The Plantbased Business Hour

How did Oatly create the oat milk craze?  Bjorn Oste is on The Plantbased Business Hour to discuss 1) why consumer research is a waste of time, 2) why inflexibility crushes creativity and 3) and his passion for making healthier drinks.  We talk food as medicine and his newest company Good Idea Drinks. Tune in. Podcast coming.

I break down the top headlines in analysis and review. News on 1) Upfield and Roquette plants in Canada, 2) The Bel Group makes plant-based versions of its major brands, 3) Omnipork heads to McDonalds and 4) Jay and Bob of Mooby’s head to Chicago.  Podcast here.

Co-Founder and CEO of Beyond Brands, Eric Schnell talks about 1) growing brands like Good Catch, Cool Beans and Steaz for success, 2) if plant-based will go the way of the natural category, 3) the power of a plant-based paycheck and 4) the importance of a strong company culture for the younger consumer. Podcast here. 

I breakdown the top three headlines with review and analysis for the week ending October 4, 2020. 1) Nestle makes the connection, 2) $1.5B invested in alt proteins and 3) the reality of vegan fantasyland. It’s the Plantbased Business Minute.  Podcast here. 

Ryan Bethencourt, investor and Founder of Wild Earth Pets, and I discuss the major trends destabilizing the meat and dairy industries, his newest venture, Sustainable Food Ventures and his investment strategy. Listen in to this thought-leader and major investor actively moving the world away from animal products. It’s the Plantbased Business Hour.  Audio podcast here.

Monica Talbert of the Plant Based Seafood Co. and I discuss 1) the realities of the Seafood Industry, including the illegal industry 2)  trends for seafood and plant-based seafood consumption, 3) the making of plant-based seafood products and 4) her tips for other entrepreneurs. The future of seafood is on the Plantbased Business Hour.  Audio podcast here.

Every week I breakdown the Top 3 Headlines on the Plantbased Business Minute. Here we go for the week ending 9/25/20. 1. KFC goes KFCellular 2. Starbucks is starry-eyed for Miyoko’s Plant-based Cream Cheeses. 3. Green Monday hits the jackpot as Fortune’s #32 for companies “Changing the World” 2020.  Audio podcast here.

David Benzaquen, founder of Ocean Hugger Foods and vegan investor joins me to discuss 1) the growth of plant-based seafood, 2) pain points for plant-based businesses and 3) who should be educating the consumer on plant-based products. It’s all on the Plantbased Business Hour.  Audio podcast here.

I break down the Top 3 headlines for review and analysis for the week ending 9/18/20. 1) “Veganism is having a blast,” accordig to Chef’s Pencil, 2) Fruit leathers are driving awareness of the vegan leather industry and 3) Beyond Meat is back in the news with meatballs and a stock price surge.   Audio podcast here.

What’s Next for Plantbased Foods and Materials? Macy Marriott of the GlassWall Syndicate and Stephanie Downs of Material Innovation Initiative and I discuss 1)the innovations in the pipeline to take animals out of the food and materials supply chain, 2) predictions for the short term and 3) challenges facing the industries .  Audio podcast here.

I breakdown the week’s top headlines and share key take-aways. 1)Impossible Foods spreads to Sprouts. Is it health or taste people are after? 2) The Very Good Butchers success; what is next after the plant-based burger? 3) Are carnivores the reason for plant-based products’ tremendous growth?  Audio podcast here.

Better Your Bottomline with Compassionate Decision Making? Harvard Business Professor Max Bazerman weighs in. We discuss his newest book, Better, Not Perfect, sustainable maximum goodness, how better decision making can run parallel to ethical decision making and how being more efficient (less wasteful) with time and energy can lead to long-term goodness.  He also gives tips for focusing less on our tribe and more on doing the least harm possible for creating overall value. Click here for the audio podcast. 

I breakdown the top three news highlights in a quick 1-minute review and analysis of each: ADM’s Covid market research, Miyoko’s Creamery on-going lawsuit, and Beyond Meat goes direct to consumer. Audio podcast here.

