Saumil Shah founded Bangkok company EnerGaia, which develops innovative techniques for growing spirulina in urban environments. Spirulina is a type of alga that is high in protein and important minerals. Saumil believes that if he can increase spirulina’s popularity as a food, fewer people around the world will go hungry, and the amount of carbon being released into the atmosphere can be dramatically reduced.

Dr Michael Taylor is a mycologist and entrepreneur working with Australian native fungi.

Arief Rabik is a scientist, entrepreneur and conservationist whose expertise is bamboo.

The Tangled podcast will be an exploration of business models and mental models. An ongoing discussion with scientists, designers and entrepreneurs. People who are working out how to use resources more efficiently and effectively.

The name Tangled is a reference to On The Origin of Species. In the book’s final paragraph, Charles Darwin describes a hillside ecosystem. He calls it a “tangled bank”. And he reflects on how different organisms are so “dependent upon each other in so complex a manner”.

I want to learn how we can take inspiration from evolution and ecology. How can we use ideas from nature to improve our economies and communities?

Please take a listen to this preview episode. If it sounds interesting, you can subscribe in iTunes, or wherever you listen to podcasts.