Recorded live during DC Climate Week, the Grow Everything team sits down with investors Veronica Breckenridge, Jillian Chase, and Michael Luciani to unpack the real state of the US bioeconomy race with China, why fermentation and scale-up capacity are a persistent bottleneck, and how policy, non-dilutive funding, and better founder execution can close the gap. The panel argues that the US still leads in innovation, AI, and robotics, but needs faster, clearer regulatory pathways and smarter go-to-market strategy, including focusing on high-margin “profit pools” first, designing for manufacturability and downstream processing, and building consumer demand through clearer storytelling about health and product benefits.

Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing?

Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) Live from DC Climate Week: intro and panelist lineup
• (00:06:00) US vs China: how real is the biomanufacturing gap
• (00:12:00) Policy signals: DOD, DARPA, and non-dilutive funding
• (00:18:00) Biggest bottleneck: fermentation infrastructure and scale-up capacity
• (00:24:00) The “graveyard” lessons: downstream costs and manufacturability
• (00:30:00) Go-to-market strategy: profit pools vs TAM, and unit economics
• (00:36:00) Consumer storytelling: health, microplastics, and demand creation
• (00:42:00) AI + robotics: how they change the bioeconomy race
• (00:48:00) What unlocks US biomanufacturing: regulation and faster pathways
• (00:54:00) What to watch next: RNA, peptides, and proof of profitable companies

Links and Resources:

• D.C. Climate Week
• Graveyard Report
• NSCEB
• SynBioBeta Pass - Discount code: Grow Everything 

Topics Covered:

bioeconomy, biomanufacturing, synthetic biology, fermentation, biological materials, industrial biotech, US-China competition, venture capital, bio-based supply chain, biodiversity

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

Text or Call (804) 505-5553

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grow Everything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Music by: Nihilore 

Production by: Amplafy Media