Elysabeth Alfano

Plantbased Business Hour

Glenn Hurowitz of Mighty Earth: “I Can’t Imagine Any Industry That’s Going to Grow More Quickly”

Elysabeth and Glenn Hurowitz of Mighty Earth discuss: What is Mighty Earth and what work does the organization focus on? What campaigns it is currently working on and with what success? What is their perfect storm technique? What is their work on alternative proteins, animal feed and climate change through food transformation? Below is a highlight clip from their long-form conversation. Podcast here. Elysabeth: I want to bring on the founder of Mighty Earth, Glenn Hurowitz. I’m pronouncing your name correctly? Glenn Hurowitz: Yes, well done. Elysabeth: Quick shoutout to FAIRR, Farm Animal Investment Risk and Return. They also do a lot of the work that you’re talking about, trying to bring on investors and private companies, be they privately owned or publicly traded, just …

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Plantbased Business Hour

What is Plant Transformation? Mary Fernandes of Solis Agrosciences

Mary Fernandes, President of Solis Agrosciences, discusses Plant Pipeline as a Service (PPaaS), plant transformation, gene editing, and the future (or the now?) of food on today’s episode of The Plantbased Business Hour. Specifically, they discuss What is Plant Pipeline as a Service? What is the demand for PPaaS? What is Plant Transformation? Gene Editing? Why do we need these things? What is GMO? Is it bad for you? Can we feed the world without GMO and without tech in our food? Below is a highlight clip from their long-form conversation. Podcast here . Display content from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Open “Mary Fernandes of Solis Agrosciences Predicts Farmers Will Need …

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World Vegan Day

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People

Messages From Vegan Business Leaders on World Vegan Day, Part 2

In this second installment, we feature messages from prominent figures in the plant-based space who each have valuable insights to share, featuring vegan cheese legend Miyoko Schinner; bee-free honey pioneer Darko Mandich of Melibio; Canadian Waygu beef leader Blair Bullus of Wamame Foods; and vegan business expert Elysabeth Alfano of VegTech Invest. We asked: as we approach the end of what has been a turbulent year for many in the business, what is your message for the plant-based industry as we look ahead to 2024? Miyoko Schinner: “Celebrate compassion” Yes, it’s been a rough year for the industry of “alt-protein,” but does that necessarily mean it’s been rough for the advancement of veganism? The question we must ask as vegans is actually what is our …

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Plantbased Business Hour

How to Live to 100: Netflix and Blue Zones’ Dan Buettner

Author Dan Buettner who is the founder of Blue Zones and host of Netflix’s Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones, joins me to share how you can live to 100 through eating a plant-based diet on The Plantbased Business Hour. Specifically, they discuss How to live longer and healthier,  The American health crisis. Below is a highlight clip from their long-form conversation. Podcast here. Elysabeth: I am recording today from the gorgeous and beautiful Santa Barbara Four Seasons. We’re back with Dan Buettner, founder of Blue Zones. Dan Buettner: We’ve flattened off and we’re headed towards a country where fifty percent of us are obese and that’s because of what we eat. The capacity of the human machine- so everybody listening out there right now, if …

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Plantbased Business Hour

What Can the Alternative Proteins Sector Learn From the Apparel Impact Institute?

Lewis Perkins, President of the Apparel Impact Institute discusses decarbonizing the fashion industry on the Plantbased Business Hour with Elysabeth Alfano. Specifically, they discuss, What is the Apparel Impact Institute? What can the alternative proteins sector learn from A.I.I. What is the Fashion Climate Fund and Climate Solutions Portfolio? How are these structures helping to decarbonize the fashion industry? What does the industry really need to see happen for a major shift to take place in fashion?  Is it always as simple as just lowering prices? Do legacy fashion brands fight A.I.I on its mission towards sustainability. What kind of impact are you having? Below is a highlight clip from their long-form conversation. Podcast here. Display content from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more …

