Essential Ingredients Podcast

“We're at a unique time in human history where we see massive disconnection from where our food comes from and how it's produced. But we're at a moment where we're ready to reconnect to that source. The closer we cut down on the degrees of separation in how we interact with food, the healthier we're going to become as a society.” 

-Jeff Tkach

Jerome Irving Rodale, founder of the Rodale Institute, coined the term organic and was also an early advocate of sustainable agriculture in the United States.  Even after his death in 1971, the Rodale Institute, in rural Pennsylvania, continues to be powered by the passion of its founding father, a global leader of the regenerative organic farming movement.  

Since the beginning of man’s history, organic farming has been employed using natural practices such as composting, cover cropping, crop rotation, and intercropping. As opposed to the synthetics used in conventional farming, these methods ensure optimum soil health and robust crops, which benefit humans and the environment.  In this episode, Justine talks with Rodale Institute’s Chief Impact Officer, Jeff Tkach.  Jeff explores the history of the Rodale Institute and organic farming.  He also discusses the incredible power of soil health, healthy food- and the importance of knowing where and how our food is grown.   

This year, Rodale Institute launched a virtual campus, which serves as an educational platform focused on regenerative organic agriculture. The courses are open to researchers, farmers, and the public. One of the courses focuses on transitioning to be CERTIFIED Organic based on USDA Standards.  Although this is a big leap for the food system, many small business owners and farmers still hesitate because of the lack of support and resources.  Jeff shares how Rodale can help interested parties get a free service consultancy.

Sustainable practices are meaningless if there is nothing left to sustain. This starts with each person participating to nurture the soil while we have yet the opportunity to do so. Take control over your well-being; farm your body back to health!

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Jeff Tkach serves as the Chief Impact Officer for the Rodale Institute, where he is responsible for expanding the institute’s global influence in healing people and the planet by unlocking the transformational power of regenerative organic agriculture.

As Chief Impact Officer, Jeff leads the development and execution of the Institute’s core strategies, overseeing opportunities for partnership and co-investment that drive positive outcomes for Rodale’s philanthropic and programmatic initiatives.

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Episode Highlights:

01:05 The Power of Food

07:47 The Physiological System 

11:38 Rodale Institute

15:54 Soil Health and Human Health

21:17 Regenerative Agriculture and Organic Foods

24:17 Get Your Organics Certified

29:53 Help for Farmers Transitioning to Organic

34:46 Create Yourself a Backyard Wonderland!

 “When we're thinking about regenerative capital, we're combining what philanthropy did, but we're also looking to grow that philanthropic pool, so we can do more. That's where we start building a better world for us all.” -David Cooper

“Fundraising is the hardest part of entrepreneurship. If they have the capital sooner, they would be executing because entrepreneurs, by and large, are doers.” -Maggie Spicer

“When it comes to social enterprise investing, raising awareness among investors and entrepreneurs is essential.  Impact investing is a general investment strategy that seeks to generate financial returns while also creating a positive social or environmental impact. Investors who follow impact investing consider a company's commitment to corporate social responsibility or the duty to positively serve society as a whole.  The bulk of impact investing is done by institutional investors, including hedge funds, private foundations, banks, pension funds, and fund managers.  Yet, a range of financial service companies, investment platforms and investor networks now offer individuals an opportunity to participate.”  (Chen, J. 2021 “Impact Investing.” Investopedia. Retrieved Jun 20 2021, from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/impact-investing.asp)

In this episode, Justine talks with David Cooper, Senior Partner and Donor Advisor of DAF Capital and Maggie Spicer, Partner and COO, DAF Capital. Donor-Advised Funds (DAF) are one form of investment vehicle.  David and Maggie explain impact investments and charitable capital investments through Donor-Advised Funds. Since the pandemic, DAF Capital along with 86Fund raised $120,000 to help 119 businesses.  The 86Fund is a 501c3-sponsored, DAF-backed philanthropic venture fund that provided grants to U.S.-based restaurants and restaurant-adjacent small businesses (farmers, wine + beer makers, bakers, fishermen/women, etc.) impacted by the global pandemic and/or climate change.  In this episode, David and Maggie also talk about frameworks that have the same goals such as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG); Sustainable Development Goals (SDG); and Justice, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI-nope, not the Star Wars movie!). These and other similar frameworks are promising and POSSIBLE. 

