David Lee, Impossible Foods: The Mission to Replace Meat by 2035

08/06/20 • 18 min

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It seems impossible: replace the animal-based meat industry with plant-based alternatives by 2035. But that’s what Impossible Foods believes it will do. Why such an audacious mission? Because the animal agriculture industry is depleting the world's natural resources and releasing harmful greenhouse gases into our environment. The key to the fulfilling Impossible’s mission isn’t targeting vegetarians or vegans, but hardcore meat-eaters. Give them everything they crave about meat...just make it plant-based. Impossible Foods CFO David Lee joins the podcast to talk about how the company is taking a product- and market-based approach to solving the climate crisis; and the company's rapid growth in the U.S. and globally, partnering with chains like Burger King and Starbucks, and expanding into grocery retailers like Trader Joe’s and Walmart. Listen to this podcast to learn: • Why the plant-based food industry is poised for multi-billion dollar growth over the next decade • How the animal agriculture industry is contributing to the climate crisis, and why plant-based meat is the solution • The molecule called “heme” that makes meat taste like meat, and how Impossible was able to recreate it in its cravable plant-based meats • The difference in marketing to meat-eaters at a restaurant vs. in the grocery aisle • How support from celebrity chef David Chang and Katy Perry’s “Impossible” Met Gala burger-gown raised awareness and helped create a loyal following

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Pamela Newkirk: Confronting the Reality of Racism in Corporate America

America was founded on principles of justice and equality. Yet, it has never lived up to these ideals in regards to how citizens of color are treated. The same can be said for many U.S. businesses, which, despite investing billions in ‘diversity and inclusion’ training programs, have also failed to truly diversify their workforces and leadership teams. Pamela Newkirk is an award-winning journalist, an NYU professor of journalism, and author of the critically-acclaimed book Diversity, Inc., which examines the efforts over the last 50 years to diversify the American workforce. She joins the podcast to talk about corporate America’s diversity problem, and why she believes we’re living in a “moment of reckoning” where we might be finally ready to confront the reality of racism and start fostering genuinely diverse workplaces. Listen to this podcast to learn: • A brief history of systemic racism in America, and why the nation is becoming “post-White,” which makes race more of an issue than ever • Why the everyday decisions made in our racially homogeneous worlds perpetuate the system of racism and injustice and denies opportunity to non-white people • Reasons why the most progressive industries like entertainment, academia, and fashion are the least diverse • How, after a 2000 landmark class-action discrimination lawsuit against Coca Cola, the company embarked on one of the most successful diversity transformations ever seen in corporate America • The delusion of the colorblind or post-race mindset that many progressives fell into after the election of Barack Obama • The reasons why diversity programs and mandatory anti-bias training in companies often do more harm than good • Why progress comes not from having more strategies for change, but rather the will to change

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Kirti Singh, Chief Analytics and Insights Officer, P&G: Connecting with Consumers During a Pandemic

Ninety-five years ago, an economist named Paul "Doc" Smelser was working for Procter & Gamble when he set out to answer a simple question: What percentage of Ivory soap were people using to wash their face and hands vs. for washing dishes? The journey to answering that question was the catalyst for what is today known as consumer insights and market research. Today, 5 billion consumers around the world use P&G products everyday. Trusted brands like Gillette razors. Crest toothpaste. Tide detergent. And, of course, Ivory soap. Now, as COVID-19 has forced the world to stay home, these household staple brands have become an even more trusted and central part of our lives. Kirti Singh is the Chief Analytics & Insights Officer at P&G where he leads a consumer insights department, which has been named as one of the world’s most innovative client-side research teams. Kirti joins us to talk about the philosophy and purpose behind P&G’s insights team, and how advancements in technology and research methodologies have transformed how they understand human behavior, emotion, and consumption. Listen to this episode to learn: • How the pandemic has changed P&G’s consumer research methods and accelerated virtual engagement • How P&G uses consumer insights to discover growth opportunities, keep a consumer focus within the business and its brands, and activate growth drivers • How advancements in data analytics, machine learning, behavioral sciences, and other methodologies have transformed P&G’s research capabilities • Why Tide Pods are an example of “constructive disruption” • How the economic downturn will affect consumers’ choices and likely move them towards brands that are trustworthy, reliable, and provide value • Why being a successful insights leader requires curiosity, a growth mindset, and continuous reinvention