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Plantbased Business Hour

How the Bühler Group Champions Sustainability with Thierry Duvanel

Thierry Duvanel, Director of Innovation at the Bühler Group gives real-world examples of sustainability goals being met and measured at the company in scopes 1, 2, and 3. A beacon for other supply chain companies to meaningfully contribute to positive planetary change, Bühler is leading in cleaning up the food systems supply chain. Thierry explains how on this episode of The Plantbased Business Hour.  Specifically, they discuss, Bühler’s shift to sustainability and the extent of the capital requirement, How important is it to understand Scopes 1, 2, 3 and the importance of supply chain in the environmental equation, The growth and impact potential of the alternative protein’s supply chain and The business advantage from having good sustainability numbers. Below is a highlight clip from their …

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Heather Courtney Plantbased Business Hour
Plantbased Business Hour

Lessons for the Sector with Heather Courtney of Alwyn Capital on the Plantbased Business Hour

Elysabeth gives a recap on the Plant Based World Expo 2023 and the Good Food Conference 2023. In the last half of the episode, she is joined by General Partner at Alwyn Capital, Heather Courtney. They discuss the latest developments in the alternative protein sector on this episode of the Plantbased Business Hour.  Specifically, they discuss: The importance of transparency in a nascent sector, Positive signs for the sector, as well as concerns, and Key areas for investment. Below is a highlight clip from their long-form conversation. Podcast here. Display content from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Open “Heather Courtney Shares Learning Lessons From the Good Food Conference” directly Elysabeth: Please tell me, …

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Plantbased Business Hour

Ingredion’s Push for Novel Ingredients and Tastier Products

Mike Natale, Global Leader of Plant-based Protein, Ingredion, Yadu Dar, Director of Global Development, Ingredion and Jeremy Jones, Founder of SunDrip, discuss the highlights of the recent Ingredion State of the Plant-based Protein Event with Elysabeth Alfano It’s another great episode of The Plantbased Business Hour! Specifically, they discuss, Consumer attitudes and motivations, Educational opportunities and messaging, Ingredient development and sector progression and Bright spots in the sector experiencing large growth. Below is a highlight clip from our long-form conversation which includes a tour of one of their greenhouse ponds and a taste test of some of their products. Podcast here. Display content from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Open “State of Plant-based Ingredients” directly …

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VegTech Invest hosts impact investing webinar

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Fairs & Events

VegTech Invest Hosts Free Impact Investing Webinar for Vegans

VegTech Invest has announced that it will be hosting a free one-hour impact investing webinar aimed at vegans, which will take place this Thursday (August 24) at 1pm ET. CEO Elysabeth Alfano and Chief Investment Officer Dr. Sasha Goodman will host the webinar, covering topics such as: What is impact investing in the public markets? How can we impact invest for animals?  What is liquidity? What is diversification? What is risk management? Why are these things important to incorporate into our investing goals?  What happened to the Beyond Meat and Oatly stocks?  What should a vegan impact investor be wary of?  “Utilizing investment dollars strategically” VegTech Invest is a Registered Investment Advisory that has created a completely new impact asset class in the capital markets — Plant-based …

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PBH YT David Schroeder
Plantbased Business Hour

The Best Not-Pork Dumplings Are From Algae. Dave Schroeder of Triton Algae Innovation

Dave Schroeder, Director of Regulatory and Corporate Affairs at Triton Algae Innovations, discusses being the little engine that could and outlasting the economic downturn on The Plantbased Business Hour with Elysabeth Alfano. Plus, he takes Elysabeth through the magic of algae at their San Diego plant as she tastes their newest products: algae dumplings – tastes like pork! – high-protein pasta and chips from their new brand: Too Good to Be. Specifically, they discuss, The versatility and functionality of algae. Scaling an algae plant and taking the Triton Algae Innovations tour The newest products: high-protein pasta and non-pork dumplings and The secret to lasting through a financial storm. Below is a highlight clip from their long-form conversation. Podcast here. Display content from YouTube Click here to …

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Plantbased Business Hour

Is there Overlap Between Regenerative Agriculture and Plant-based Innovation?

