331 | Animal Free Dairy: Making Cheese Without Cows with Irina Gerry
Our guest this week on the pod is Irina Gerry. Irina is the Chief Marketing Officer of Change Foods, a precision fermentation food tech company creating animal-free dairy products. Prior to joining Change Foods, Irina worked in 2 of the largest plant-based food and beverage brands - Silk and So Delicious. Irina holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
This episode is sponsored by the coaching company of the host, Paul Zelizer. Consider a Strategy Session if you can use support growing your impact business.
Resources mentioned in this episode include:
Animal Free Dairy: Interview with Irina Gerry Transcript
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You can read the full transcript of this episode here..
Key Topics and Bullet Points
✅ Introduction to the Episode
- Episode title: Animal Free Dairy: Making Cheese Without Cows with Irina Gerry
- Host and guest: Paul Zelizer (Host), Irina Gerry (Guest)
- Irina Gerry’s professional experience -
✅ Environmental Impact of Dairy Consumption
- Discussion of the negative implications for land use, biodiversity, emissions, pesticides, and fertilizer
- Encouragement of dietary changes to improve environmental issues
✅ The Role of Individual Diet Changes
- Comparison of impact between diet changes and other environmental actions
- Emphasis on individual responsibility and potential for change
✅ Making Animal-Free Dairy Products
- Explanation of precision fermentation
- Description of the process: fermenting microorganisms, filtering milk protein, and food production
✅ Change Foods and the Food Technology Landscape
- Introduction of Change Foods in the context of animal-free dairy production
- Exploration of the broader market and companies working on similar technologies
✅ Precision Fermentation Alliance
- Formation and goals of the Precision Fermentation Alliance
- Addressing market challenges via collective industry effort
✅ Innovation and Market Adoption
- Discussion on expected timeline for product availability
- Influence of large companies on technology adoption
- Future projections for product mainstreaming
✅ Exploring Guest Background
- Irina Gerry's transition from corporate to entrepreneurial endeavors
- Her motivations and aspirations in the climate space
✅ Resources and Opportunities in Climate Work
- Mention of LinkedIn #opendoorclimate hashtag and podcast for career opportunities in impact space
- Encouragement for listeners to engage with work that have a broader impact
✅ Company Spotlight: Change Foods
- Founders' backgrounds and company history
- Company's current stage, fundraising efforts, and future goals
- Openness to investment and partnership discussions
✅ Episode Wrap-Up
- Encouragement to share the podcast and suggest future topics
- Final remarks from the host and guest on the importance of innovation in the food industry