Cultivating Careers in Alternative Proteins Podcast Jeffray Behr

Parendi Birdie has thrived in startups for the past 15 years and is currently building her fourth, Asentia. Parendi has been at the forefront of the alternative protein industry since 2013. She earned a degree in biochemistry from the University of Kansas, with the goal of advancing the sector. She then helped build two leading alternative protein companies from the ground up: GOOD Meat and Mission Barns. Throughout her career, Parendi has established and led multiple functions, including R&D, marketing, strategic partnerships, and product development. She is a well-rounded entrepreneur with a track record of success, from closing partnerships with leading global meat producers to developing the first commercially available cultivated meat cell lines. Today, Parendi is the Founder & CEO of Asentia. Her ambitious vision is to make meat that's better than anything we've ever known. She's starting with hybrid meat for the massive, untapped market of people who want to eat better, but don't want to give up meat. Parendi also serves the industry as an impact investor and advisor to Food System Innovations, Alt-Collective, and Tälist. Beyond alternative protein, Parendi also ran her family’s business (a Montessori school) for four years, growing the business to $1M+ in annual revenue and a successful exit.

This episode is sponsored by Tälist. Check out their newsletter, Alt Protein Careers Navigator.

Noga Golan is the Founder and Managing Director of Alt Protein Careers, a company that provides an industry job board, career resources, career coaching, and recruiting services to the alt protein industry. She is also the co-founder of Alt Protein Israel. Noga has an MBA from Stanford University and previously worked in private equity investing. Noga is passionate about the alternative protein industry and even has her own pet chicken named Silkie. Noga’s advice is to do informational interviews with others in careers you aspire to have as well as consider hiring a career coach.
Links to things discussed during the episode:
Ep. 20 - Sandra Einvall (Vegan Graphic Designer, Marketeer, and Entrepreneur)
Ep. 24 - Rebecca Palmer (Chief Marketing Officer at Terra Bioindustries)
GFI’s Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)
Alt Protein Careers’ Resources page
Alt Protein Careers’ LinkedIn page
This episode is sponsored by Tälist. Check out their revamped job board at Alt Protein .Jobs. 
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Noa Weiss is an AI and machine learning consultant and the founder of GreenProtein AI, a non-profit initiative by Food System Innovations leveraging advanced AI technology to optimize plant-based meat production through the modeling of the extrusion process. She has 13 years of experience in the field of data science and machine learning, worked for corporates such as PayPal and unicorns such as Armis Security, and has a Bachelor's degree in Computational Cognitive Science and Psychology and a Master's degree in Psychology, both from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Outside of her work, Noa applies her experience to promote women in tech through founding and leading the Women in Data Science Israel Community, and contributes her knowledge to benefit animals and humans as an AI & Data Strategy Mentor for The Good Food Institute, an Advisory Board Member for Modern Agriculture Foundation, and Research Engineer for Deep Voice. Noa’s advice is to look for ways to leverage your background in the industry and build your skills and career capital. 
Links:
Food System Innovations
Beyond Impact article
Open Paws article
Effective Altruism Forum post   
Noa's Business for Good podcast episode
This episode is sponsored by Tälist. Check out their monthly “A Day in the Life of ...” event series here.
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Dr. Bryan Quoc Le is a food scientist, food industry consultant, and author of the book 150 Food Science Questions Answered. He earned his PhD in Food Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he studied the effect of plant-based flavors on mammalian tissues. He has served as a technical consultant for companies and organizations in the food industry, such as TurtleTree, Black Sheep Foods, Blue Diamond, DecoPac, and The Good Food Institute. Bryan's advice to job seekers is to be open to new possibilities and be curious. 
Links to things discussed during the episode:
Good Food Institute report, "Cultivating alternative proteins from commodity crop sidestreams"
Bryan’s book: 150 Food Science Questions Answered: Cook Smarter, Cook Better
Bryan’s website
This episode is sponsored by Tälist. Enroll in their Masterclass here.
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Florine Kremer is a researcher of alternative proteins at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands. She has a bachelor’s degree in Consumer Behaviour and a masters in Sustainable Food Consumption, both at Wageningen University. With a minor in Climate Change and an internship in Marine Biology in Kenya, she has a very diverse background. She now works in applied research for the Consumer Behaviour department, where her work varies from monitoring protein intake on a national scale to conducting consumer acceptance experiments. Florine's advice to job seekers: don't fixate on finding your ‘perfect’ job right away, and most importantly, use your skills to make alt proteins accessible to all.


This episode is sponsored by Tälist. Check out their resources for job seekers and employers.

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George Stiffman, AKA the Tofu Guy, is a tofu evangelist and author of the book, Broken Cuisine. Through his travels in China, where he worked in Buddhist restaurant kitchens, apprenticed under a fifth generation tofu master, studied at a Chinese university, spoke at food industry conferences, and ate across numerous cities, towns, and villages, he was able to learn more about the various different types of tofu (yes, there are more varieties of tofu beyond silken, soft, firm, and extra firm). He also learned about the incredible ways that it can enhance the culinary experience. George’s goal is to encourage a greater adoption of tofu within the western diet, which he does through promoting his book on tofu and consulting with restaurants. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in East Asian Languages and Culture with a minor in Consumer Behavior from University of Southern California. George’s advice is to always keep your endgame in mind and try to find a niche for yourself in the industry.
George’s contact info:
Email: georgestiffman@gmail.com Instagram: georgestiffmanLinkedIn: George StiffmanLearn more about tofu and read the e-version of Broken Cuisine at brokencuisine.com.
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