Are phytonutrients the answer to our health crisis? Sofia Elizondo, co-founder & COO of Brightseed talks on how AI technology is breaking through “Dark Matter” and revolutionizing our health. 1) What the heck is Dark Matter? 2) Why do we need AI to find it? 3) Why has it taken so long?  and 4) Will big pharma be a competitor or a collaborator? FIND OUT on the Plantbased Business Hour. Click here for the audio podcast.

How to go from ZERO to IPO in 3 years? The Very Good Butchers: Mitchell Scott and James Davison join me to discuss 1) their skyrocketing IPO (the second IPO in plant-based history behind Beyond Meat, and not counting Tofutti), 2) the fairy dust that helped them along the way,  3) tips for entrepreneurs and 4) what they wish they knew before they started.  To listen to the podcast, click here. 

When will plant-based milks be 50% of the milk category?  Greg Steltenpohl of Califia Farms calls it on the Plantbased Business Hour.  We also discuss 1) the necessary creativity in plant-based foods, 2) the hurdles he didn’t see coming, 3) the synergy between plant-based production and the eco-system and 4) what he wished he knew 10 years ago.  Click here for the audio podcast.

Moviefone Co-Founder Adam Slutsky is the plant-based market’s newest big investor. Current Managing Partner of Gather Ventures, hear Adam’s 1) investing strategy, 2) his take-aways from being a 3x tech entrepreneur, 3) his mentorship plan and 4) his predictions for the next 3-5 years of plant-based opportunities. Click here for the podcast.

Is algae the alt-protein we have been waiting for? Find out! Leonard Lerer of Chicago’s Back of the Yards Algae Sciences (BYAS) is on The Plantbased Business Hour with me to discuss 1) the power of microbes, 2) a hybrid of plant-based ingredients into meat products and 3) his words for developing plant-based innovators. Click here for the podcast.

Are more vegan restaurants opening during Covid rather than closing? Ken Spector, Principal at long-time trusted HappyCow Vegan Restaurant Guide, dishes with me on the PBH on global restaurant trends and the explosion of vegan options. We discuss 1) the quickly expanding plant-based restaurant scene – even during COVID, 2) the Top 10 Vegan Cities around the globe, 3) the changing trends in dining and 4) the upward trend of plant-based seafood . Plus, I taste test the new Beyond Fried Chicken from Beyond Meat and KFC! For the audio podcast, click here. 

Get your snack on! Serial entrepreneur, veteran financier and professional snacker, Bill Glaser, CEO and Founder of Outstanding Foods,  joins me on PBH to discuss 1) the recent raise, 2) the overall snack market, 3) phase two of the plant-based movement and 4) pivotal entry points to reaching the target consumer. Meanwhile, I have PigOut Pigless Pork Rinds at the ready! Big things are in store for Outstanding Foods. For the audio podcast, click here.

Who is the Creator of Veganuary, Million Dollar Vegan and now Veg Capital? The man. The myth. The legend! Matthew Glover is on the Plantbased Business Hour with me to talk about how the world is shifting (thanks to him!) and his newest venture: Veg Capital. Points of note are 1) tips for entrepreneurs seeking funding, 2) should vegan companies work with and/or sell to meat and dairy companies and 3) the impact one person can make. For the audio podcast of this interview, click here. 

Dr. Nadja Pinnavaia of Plantable joins me on the Plantbased Business Hour to talk about 1) your health, 2) the health of the nation and 3) the health of the meal delivery service industry. Unique in the space, Plantable offers both nutritional coaching and emotional support along with 12 healthy meals a week via several different programs. Tune in and learn how you can get healthy without making your wallet sick. For the audio podcast, click here. 

Will vegan seafood survive?! Co-Founder of Good Catch, Chad Sarno, is on the Plantbased Business Hour with me. With people eating less beef, pork and chicken, they are switching to fish. However, our oceans are already depleted. With seafood consumption on the rise, that means an increase in commercial, factory fish farming.  Time to disrupt! Good Catch to the rescue! Chad and I discuss 1) finding the right texture, 2) the newest Good Catch products and food lab and 3) the importance in finding the right partners on both sides of the food aisle. For the audio podcast, click here.

