Cultivating Careers in Alternative Proteins Podcast

Bryce Rogers is a Project Engineer at Edge Foods, a New York based cell culture media and growth factor B2B startup for cultivated meat companies. He previously worked for High Impact Engineers and has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California.Natalie Fernandez is a recent mechanical engineering graduate from the University of Waterloo seeking roles in the alternative protein industry. She also co-founded the Waterloo Alt Protein Project. Their advice is to search for jobs that seem tangentially related to your goal, seek out opportunities that enable you to learn more, have a vision, and don’t be too hard on yourself.Links to things discussed during the episode:Effective Altruism (EA) GlobalThe Waterloo Alt Protein ProjectHigh Impact Engineers podcast: Engineered for ImpactBryce’s email: [email protected]’s email: [email protected] This episode is sponsored by Tälist. Sign up here for their matchmaking service to receive personal job recommendations based on your profile and preferences. Follow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode. 

Anirvan Guha is the Head of Formulations at Multus, a London based company that develops custom ingredients and growth media for cultivated meat companies. He has a masters in biomedical engineering from the University of Michigan and a PhD in Physics from the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. Anirvan's work on designing artificial systems that mimic nature has been published in top scientific journals such as Nature and Advanced Materials, and now he is using that experience to help serve the cultivated meat industry. His advice is to figure out what skills are needed in the industry and then determine which of those you can further develop in order to make a greater contribution to the industry.Links to things discussed during the episode:Anirvan’s mentors: Xin (Tony) Tong, Lei Yin, Michael MayerMultus’ growth media facilityMultus’ Careers pageThis episode is sponsored by Tälist, matching Alternative Protein businesses with the best talent from around the globe. Check out their redesigned website.Follow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode. 

Katie Nehmer is the Sales Manager at Plant Based World Expo North America where she is responsible for bringing companies to the annual exposition event held in September in New York City. Previously, she was the Sales Support Specialist at Plant Based World Expo Europe. Katie has a BA in Human Geography from the University of Brighton in England and has done extensive fieldwork in North Africa, Greece, and Scotland. Her advice is to build relationships with people in the industry on LinkedIn.Below are links to the resources discussed in this episode:Root FoodsPlant Based Food AssociationThis episode is sponsored by Tälist, a service providing talent solutions specifically focused on the alternative protein industry. You can register here to be a part of the Tälist Talent Database, a matchmaking service for the alternative protein industry.Follow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode. 

Sandra Einvall was a marketeer at Brave New Food, an Dutch organization that connects food innovators together to accelerate the transition to a sustainable food system. However, she recently transitioned to working full time on Fikat, the sustainable Swedish plant-based treat startup she founded in 2021. While studying graphic design, Sandra started the Vegan Student Association Utrecht and grew it to be the biggest vegan student association in the Netherlands. During this time, she also completed social media and design internships at Lazy Vegan, a frozen vegan convenience meal company. Sandra’s advice is to demonstrate your passion for this industry and embrace the community. You can learn more about Sandra’s story by checking out this Brighter Future interview with Sandra.Follow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode. This episode is sponsored by Tälist, a service providing talent solutions specifically focused on the alternative protein industry. They have one of the most extensive job boards in the alternative protein industry with over 1,500 jobs posted every month from more than 1,000 organizations. Check it out here. 

Angel Li is committed to inducing positive societal change for the planet, people, and animals. She has 7 years of solid experience managing a EU-funded sustainable protein project as well as community initiatives to shift the public towards a plant-based diet. As a GRI certified sustainability professional with a master’s degree in Sustainable Development, she strives to influence food policy and collaborate with various partners to transform the food system. Prior to becoming Plenitude Project Manager & Policy at ENOUGH, Angel worked in community outreach, stakeholder/corporate engagement, and institutional change development at Green Monday. The advice she gives is to share your ideas and opinions on social media as well as to upskill to evolve with the industry.Below are links to the resources discussed in this episode:Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU)Marina Bay Sands campaignGreen Monday cooking videosFollow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode. This episode is sponsored by Tälist, a service providing talent solutions specifically focused on the alternative protein industry. They recently released an Impact Calculator to provide a personalized calculation of the positive impact you could make by joining the industry. 