Connect with David Cooper:

David serves as DAF Capital’s Senior Partner specializing in the details of unlocking DAF capital. He has 20+ years of experience directing the acquisition, financing, ownership, and disposition of early-stage companies. He brings deep knowledge of equity transactions including due diligence, structuring, closing, and operational management. He and his associates make investments that match risk with returns and reconnect investors with the performance of the companies they invest in, selecting companies in need of financing that make a positive impact in the world—without sacrificing returns.  And he has the track record to prove it.

David is a managing member of his family’s clean technology fund West Coast CleanTech (WCTT), founded on the belief that the confluence of economic, social, and environmental factors driving rapid technological change in green technologies offers positive investment opportunities. David is a board member of the Baja Coastal Institute, a nonprofit organization devoted to regional environmental and socioeconomic research throughout Baja, Mexico.

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Connect with Maggie Spicer:

Maggie serves as a Partner at DAF Capital to enable and inspire more people to use their Donor-Advised Funds in different ways than they would traditionally think.

She’s spent her career starting and building innovative companies, typically as a hybrid CEO/COO/CCO. She is the founder and Chief Operating Officer of WHISK, the brand strategy & kinesthetic experience agency trusted by Airbnb, Twitch, IDEO, Levi Strauss & Co., Github, Square, Salesforce, Tesco, Zendesk, and many others.

In tandem to WHISK, Maggie has launched six businesses in the last decade including 86Fund, a $12M DAF fund to aid SF Bay Area restaurants experiencing economic hardship. She serves on the Board of Directors for 18Reasons, a member of the Bi-Rite Market family.

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Episode Highlights:

01:37 Impact Advising and Investing 

07:39 The Environment, Social, and Governance Framework

12:43 How to Address the Gap in the Food System

18:13 Invest in Healthy Soil!

21:01 How Everything is Interrelated 

26:25 It’s a Win-Win!

29:56 Why Support Impact Entrepreneurs

36:27 Get Folks ON the Land 

41:09 Think About Healthy Ecosystems

“Once we start changing the food we make, then we have to change the farming equipment that we have. And we have to change how we farm. So vertical farming is going to be big.” - Elysabeth Alfano

Episode Description:

Have you ever thought about a farming system that didn’t include animals?  In this episode, Justine talks with Elysabeth Alfano, Founder of Plant Powered Consulting and the host of the Plantbased Business Hour and Awesome Vegans Influencer Series, who argues that the “next step in innovation for our food supply has to be a complete overhaul of the animal agricultural system, basically taking animals out of the equation.”  She’s not alone: in fact, many say taking that step will make way for vertical farming and a booming alternative protein market.  Elysabeth also discusses the benefits of plant-based products and how companies can benefit from incorporating plant-based offerings in their product lines.  Find out how to navigate the plant-based landscape and gain valuable investor insight from one of the most knowledgeable influencers in the plant-based arena!  

Connect with Elysabeth:

Elysabeth Alfano is an award-winning media personality, the founder of Plant Powered Consulting and a keen investor.  As one of the foremost plant-based business experts in North America, Elysabeth regularly delivers analysis and commentary about the latest plant-based developments and trends on major media outlets.  She hosts the Plantbased Business Hour, the Awesome Vegans Influencer Series and her weekly syndicated radio show, Plant-based Life and Style with Elysabeth Alfano.  

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Episode Highlights:

06:29 The Path To Veganism

13:58 The Food Supply Innovation

19:47 A Brilliant Strategy For The Future

23:45 Who Are The New Innovators?