Do you need to have an MBA from Harvard to create of successful brand?  Sadrah Schadel, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of No Evil Foods joins me to discuss the incredible trajectory of No Evil Foods from her kitchen to a national brand. Points of note are 1) the trickiness of scaling up, 2) the incredible delicacy of building a team quickly while building a brand culture, 3) the power of being a mission-driven company, 4) the potential of future crowdfunding for the brand and 5) the genesis of the No Evil Foods iconic packaging. For the audio podcast, click here.

Has #COVID-19 positioned plant-based foods to gain lasting traction over the meat and dairy industries? Michele Simon, Executive Director of the Plant Based Foods Association, discusses the biggest challenges for plant-based businesses. Points of note are: 1) the need for plant-based businesses to compete on a level playing field in the marketplace with meat-based analogs, 2) the ability of these businesses to beat analog companies on taste, nutrition and community stewardship and 3) the groundwork being laid for lasting change. For the audio podcast, click here.

It’s a Chinese (Plant-based) Revolution: Albert Tseng and Tao Zhang of Dao Foods join me to discuss creating Next Generation Good Food, growing a crop of innovative entrepreneurs and a pre-destined (do the numbers!) plant-based China.  Topics of note are 1) are female executives entering the plant-based space in China? 2) why Dao focuses on China rather than Asia as a whole, 3) are investors waiting in the wings to support plant-based innovation and 4) what role will government ultimately play? For the audio podcast, click here.

Alicia Robb of Next Wave Impact and I get into it: should plant-based businesses sell to big meat and dairy corporations? It’s a bitter pill – should we take it?  We also talk about the dearth of female and minority investors and how she is building a platform at Next Wave Impact to grow a new and diverse crop of investors and entrepreneurs.  Points of interest are 1) mistakes made by early investors, 2) characteristics of successful entrepreneurs and 3) Alicia’s educational investing building blocks tutorials as part of Next Wave Impact. For the audio podcast, click here.

Can plant-based yogurt take over the category like plant-based milks have done in the milk sector? CEO & Founder of LAVVA Yogurt, Liz Fisher, delves into the projections for plant-based yogurts and shares the most common mistakes made by food entrepreneurs.

Points of note in this interview are 1) the growth of the natural sector in grocery stores, 2) the science of and consumer interest in healthier products and 3) the importance of focusing on the consumer and brand positioning. For the audio podcast, click here.

Chris Kerr of Unovis Asset Managers / New Crop Capital has invested behind all the biggies: Beyond Meat, Miyoko’s, Alpha Foods, Kite Hill, Purple Carrot. Now, he lets us in on a secret: What’s NEXT! Plus, Chris divulges what he looks for in a company before he invests. Valuations, exit strategies and product extensions: we get into it all. For the audio podcast, click here.

Founder of Farm Forward and DefaultVeg, and Co-Author of the Eating Animals screenplay and collaborator with Jonathan Safran Foer, Dr. Aaron Gross joins me on the Plantbased Business Hour. We discuss the lack of social distancing in factory farms, how they are breeding grounds for Pandemics-Swine Flu and Asian Bird Flu-and the oppression of animals, workers and farmers by multinational “farming” coporations. We also discuss the support these wealthy corporations receive via subsidies and legal protections. For the audio podcast, click here.

The Vurger Co. Founders Rachel Hugh and Neil Potts weigh in on London-town, reinventing themselves during social distancing, their commitment to sustainability and zero plastics and their predictions for the future. Grab your burger and settle in – The Plantbased Business Hour heads to London! For the audio podcast, click here.

Chuck Muth, Chief Growth Officer, talks about expanding to China, protecting IP, building relationships in Europe, price parity with meat, and new products.  If you are watching the Beyond Meat stock, you will want to listen in. For the audio podcast, click here.

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams gives a powerful interview on the public health benefits of a plant-based diet, the public health issues with NYC’s wet markets and what is takes to be a leader in a time of crisis. Raw, humble and direct, Adams talks about curing his type 2 diabetes and partial blindness with a plant-based diet and the economic impact of implementing plant-based lifestyle nutrition in hospitals and in schools. He is known for putting vegan meal options in schools, hospitals and prisons and implementing #MeatlessMondays in 1700 public NYC schools. For the audio podcast, click here.