Joel Stone, Executive Director of Climate Systems Solutions, joins Elysabeth Alfano on The Plantbased Business Hour to discuss how regenerative ag and plant-based innovation can work together…if at all. It gets dicey as they dish on where there is  overlap and where there is conflict. disagree. Can the future of food be sustainable? Can it be wholesome…and what does that even mean? Specifically, they discuss, The definition of Regenerative Agriculture, Is there overlap between Plant-based Innovation and Regenerative Agriculture, What role does tech play in Regenerative Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation,   Why is there a big focus on soil health and how Plant-based Innovation plays a role in it. Below is a highlight clip from their long-form conversation. Podcast here. Display content from YouTube Click here to …

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Plantbased Business Hour

Plantible’s Big Bet: Rubi Protein from the Lemna Leaf

Chief Commercial Officer of Plantible Foods, Morgan Keim, is on The Plantbased Business Hour with Elysabeth Alfano giving a special tour of the company’s lemna leaf (AKA duckweed) plant. Morgan discusses the sustainability and scalability of Plantible’s Rubi Protein extracted from the lemna leaf and how Plantible is taking a nature-based solutions and using it to create clean, highly functional plant protein.   Specifically, they discuss, What is the lemna leaf and why is it such a key part of the food chain? What infrastructure spending in need to bring Rubisco Protein from the Lemna Leaf to market? What are the functional benefits of using Rubi Protein, and How does it taste? Below is a highlight clip from our long-form conversation which includes a tour …

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investment plant cash

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Investments & Finance

Is Plant-Based Innovation Emerging as a Solution & Investable Opportunity?

This article, co-authored by Elysabeth Alfano and Sasha Goodman of VegTech Invest, was originally published on FactSet and has been reproduced here with permission from the original publication. The opinions set out here are those of the authors. In the pursuit of alpha, some investors use a thematic approach. Most simply, thematic investing is a portfolio strategy that bases investment selections on a potentially macro long-term trend with implications across different sectors and industries. For example, investors might consider opportunities stemming from material changes in technologies, climate, regulations, energy sources, or global demographics. This article specifically examines a topic that spans many of those areas: trends in plant-based and alternative protein nutrition, including plant-based foods, precision and bio-mass protein fermentation, and cultivated meat, collectively referred …

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Plantbased Business Hour

Kimberlie Le of Prime Roots on the Plant Based Business Hour

CEO of Prime Roots, Kimberlie Le, joins Elysabeth Alfano on The Plantbased Business Hour to discuss the magic of whole-food, Koji fungi (best pâté ever!) and taking over the deli counter. Specifically, they discuss: How Koji can be meats from fungi Distribution and taking over deli counters. Prime Roots Koji bacon and pate, and The environmental impact and efficiency of using microbes for food production. Below is a short clip and transcript from their conversation. Podcast here. Display content from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Open “How is Koji Being used to Create Fungi-Based Pate and Deli Meats?” directly Elysabeth: Help us understand what you’re doing with mushrooms because when I first read- …

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Plantbased Business Hour

What’s Behind Fatty Meat: Plant Chompers’ Chris MacAskill on The Plantbased Business Hour

Mr. Plant Chompers, Chris MacAskill, joins Elysabeth Alfano on The Plantbased Business Hour to share why he created the super popular YouTube channel Plant Chompers. Often getting over 100k views, Chris talks about achieving better health and the science behind achieving better health to help consumers understand the underpinnings of a healthy diet.  They also discuss the business elements that can further misinformation. It’s a very fun and nerdy Plantbased Business Hour! Specifically, they discuss, Misunderstandings about diabetes, The rising cost of healthcare in parallel with a growing number of obese Americans, The negative impacts on health from eating meat and the benefits of meat alternatives, The planetary healthcare costs of our current food supply system.  Below is a short clip and transcript from their conversation. Podcast …

