Ian sits down with Nick Halla, a pioneering farmer/engineer-turned-entrepreneur who helped build the groundbreaking company Impossible Foods from the ground up. Nick shares fascinating insights from his journey starting as a "croissant engineer" at General Mills to becoming the first employee at Impossible Foods, where he worked alongside founder Pat Brown for 11 years to revolutionize the food industry through sustainable plant-based alternatives. The conversation delves into valuable lessons about scaling companies, managing the transition from a science-focused to a commercially-driven organization, and the delicate balance between visionary leadership and operational execution. Nick also offers practical advice on board management and corporate governance, before discussing his current work in climate tech, where he's focusing on adaptation, resilience, and reversing environmental damage through innovative technologies. The episode is a masterclass in building and scaling mission-driven companies that tackle global environmental challenges.

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