In 2009, Berkeley seniors Nikhil Arora and Alejandro Velez started to geek out over something they'd heard in a lecture: you can grow a healthy crop of mushrooms on used coffee grounds. Intrigued by the business potential, the pair set aside jobs in finance and consulting and became urban farmers: salvaging leaky bags of coffee grounds, planting mushroom spa ... Show More
Feb 23
Square: Jim McKelvey. He Lost a $2,000 Sale, Then Built a $10 Billion Company
Most entrepreneurs think the hardest part of building a company is the product.For Jim McKelvey — co-founder of Square — the hardest part was the system around the product.Because Square wasn’t just competing with other startups …It was competing with regulations, middlemen, entr ... Show More
1h 11m
Jul 2022
Irving Fain, Bowery Farming
Bowery Farms founder and CEO Irving Fain wants you to taste the best strawberry you’ve ever had, grown only a few miles from your urban home. As the leading and largest vertical farming company in the U.S, their goal is to make agriculture possible in urban spaces while also maki ... Show More
46m 45s
Mar 2023
#105 Teffola: Granola Guy Approved
A few years ago, Claire Smith moved back to her family farm, where they practice sustainable farming, and created Teffola. It’s granola made with an ancient Ethiopian grain called teff, which is filled with lots of protein, fiber, iron, and calcium. The only problem is… no one’s ... Show More
33m 36s
Jul 2023
1KHO 169: The Entrepreneurial Farmer: Skills Employers Seek and Growing Sustainable Futures | Michael Kilpatrick, Growing Farmers
In this episode, we dive into the world of entrepreneurship and explore the skills that employers are seeking today. Our guest, Michael Kilpatrick from Growing Farmers, shares his journey in sustainable farming and how he's helping his community eat more awesome foods. From turni ... Show More
53m 24s
Sep 2020
E12: Sky Kurtz on spearheading technology, sustainability & food security with Pure Harvest
In an increasingly digital world, you have to appreciate people who work with their hands—artists, tailors, buildings, designers, cooks. I’m joined on this episode by Sky Kurtz, co-founder & CEO of Pure Harvest, a new breed of tech startups that has raised $50 million to build hi ... Show More
48m 51s
May 2024
Trendspotting with Ron Shaich: Panera, Cava, and Beyond
<p>Some business leaders have a seemingly psychic ability to spot trends, and take them mainstream at just the right moment. Ron Shaich is one of those. As a pioneering force behind fast-casual dining, Shaich saw that a growing number of Americans craved higher quality food in a ... Show More
27m 40s