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Plantbased Business Hour

Investing for Animal Welfare with Lewis Bollard on The Plantbased Business Hour

Senior Program Officer for the Open Philanthropy Project, Lewis Bollard, discusses if Animal Welfare is growing in recognition as an ESG investing principle. It’s a Plantbased Business Hour with Elysabeth Alfano for the animals. Specifically, they discuss, Who funds The Open Philanthropy Project and why? You focus a lot on funding youth participation, education and media. What have studies shown about the success of these tactics? Do you see animal welfare as an ESG investment proposal?   Below is a short clip and transcript from their conversation. Podcast here. Display content from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Open “Lewis Bollard Responds to Negative Media Portrayal of Plant-based Meat” directly Elysabeth: The press has …

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Plantbased Business Hour

All In Podcast’s David Friedberg: Plant-based Innovation Can Grow the Economy. Here’s How.

The podcast I have been waiting years to record! The All In Podcast’s Sultan of Science: David Friedberg, CEO of The Production Board, is on The Plantbased Business Hour with me to discuss how AI can impact the Plant-based Innovation sector (plant-based foods and alternative proteins) as well as what the sector can do to scale up production and reduce costs. The All In podcast doesn’t talk about plant-based innovation as part of an economic driver as much as they could, so we do it here. So much to discuss! We dish on politics, the economy, innovation and culture…all as it relates to global food systems transformation. Specifically, they discuss, How the sector can scale to price parity or better and the innovations that will get us there, The …

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PBH YT Peter Singer
Plantbased Business Hour

Animal Liberation Now: Peter Singer on The Plantbased Business Hour

Princeton BioEthics Professor and famed author of over 25 books including The Life You Can Save, the Most Good You Can Do and Animal Liberation, Peter Singer joins Elysabeth Alfano on The Plantbased Business Hour to discuss his newest book, Animal Liberation Now. Specifically, they discuss, Speciesism: what is it and how could its adoption change society? Have we progressed in the 50 years since the publication of Animal Liberation? Should animals have rights, be considered equals or be considered at all? What are the moral questions that would determine the answer? How has Charles Darwin helped to shape animal rights and our understanding of animals? His predictions for the global shifting food supply system away from animals.  Below is a short clip and transcript from their conversation. Podcast …

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Plantbased Business Hour

Cooking for Inflationary Times. Plant-based on a Budget’s Toni Okamoto on The Plantbased Business Hour

Author of Plant-based On A Budget and influencer Toni Okamoto discusses her new book, Plant-based On A Budget: Quick and Easy, and her business plan for influencership. It’s a thing.   It’s a special Plantbased Business Hour with Elysabeth Alfano for inflationary times. Specifically, they discuss, The business of being an influencer. How she came to grow an audience of 600k followers by being true to herself and becoming best-selling author. Why she decided to focus on the topic of ‘plant-based on a budget.’ Below is a short clip and transcript from their conversation. Podcast here. Display content from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Open “Bloomberg Intelligence Researcher, Jen Bartashus, Says The Plant-based Foods Sector Is A Trend” directly …

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Plantbased Business Hour

Bloomberg Intelligence Says Plant-Based is Long-Term Trend: Jen Bartashus on The Plantbased Business Hour

Bloomberg’s Senior Research Analyst Jen Bartashus breaks down the REAL numbers (not the click-bait story) of the Plant-based Innovation trend.  Plus, we crack open the GFI State of the Industry Report for added understanding.  It’s another episode of Plant-based Business Hour with Elysabeth Alfano. Specifically, they discuss, Is the Plant-based Sector a trend or a fad? The GFI State of the Industry Report results. The problem with and what’s missing with the IRI numbers. The importance of indicators like the Biden BioTech and BioTech Manufacturing Goals and How does the growth of tech chips in the U.S. impact the growth of plant-based innovation?  Below is a short clip and transcript from their conversation. Podcast here. Display content from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. …

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