Jim Fuller and Chris McLoghlin of Fable Food Co. are making braised beef from mushrooms and it’s delish! The two discuss the business hurdles of getting global distribution, solid investors and reliable manufacturing partners…and the intelligence of mushrooms! Of course, we also eat Braised Beef over Noodles and Braised Pork with BBQ Sauce! For the audio podcast, click here.

Seth Goldman, Former Executive Chairman of Beyond Meat, Founder of Honest Tea and Founder of Eat The Change and Jonah Goldman, Co-Founder of PLNT Burger, talk about conscious capitalism, #planetdelicious and price parity with meat!! For the audio podcast, click here.

Tune in to hear his incredible life-affirming come back story that turned his world around and put him on the path to vegan investing. An early investor in The Vegetarian Butcher, as well as many established brands, Michiel shares the one thing that he is waiting for that isn’t yet to market. For the audio podcast, click here.

Legal Eagle Carissa Kranz Talks U.S. Wet Markets, her legal petition in support of banning NY wet markets and her company BeVeg, which certifies companies as vegan in order to standardize the market. Carissa has been vegan since birth and, before becoming a lawyer and CEO of her own company, was a performing ballerina. For the audio podcast, click here.

April 27: One of the most influential and dedicated figures in the Plantbased Business arena, Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni joins me on the Plantbased Business Hour to discuss inefficient meat and dairy operations, solutions for change and feeding a growing population.

We also discuss working alongside meat and dairy to replace their product lines with plant-based alternatives and supporting vegan businesses and sanctuaries during Covid-19. For the audio podcast, click here.

CEO Vikas Garg of abillionveg joins me on the Plantbased Business Hour to discuss how, through reviews, the direct feedback from customers to restaurants about their vegan options allows restaurants to do more and better vegan dishes, thus growing the market. abillionveg app also donates $1 per review to animal sanctuaries and allows consumers the chance for their voice to be heard while doing what they love most: taking pictures of food. For the audio podcast, click here.

Founder of Tofurky, Seth Tibbott, dishes with me on the The Plantbased Business Hour on meat and dairy bailouts, Tofurky’s booming plant-based business, their new factory strategy during Covid-19, the delay of the Moocho Cheese launch and his book, In Search of the Wild Tofurky.  Plus, Felipe Alvalos of Big Love Catering joins us to talk feeding first responders vegan meals from the kindness of his heart. For the audio podcast, click here.

Rebecca Mink, Founder/Designer of Mink Shoes shares how she crafts her vegan luxury shoes in Italy, the passion behind the craft and how the Florence leather market is opening to vegan leather!

Rebecca makes vegan shoes for the stars and, in a step ahead of the markets, she is taking her luxury shoes direct to consumers with her custom boutique.  Get your shoe obsession on! It’s Mink Shoes on the PlantBased Business Hour. For the audio podcast, click here.

Slaughterhouse shutdowns, Burger King law suits, Physician Committee for Responsible Medicine takes on U.S. Wet Markets, The Mile High Vegan Network and the So Flo Vegan Summit. With coverage from JaneUnChained News Network and Vegconomist, I break down the vegan news with Courtney Garza of VegWorld Magazine on The Plantbased Business Hour. For the audio podcast, click here.

Who is eating the most plant-based jerky around the country? It isn’t cowboys! CEO and Founder of It’s Jerky Y’all and All of Y’all’s Foods, Brett Christoffel, shares the pitfalls for entrepreneurs and the power of being mission driven. Get your Texan on, It’s Jerky Y’All! For the audio podcast, click here.

2020 is the year of Vegan Chicken! Mechanical Engineer and CEO of Rebellyous Foods, Christie Lagally, explains how she takes on the largest sector of the meat industry (Chicken) by creating a delicious chicken nugget that can scale up in volume and scale down in price to truly replace chicken production. She talks food and engineering the machinery for large scale production. For the audio podcast, click here.

A NASA research gig turns into a discovery of a lifetime….will microbes feed the world? CEO of Nature’s Fynd, Thomas Jonas explains how all protein comes from plants and microbes and that microbes will become our efficient, nutritious, and prolific food supply of the future. For the audio podcast, click here.

