Ep. 152 - Jacob Foss: Eradicating Extreme Rural Poverty

In this very special 200th interview, I’m joined by Deniz Kent, the Co-Founder & CEO of Prolific Machines, a biotech company at the forefront of sustainable and healthy food. Starting his career with notable research in cancer immunotherapy at the University of Bristol, Deniz has been recognized for his contributions to science, including winning the award for “outstanding contribution to research” while at GlaxoSmithKline focusing on asthma. Deniz is a key player in cell production for agriculture, aiming to make cultured meat competitively priced against conventional farming. With $42M+ in funding and support from people like Mark Cuban, Emily Ratajkowski, and Ciara to name just a few, Prolific Machines is redefining food sustainability and accessibility.

➡️ https://www.prolific-machines.com/

➡️ https://rosspalmer.com/deniz-kent

➡️ Follow me on Instagram: @therosspalmer

➡️ Subscribe on YouTube: @therosspalmer

Joining us today is Lin Kayser, the co-founder of Leap 71 – a Dubai-based company pioneering the emerging field of Computational Engineering. Lin started coding as an 8-year-old and is a serial entrepreneur with 30 years of experience in building high technology ventures.

➡️ https://leap71.com/

➡️ https://rosspalmer.com/lin-kayser

➡️ Follow me on Instagram: @therosspalmer

➡️ Subscribe on YouTube: @therosspalmer

Can plants be more like meat, no really? In this episode, we're spotlighting Moolec Science, a trailblazer in the food industry harnessing the power of Molecular Farming technology. Not sure what that is? Great! Because neither am I. At the helm (and joining us today) is CEO and Co-Founder Gastón Paladini, who brings a wealth of experience from his 20-year tenure at Argentina's meat production heavyweight, Paladini Group. Now Moolec Science aims to disrupt the food sector by infusing plants with animal protein genes. This company is crafting a novel category between plant-based and cell-based technologies—frankly it’s a wild concept I haven’t heard of before until right now. Moolec Science is dedicated to creating food ingredients that merge the cost and environmental benefits of plant-based food with the taste and functionality of animal proteins. Basically, can you make soy beans taste and behave like pork? Today, Moolec Science is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker "MLEC". This idea is just so crazy, I had to explore it. 

➡️ https://moolecscience.com/

➡️ https://rosspalmer.com/gaston-paladini

➡️ Follow me on Instagram: @therosspalmer

➡️ Subscribe on YouTube: @therosspalmer

Today we’ll embark on a journey of innovation and environmental impact with Niklas Kluger, co-founder and COO of InPlanet. We’ll learn how this GreenTech pioneer, with a rich background in environmental engineering and tropical agriculture, is revolutionizing carbon dioxide removal. From scaling urban farming globally to pioneering something I had never heard of called “Enhanced Rock Weathering” in Brazil, Niklas is at the forefront of combating climate change and regenerating tropical soils. Their rock powder is able to remove CO₂ while regenerating soil, two vitally important things for our sustainable future on this planet. So let’s explore InPlanet's mission to create a carbon-neutral future, one gigaton at a time."

➡️ https://www.inplanet.earth/

➡️ https://rosspalmer.com/niklas-kluger

➡️ Follow me on Instagram: @therosspalmer

➡️ Subscribe on YouTube: @therosspalmer

Saman Farid is the CEO and founder of Formic Technologies, a company at the forefront of revolutionizing automation in manufacturing. With a passionate commitment to boosting productivity in U.S. industries, his company Formic, specializes in offering cutting-edge robotic solutions that elegantly simplify automation. These versatile robots not only streamline the packing and palletizing processes but also contribute to the production of a diverse range of products, from delightful chocolate chip cookies to specialty chemicals.

Saman’s journey in the tech and robotics realm is marked by significant achievements, including founding Comet Labs, an AI-focused investment fund and incubator. He also ran the global investment fund at Baidu Ventures  focusing on AI, Machine Learning, and its effects on the way we work and live, so it’s safe to say he knows what he’s talking about in this space.  His expertise and enthusiasm for technology have led him to invest in and guide over 25 businesses in robotics, AI, and technology. A childhood fascination with robots, coupled with his later study of automation and breakthroughs in AI, propelled him to establish Formic in 2020, a company that has since garnered over $30M in funding and numerous accolades such as FAST Company’s 2023 “Most Innovative Companies” Award. Beyond his professional endeavors, Saman is deeply invested in youth empowerment and actively supports technology education through local non-profits.

➡️ https://formic.co/

➡️ https://rosspalmer.com/saman-farid

➡️ Follow me on Instagram: @therosspalmer

➡️ Subscribe on YouTube: @therosspalmer

Joining us right now is Paul Shapiro, CEO of the Better Meat Company—a company on a mission to reinvent "meat". They’ve got plug-and-play mycoprotein formulations that quickly and cost-effectively enhance (or even replace) meat products while improving nutrition, flavor, and yield. He's also the author of the best-selling book, Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and the World, and the host of the Business for Good Podcast, a podcast that I might add closely mimics what we're doing here, except of course, his is better no doubt, because as a host, let’s face it, I am questionable at best. He's been a five-time TEDx speaker And has published more than 100 articles on food sustainability. Now, he's using mycoprotein to satiate, humanity’s collective "meat tooth".