25:04 Plant-based Products and Lifestyle 

35:43 The Secret Weapon For Founders

37:55 The Emergence of Flexitarians And Reducetarians

43:39 The Power Of Media In Growing Your Business

“The food waste problem is everywhere. It's about getting to the places where the most waste happens and upcycling as much of it as we can into products that can be used for human consumption.”  -TJ Galiardi

Nearly a billion go hungry worldwide each year:  and one-third of our food is lost to waste.  Yet, we are producing enough food to feed everyone.  Can we use dehydration as a means to address the problem of global food waste?  Absolutely!  In this episode, former NHL star TJ Galiardi, Co-Founder & CMO of Outcast Foods, talks about a unique dehydrating technique that helps increase a product's shelf life without sacrificing its nutritional value. Using their proprietary dehydration technique, Outcast Foods is helping to reduce food loss.  Outcast Foods Co-Founder & CMO, TJ Galiardi, is actively encouraging other companies and consumers to get in the game and do the same!  Business owners and consumers alike are shaped by society to believe in the notion of perfect produce.  Changing this mindset will allow us to move toward a regenerative future at a faster rate. Tune in to find out how you, too, can support the vision of upcycling and give a new life to perfectly imperfect foods!

Connect with Lisa Johnson:

Lisa Johnson is a leader in food loss and waste - focused on agricultural production. She is a seasoned horticulturist with a broad range of experience in local, organic, sustainable, conventional, and biotech food and agriculture. Lisa’s research aims to understand the loss of edible vegetables. Understanding constraints from the growers’ perspective has been critical: always encouraging people to incorporate more growers' voices in their work. Lisa is fortunate to be able to work with some of the most forward-thinking specialty crop growers in the country, as well as non-profits, governments, start-ups, industry leaders, and the academy. 

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Connect with TJ: 

TJ Galiardi is the Co-Founder and CMO of Outcast Foods. He’s a former NHL forward who played for the Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames, and the Winnipeg Jets. TJ loves smoothies with a fiery passion, hot and cold tub immersion, and shorts (shorts as a passion is the weirdest flex, but we dig it). He’s into all things alternative, and while we don’t quite know what this means, we’re confident it’s stellar. 

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Episode Highlights:

02:25 Post-Harvest Yield Potential 

08:23 Food Wasted No more

13:02 Reaching to the Supply Chain

17:24 Giving New Life to Upcycled Products

26:17 How to Succeed in Upcycling 

31:45 Grow the Vision of Upcycling

33:56  Who Loves Smoothies!!

 “The desire for fresh, healthy, convenient food is everywhere across the globe.” -Megan Mokri

Episode Description:

When we think of vending machines, we think of unhealthy grab n’ go junk food, but fresh and healthy foods are now served with that same convenience!  In this episode, we’re joined by Megan Mokri, Co-Founder and CEO of Byte Technology, which created technology that makes this possible. Megan shares her entrepreneurship journey- including the challenges that come with building a rather atypical business. She talks about the market potential and immense benefit of the technology created by Byte Technology.

Connect with Megan Mokri: 

Megan Mokri is the Co-Founder and CEO of Byte Technology, a food company using proprietary IoT technology to offer a high quality, affordable alternative to clients looking for fresh food alternatives in the grab n’ go space. Byte Technology brings the retail experience of Whole Foods grab ‘n go to workplaces, apartments, gyms, and hospitals using smart refrigerators. Byte Technology serves hundreds of clients including Tesla, Amazon, Sephora, Chevron, Williams-Sonoma, the San Francisco SPCA, and foodservice providers like Sodexo and Aramark. Prior to forming Byte Technology, Megan spent eight years in the online ad technology space, leading teams at Yahoo! and Ghostery. She studied biological engineering at Cornell University and received an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. 

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Episode Highlights:

02:02 Convenient Fresh Foods

07:14 Fresh Food and Market Potential 

11:05 COVID Effects

17:35 Break and Rebuild

20:32 What Entrepreneurs Should Believe

23:13 Amazing Partnership

“Regenerative goes one step beyond sustainability. It's making something better than you found it.” -Courtney Boyd Myers

Episode Description:

Did you know? Over 50 billion burgers are consumed annually in the US alone? If arranged in a straight line, they could circle the earth 32 times!   It’s fair to say that humans love their burgers.  Yet, there is much debate about just how (un)healthy and sustainable this unquestionable food favorite is for humans- and for our planet.  The public has been introduced to alternative proteins and an increasing number of better-for-you substitutes.  In this episode, Justine talks with Courtney Boyd Myers, the CEO and Co-Founder of AKUA, which just launched a much-hyped kelp burger! (Guess we can still enjoy burgers after all!) Kelp is one of the superfoods slowly gaining popularity in the market today. It’s overflowing with vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals that boost health- and its benefits are said to include revving the metabolism, helping the body absorb water, combating stress, protecting the heart, and ridding the body of cancer-causing free radicals.  Courtney relates the genesis of this tasty and healthy meat alternative, describes the process of regenerative ocean farming and the potential kelp has in the future of food. Courtney also talks about how this innovation has provided an opportunity for AKUA to promote health and give back to the people, the community, and the environment. Tune in and discover more interesting facts about seaweeds, regenerative aquaculture and seafood alternatives!

Connect with Courtney: 

Courtney Boyd Myers is the CEO and Co-Founder of AKUA, a company that produces tasty and healthy burgers from kelp. AKUA utilizes regenerative aquaculture for their kelp farm, which is healthy for the planet and can also reverse the effects of climate change. Courtney is an investor in Public, which she describes as a ‘new age version of a trading service our parents used.’  She says that she’s online on Public every day and folks can reach out to her there to chat about what’s going on in the markets. Courtney is an avid kite surfer, swimmer, & rebel mermaid at heart. She is happiest in flippers or bare feet. She is "mostly vegan" but being married to a Frenchman means every once in a while, she sneaks in some fine cheese!

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Episode Highlights:

05:00 AKUA and Regenerative Ocean Farming

10:00 Why Seaweeds? 

17:00 Go Community!

21:48 3 Big Changes in the Food industry 

27:03 Amazing Seaweed and Aquaculture Facts

34:20 The Future of Alternative Seafood

 “There are all sorts of reasons why food is left behind but none of those state that it's not good quality food or not worth eating.” -Lynette Johnson

“There are huge social and environmental problems that can be solved by fixing food waste.” -Lisa Johnson

Episode Description:

What should a tomato look like? There are different ways to picture a tomato- red, green, tiny, larger...but seldom would one picture one with loads of imperfections.  In most cases, those tomatoes are tossed aside and discarded during a farmer’s harvest, because they won’t sell to perfection-obsessed consumers in grocery stores. The same goes for other fruits and vegetables...and thus we see how the story of one imperfect tomato quickly adds up- to millions of tons of food loss/waste in the United States each year.  So, where do these food items go? Join Justine and this week’s co-host, Lisa Johnson as they talk with the Executive Director of the Society of St. Andrew, Lynette Johnson.  Lynette talks about the Society of Saint Andrew’s work with respect to reducing food waste- in cooperation with farmers- a process known as gleaning.  In gleaning, teams recover discarded crops or harvest surplus farm crops from the fields of participating farmers once their initial harvest is complete.  This prevents waste and nourishes local families.  Last year, SOSA’s Gleaning Network collected and distributed 37,068,221 pounds of fresh produce.   

Connect with Lisa Johnson:

Lisa Johnson is a leader in food loss and waste - focused on agricultural production. She is a seasoned horticulturist with a broad range of experience in local, organic, sustainable, conventional and biotech food and agriculture. Lisa’s research has aimed to understand the loss of edible vegetables. Understanding constraints from the growers’ perspective has been critical: always encouraging  people to incorporate more growers' voices in their work. Lisa is fortunate to be able to work with some of the most forward-thinking specialty crop growers in the country, as well as non-profits, governments, start-ups, industry and the academy. 

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Connect with Lynette Johnson: 

Lynette Johnson became Executive Director of Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) in January 2017. She joined the organization in 2010 as Regional Director for Tennessee and Alabama, overseeing day-to-day operations in both states. She developed gleaning networks that now engage thousands of volunteers each year in hands-on food recovery work. In just three years, that work put approximately 14 million servings of nourishing food on the tables of hungry Alabamians and Tennesseans. In late 2013, Lynette joined SoSA’s national staff, serving as Director of Church Relations. She invited congregations into the conversation about hunger and food waste, introducing them to the possibility of gleaning to feed people in need right in their own communities.

