EPISODES

All episodes

Sustainability, Environmental Protection Paul Shapiro Episode 104 · Sustainability, Environmental Protection Paul Shapiro

Is the Road to the Future Paved with Upcycled Plastic? Shelly Zhang and Molten Materials Thinks So

As you’ll hear in this episode, the death of Shelly’s father led to the birth of her company, Molten Materials. Armed with her PhD in engineering, Shelly has pioneered a method of taking plastic waste and upcycling it into pavement sealers, asphalt rejuvenators, and more.

Read More
Food & Beverage Paul Shapiro Episode 103 · Food & Beverage Paul Shapiro

Is Sugar by Another Name Just as Sweet? Ali Wing and Oobli Are Fermenting Their Way to a Sweet Protein Future

We’re talking today with Oobli CEO Ali Wing about her company’s efforts to commercialize the world’s first sweet proteins. Yes, you read that right: sweet proteins. In 2022 Oobli closed a $25 million Series B round, bringing the company’s total fundraising to date to $40 million.

Read More
Food & Beverage Paul Shapiro Episode 99 · Food & Beverage Paul Shapiro

A Whale of a Tale: Wildtype and the Future of Cultivated Seafood

Founded in 2016, this cultivated fish startup has raised $120 million so far and now has 60 employees who are growing real fish meat without the fish. Today, Wildtype is building serious cultivation capacity to help turn the tide for the oceans, and in this episode, we discuss the company’s origins, the role bird poop played, and what the company’s up to today.

Read More
Environmental Protection Paul Shapiro Episode 98 · Environmental Protection Paul Shapiro

Tree-mendously Fast-Growing Trees to Fight Climate Change? Maddie Hall and the Living Carbon Story

In this interview, we talk about what Living Carbon is doing and why, we discuss the controversy over whether anything “natural” is better than “human-made,” and of course, why it’s a good idea to genetically engineer trees that will help fight climate change, something that as you can imagine, elicits a number of differing views.

Read More
Food & Beverage Paul Shapiro Episode 97 · Food & Beverage Paul Shapiro

Mighty Mycelium: Isabella Iglesias-Musachio and Bosque Foods

In this episode I sit down with Bosque Foods CEO Isabella Iglesias-Musachio and chat about her lifelong passion that started her on this path. We discuss all types of cool things, including what to call the products she’s making, how she intends to upcycle agricultural byproducts as a feedstock for her fungi, her pathway to commercialization, and more.

Read More
Environmental Protection Paul Shapiro Episode 93 · Environmental Protection Paul Shapiro

Robots to the Recycling Rescue: Matanya Horowitz Is Ensuring Your Recyclables Are Actually Recycled

In this episode, we talk all about the economics of AMP’s robots, the trajectory Matanya took from being an academic roboticist to becoming a CEO, the role venture capital has played in the company, what mistakes along the way were made, whether he thinks robots will ever become sentient, and more.

Read More
Food & Beverage Paul Shapiro Episode 92 · Food & Beverage Paul Shapiro

Is Plant-Based Meat about to Get Chunkier? Amos Golan of Chunk Foods Thinks So

Amos Golan was a guy fascinated by chemistry. He tried a couple business ideas that didn’t take off before starting to try to make steaks in his kitchen by putting soy through a fermentation process. After many failures, he finally created something he thought was worthy of showing to investors, one of whom was interested enough that they put in $50,000.

Read More
Food & Beverage, Animal Welfare Paul Shapiro Episode 91 · Food & Beverage, Animal Welfare Paul Shapiro

“Meat” the Meat Industry’s Journalist: Lisa Keefe and Meatingplace

In this interview, Lisa discusses her latest trip to Israel where she tried various cultivated meat products, her views on why plant-based meat hasn’t taken as much market share as plant-based milk yet, why the pork industry hasn’t advanced cage-free animal welfare changes like much of the egg industry has, and more.

Read More
Public Health & Safety Paul Shapiro Episode 89 · Public Health & Safety Paul Shapiro

Is Alt-Protein a National Security Issue? Rep. Ro Khanna Thinks So

Congressman Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California representing Silicon Valley, has not only called on USDA to invest in alt-protein, he’s recently introduced a bill in Congress calling on the Director of National Intelligence to submit an intelligence report on the effects of increased production and consumption of alternative proteins on American national security.

Read More