Chris Bryant is the Director of Bryant Research, a research organization based in the United Kingdom, which focuses on shaping better food choices through social science. Chris has a BA in Business Management, a Masters of Science in Policy Research, and a PhD in Energy, Environment, and Resilience. Chris was also the Director of Social Sciences for the Cellular Agriculture Society and currently co-organizes the Research to End Consumption of Animal Products (RECAP) Group. Taking on the responsibilities of the job you want to have is the advice that Chris has for job seekers in the alternative protein industry.Below are links to the resources discussed in this episode:Cellular Agriculture UK Cellular Agriculture FranceCellular Agriculture GermanyGood Food InstituteProVegNew HarvestRECAP ResearchFollow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode. This episode is sponsored by Tälist, a service providing talent solutions specifically focused on the alternative protein industry. To learn more, you should connect with the founder, Pia Voltz, on LinkedIn.

Nate Crosser is a Principal at Blue Horizon, a global food, agriculture, and bioeconomy impact investment firm based in Zurich. To date, they have deployed over $850 million into an ecosystem of over 75 companies across 6 continents. Nate also writes the environmental biotechnology newsletter, Fifth Industrial, and previously worked at the Good Food Institute, a biotechnology incubator, and holds a Juris Doctor in Commercial Law. Nate’s advice is to think creatively and look for ways to link your passion to the alternative protein industry.Below are links to the resources discussed in this episode:LIVEKINDLYGFI’s State of the Industry reportsBlue Horizon’s job board and talent networkGFI’s investment pageVenture Deals by brad Feld and Jason MendelsonFollow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode. This episode is sponsored by Tälist. Join their LinkedIn group to connect with a network of alternative protein job seekers and employers.

Frederik Lau is a Master's student of biotechnology and engineering writing his thesis on cultivated meat. In addition, Frederik was a facilitator for the Alternative Protein Fundamentals Programme organized by the Cambridge University Alt. Protein Society as well as Leaf, a program teaches youth how to use their future careers to do good. He is also a local radio host on a philosophy show and the fellowship director for Effective Altruism Denmark, where he organises and manages online programmes about effective altruism. Finally, he teaches high schoolers about the "whats" and "whys" of alternative proteins. In this episode, Frederik’s talks about his experience with imposter syndrome and gives the advice of applying for jobs even if you don’t think you're qualified enough because you never know what opportunities that may lead to.Below are links to the resources discussed in this episode:- Alternative Protein Fundamentals Programme- Amanda Dahl Hansen’s The Future of Protein Programme syllabus- Frederik’s radio show, Folkets RadioFollow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode. 

Mathilde Do Chi is a food law/regulatory affairs consultant and started her own consultancy agency called Vegan Food Law. She has gained expertise in Europe, Asia, and North America food law/regulatory affairs in both the private and public sectors through working with the FAO of the United Nations, Japanese government, French government, NGOs, global consultancy firms, multinationals, and law firms. Mathilde has a Diploma in Food Psychology, a Masters of Laws in both International Trade & Investment Law, and a Masters of Laws in Food Law. On top of all of that, she is the VP of Regulatory Affairs for both the Vegan Society of Canada and the Vegan World Alliance as well as the Chief Compliance Officer for BeVeg. Mathilde’s advice is to be curious and learn as much as you can about the industry.Below are links to the resources discussed in this episode:- Vegan and plant-based food labelling report/guidebookFollow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode. 

Laura Hackl is a Tech Advisor to start-ups, such as Plant Provisions and Terrabio, where she helps develop plant-based sustainable food products including recipe design, scale-up, and nutrient composition. Laura is based in Vienna, Austria, and currently serves as Research Advisor for USAID Advancing Nutrition. In this role she designs scientific studies, orchestrates stakeholder collaborations, and leads activities on food fortification, anemia/micronutrients, and diet quality. Laura has a PhD in Health Sciences and Technology from ETH Zürich. Her advice is to identify existing gaps in the alternative protein space, learn how you can contribute, and reach out to stakeholders in the industry to learn about their experiences.Follow this podcast on Instagram and never miss an episode.