Co-CEO and Co-Founder of GoodDot (India), Abhishek Sinha joins me on the PLANTBASED BUSINESS HOUR to discuss veganism in India, the cultural pros and cons to embracing same and GoodDot’s exploding business beyond Asia. For the audio podcast, click here.

Is it enough to buy plant-based items when our tax dollars support meat and dairy subsidies? If meat and dairy is propped up by subsidies giving them unfair competitivie advantage, are we really a capitalist economy? Connie Spence of Agriculture Fairness Alliance and the Vegan Justice League Explains. For the audio podcast, click here.

Jeffrey Harris, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Plant Power Fast Food joins me on the PLANTBASED BUSINESS HOUR to talk about sales during Coronavirus, the beauty of a dedicated, loyal customer base and what he does in the face of fear. For a dose of inspiration and motivation, listen in! For the audio podcast, click here.

Lisa Feria of Stray Dog Capital joins me on the Plantbased Business Hour to discuss plantbased bacon, vegan foods tasting better than their counterparts and the most important skill for an entrepreneur. For the audio podcast, click here.

April 2: The Queen of Cheese, Miyoko Schinner of Miyoko’s Creamery joins me to discuss health and cruelty issues with dairy and the struggling industry. In addition, we discuss her mission that is a company, Miyoko’s new cheddar cheese, the impetus for starting a cheese dynasty and the reality that is the rapid growth of plantbased dairy. To inform the USDA that you do NOT want dairy to be recommended as a health food on its nutritional guidelines, visit this link:http://bit.ly/2Qp1SU6 

For the audio podcast, click here.

What’s the next Big (Plantbased) Idea? Andrew Ive, General Partner and Founder of Big Idea Ventures shares the secret, but here’s a hint: it isn’t food. Watch and listen in to find out! For the audio podcast, click here.

Lou Cooperhouse, CEO and President of BlueNalu, joins me to discuss the impending reality of cellular aquaculture, changing consumer habits and demands, the waste, inefficiency, cruelty and environmental by-product of fishing and fish farms and the worldwide rising demand for fish. This is the future! Listen in. For the audio podcast, click here.

Ryan Bethencourt, Founder of Wild Earth Pet Foods and Co-Author of The Clean Pet Food Revolution: How Better Pet Food Will Change the World, joins me to discuss how our pet food industry props up factory farming and how much of the pet food consists of dead, diseased, disabled and dying animal contributing to the spread of disease. We also talk about the changing landscape of investing in plantbased start-ups.  Finally, Dr. Jeff Schaider, Former Chariman of the Department of Emergency Health at one of the largest emergency rooms in the country, Cook County in Chicago, talks about Coronavirus, testing and managing supplies. For the audio podcast, click here.

Andrew Kalish of Sam & Gertie’s and Kāl’ish and Jennie Plasterer of Kitchen 17 are two of very few Chicago vegan restaurants which have not closed…in fact they have reinvented themselves, forging ahead with new business models to keep vegan food, their businesses and hope alive. Tune in to listen to these two business leaders braving the frontlines of Coronavirus! For the audio podcast, click here.

Firecracker and Powerhouse Rachel Konrad of Impossible Foods joins me on The Plantbased Business Hour to discuss Impossible Pork, the expected swift shift of consumer food trends and if an IPO is in the future.  Rachel also explains in great detail how studies show that people don’t like to have their food coming from dead carcasses. For the audio podcast, click here.

Claire Smith, CEO of Beyond Investing and Chairwoman of Beyond Animal, talks about the bottleneck with bank loans for vegan businesses. For the audio podcast, click here.

Founder of Before the Butcher and current Presiplant of #UnCut Burgers, Danny O’Malley joins me to discuss 1) how being acquired has helped his company weather the Coronavirus, 2) if grocers are considering plant-based meats when meat supplies have run out, and 3) if we have come to a saturation point for plant-based burgers. For the audio podcast, click here.

First up is Curt Albright of Clear Current Captial. Curt and I discuss 1) the power of impact investing, 2) the contract manufacturing deficit for plant-based businesses and 3) the individual potency of the consumer. Watch below and share. For the audio podcast, click here.