➡️ https://www.bettermeat.co/

➡️ https://rosspalmer.com/paul-shapiro

➡️ Follow me on Instagram: @therosspalmer

➡️ Subscribe on YouTube: @therosspalmer

In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about Blue Oceans and Red Oceans, a concept talked about in Blue Ocean Strategy by Renée Mauborgne, W. Chan Kim. Broadly speaking, a “blue ocean” is uncontested market space—something that no one else is really doing, like Cirque Du Soleil when they first started. Compare that with a “red ocean”, or a supersaturated market in which you’re unlikely to succeed, like me selling you my NFTs of my head spliced onto Ryan Reynold’s body for the low low price of just 2 ETH!

Joining us today is Ramiro Velasco, President and Co-Founder of GoAvance, a company that specializes in Amazon e-commerce but specifically in Latin America. The reason I wanted to do this show is because we tend to think only of opportunity in the country we live in. But perhaps, if certain techniques no longer work in your country, the blue ocean is applying those ideas to a different market, in this case, Mexico. I try to expand your ideas of what’s possible with this show, and maybe moving to Mexico and setting up shop there is exactly what you should do to find your own, uncharted waters. We’ll talk about practical tips for selling on Amazon in any country and also some general trends in marketing and ecommerce—this is especially relevant if you’ve ever wanted to sell something online.

➡️ https://goavance.com/

➡️ https://rosspalmer.com/ramiro-velasco

➡️ Follow me on Instagram: @therosspalmer

➡️ Subscribe on YouTube: @therosspalmer

Today we’ve got an AWESOME episode for you. Joining us is Matt Rogers, whom I believe we can accurately call a tech legend. Matt's career began at Apple, where his talent and dedication led him to build the software team responsible for ten generations of the iconic iPod. As one of the pioneering engineers on the original iPhone, his influence extended through five generations of the device and into the creation of the first iPad. His remarkable contributions to these groundbreaking products have left an indelible mark on the technology landscape.

As if that wasn’t enough… Matt co-founded Nest Labs, revolutionizing the smart home device industry with the Nest thermostat. This innovation caught the eye of Google, leading to a high-profile acquisition for $3.2 billion in 2014. But Matt's ambitions didn't stop there. After Nest, he turned his focus towards philanthropy, particularly in climate-related initiatives. This path led him to a startling realization about food waste, and together with his former colleague Harry Tannenbaum, he conceived Mill. This ingenious kitchen bin transforms food scraps into chicken feed—basically indoor composting that doesn’t smell—offering a sustainable solution to household waste and contributing significantly to environmental conservation. With Mill, Matt Rogers is not just redefining waste management; he's shaping a future that aligns with the ambitious zero-waste goals of cities worldwide, promising a significant reduction in emissions and deforestation. Join us as we explore the journey of this extraordinary innovator and how his latest venture, Mill, is set to make a lasting impact on our planet.

➡️ https://www.mill.com/

➡️ https://rosspalmer.com/matt-rogers

➡️ Follow me on Instagram: @therosspalmer

➡️ Subscribe on YouTube: @therosspalmer

Today, I’m honored to have Fabian de la Fuente joining us. Fabian is a six-time serial entrepreneur with a 33-year history in technology innovation, holding over 100 patents in software, electronics, and photovoltaics. He has led diverse teams on four continents and launched numerous technology products globally. As the Co-founder and CEO of Solaires Entreprises Inc., a Canadian cleantech company, he's pioneering the development of perovskite-based solar cells, aiming for higher efficiency and sustainability in solar energy. If you're wondering what it takes to build and scale and sell a business in the eco space, this episode is for you.

➡️ https://www.solaires.net/

➡️ https://rosspalmer.com/fabian-de-la-fuente

➡️ Follow me on Instagram: @therosspalmer

➡️ Subscribe on YouTube: @therosspalmer

What if a brain scan was a part of our regular checkup? What if we could detect and prevent diseases like dementia far in advance, with non-invasive tech? Something as simple as just putting on a bicycle helmet? Could we accelerate treatment discovery? Improve patient outcomes? And transform neuromedicine? Joining us today is the CEO of Kernel, a company based here in Los Angeles that is up to out-of-this world stuff. I was lucky enough to visit their offices, and their tech is truly game-changing. I’ve even tried it on! Ryan Field is an inventor with more than 20 granted US patents, and Kernel has received over $150 million in funding and counting. Buckle up for an awesome episode.

➡️ https://www.kernel.com/

➡️ https://rosspalmer.com/ryan-field

➡️ Follow me on Instagram: @therosspalmer

➡️ Subscribe on YouTube: @therosspalmer