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Episode Highlights:

01:59 The Ancient Practice of Gleaning 

07:02 Food Loss Not Waste

11:49 The Challenge of Exclusive Contracts

17:00 How Great Are the Numbers  

23:06 Sustainable Intensification 

28:13 End Hunger!

33:50 How to Manage Surplus 

“Opportunity comes with the responsibility to decide where the value is going to go.” -Turner Wyatt  

Episode Description:

There are so many food products and countless ways to upcycle them. This week’s episode of Essential Ingredients with Justine Reichman features special guest Turner Wyatt, Co-Founder and CEO of  Upcycled Food Association.  Justine and Turner discuss the powerful role upcycling plays in the battles against food insecurity and climate change.  Turner discusses organizations currently doing innovative work in upcycling - and shares valuable tips for personal upcycling with our audience!  For those planning to launch a food-based biz, Turner provides insight on the “three drivers of food purchase” to help owners achieve better outcomes and offers advice on achieving an Upcycle Certified Seal.

Connect with Turner Wyatt: 

Turner Wyatt, Co-Founder and CEO of Upcycled Food Association, is a social entrepreneur focused on reducing food waste and improving our environment and economy. Turner came to the upcycled food movement by way of the food rescue/hunger relief movement, where he served as the Executive Director of an award-winning organization for seven years. He's excited to continue growing this powerful solution!

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Episode Highlights:

03:01 What Holds Us Back

12:34 What We Eat, What We Don’t Eat

17:29 The Benefit of Certification 

26:16 Upcycling and Food Security

29:21 How to Create Nutritious Soil

31:46 Rules in Creating an Upcycling Start-Up 

“You can do what you're passionate about. You can do what you're curious about. You can go try it, and you should go try it.” -Kara Goldin

Episode Description:

“Diet” does not always mean health!  In this episode, Justine speaks with Kara Goldin, Founder and CEO of Hint, Inc., which manufactures unsweetened flavored water.  Kara talks about her journey to health, how it resulted in the creation of Hint Water and how where she is today- years later!   Justine and Kara also talk about the term “accidental entrepreneur,”  the responsibility that comes with being a founder, how to effectively promote your brand without degrading others- and what to do in the face of discouragement.  Tune in and discover the secret to raising a thriving company.  Don’t doubt- Just do!

Connect with Kara: 

Kara Goldin is the Founder and CEO of Hint, Inc., best known for its award-winning Hint® water, the leading unsweetened flavored water. She has been named one of InStyle’s Badass 50, Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs, and EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 Northern California. She is an active speaker & writer and hosts the podcast Unstoppable with Kara Goldin where she interviews founders, entrepreneurs, and other disruptors across various industries. She lives in the Bay Area.

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Episode Highlights:

01:42 A Hint on Hint

08:55 From Doubts to Undoubted

17:01 Just Do It

22:01 Who To Listen To

26:57 Every Founder’s Responsibility

30:38 The Accidental Entrepreneur

37:02 How to Promote

"The sooner we understand insulin resistance, the better we can address chronic diseases and be healthier." - Dr. Benjamin Bikman

Episode Description:

Have you been following a certain diet and still can't see the changes you want to achieve? Are you battling with chronic diseases or want to avoid suffering from one as you get older? This week, Justine interviews Dr. Benjamin Bikman, a Metabolic Scientist and Professor, about the facts and myths about metabolism and human health. Dr. Bikman talks about the critical role insulin has on metabolism and the 3 pillars of nutrition that help shrink fat cells and keep the body's optimum function. Dr. Bikman also discusses his newest project- which helps individuals monitor their glucose levels- and what we can learn from his book, “Why We Get Sick.”   In this episode, Dr. Bikman addresses the correlation between poor metabolism and the severity of COVID symptoms.  More about that and helpful tips to modify your metabolic rate! Tune in!   

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Episode Highlights:

01:49 What You Should Know About Metabolism 

11:31 Simple Strategies To Boost Metabolic Rate

17:24 Animal Protein Versus Plant Protein- Which Should You Consume

25:26 Why We Get Sick

31:24 Continuous Glucose Monitors

36:26 Metabolic Health and COVID

39:33 Three Pillars To Have A Good Health

42:46 Complete Meal Shake