, links to everywhere, where you can go and find this fund and find a Elizabeth, find her podcast in more and thanks to everybody for all you're doing to help create a kinder and more humane and more sustainable.

Thanks so much, Elizabeth. Thanks for having me. Thanks for listening. We hope you found use in this episode. If so, don't keep it to yourself. Please leave us a five star rating on iTunes or wherever you get your podcast. And as always, we hope you will be in the business of doing good.[00:38:00]