The S2G Podcast

Gene Robinson, distinguished professor and director at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and recipient of the Wolf Prize in Agriculture, discusses the complexity of society, networks, information exchanges, and social evolution. Including some lessons we can all take away from honeybees.

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G Investments, LLC or its affiliates (“S2G Ventures”). Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of S2G Ventures. Specific companies are mentioned herein solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular company or investment. Please note that S2G Ventures may maintain investments in the companies mentioned herein.

For more important information, please see www.s2gventures.com/disclosures

Kevin Kelly has been on the forefront of technology journalism for decades. He cofounded and edited wired magazine, wrote numerous books about the future of technology, and is an unwavering optimist and staunch believer in the long term view of progress. In this episode he shares what makes him hopeful about our capacity to solve big problems.

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G Investments, LLC or its affiliates (“S2G Ventures”). Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of S2G Ventures. Specific companies are mentioned herein solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular company or investment. Please note that S2G Ventures may maintain investments in the companies mentioned herein.

For more important information, please see www.s2gventures.com/disclosures

Ebony Webber is the COO of MANRRS, an organization empowering minorities in agriculture and related sciences. In this episode she talks with S2G’s Aaron Rudberg about what companies and individuals can do to increase diversity in agriculture and why she’s hopeful for the future. 

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G Investments, LLC or its affiliates (“S2G Ventures”). Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of S2G Ventures. Specific companies are mentioned herein solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular company or investment. Please note that S2G Ventures may maintain investments in the companies mentioned herein.

For more important information, please see www.s2gventures.com/disclosures

In this episode, S2G’s Sanjeev Krishnan sits down with Jim Adler, Founding Managing Director at Toyota Ventures to discuss their first investment as a fund in autonomous farming company Burro, as well as Toyota’s systems investing approach and why he’s not convinced by dystopian projections of a hostile robot takeover. 

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G Investments, LLC or its affiliates (“S2G Ventures”). Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of S2G Ventures. Specific companies are mentioned herein solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular company or investment. Please note that S2G Ventures may maintain investments in the companies mentioned herein.

For more important information, please see www.s2gventures.com/disclosures

Katie Marston, CMO of Once Upon A Farm joins this episode to discusses the power of brands and as an extension of one's own identity and values, the financial case for building a meaningful brand rooted in purpose, and the evolution of brand identity including talking more about Once Upon a Farm’s recent brand refresh.

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G Investments, LLC or its affiliates (“S2G Ventures”). Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of S2G Ventures. Specific companies are mentioned herein solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular company or investment. Please note that S2G Ventures may maintain investments in the companies mentioned herein.

For more important information, please see www.s2gventures.com/disclosures

Troy Swope, CEO of Footprint, and Darin Olien, co-host of Netflix’s Down to Earth with Zac Efron, Author of Superlife, and Host of The Darin Olien Show, join the S2G Ventures podcast. From plastics in our food, misconceptions on recycling, and end-of-life considerations for packaging, the problem of single-use plastic stretches across the globe. There is an enormous opportunity for innovation, plant-based solutions, and action. Beyond the mounting plastic problem and how Footprint brings much-needed innovation to packaging, guests focus on empowerment and how individuals can take small steps and find solutions in everyday life.

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G Investments, LLC or its affiliates (“S2G Ventures”). Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of S2G Ventures. Specific companies are mentioned herein solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular company or investment. Please note that S2G Ventures may maintain investments in the companies mentioned herein.

For more important information, please see www.s2gventures.com/disclosures

From their UC-Berkeley college dorms to over 14,000 stores globally, Back to the Roots is on a mission to reconnect every family & kid back to where food comes from by helping them experience the magic of growing it themselves. Alexjandro Velez and Nikhil Arora, Co-founders and co-CEO, Back to the Roots join the S2G Ventures podcast to discuss entrepreneurship, starting and growing a business for a new generation of consumers, and how they have used the WHY of their business as the guide for growth.

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G Investments, LLC or its affiliates (“S2G Ventures”). Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of S2G Ventures. Specific companies are mentioned herein solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular company or investment. Please note that S2G Ventures may maintain investments in the companies mentioned herein.

For more important information, please see www.s2gventures.com/disclosures

Romitha Mally has over 25 years of Wall Street experience and has led high profile transactions in the food, beverage, and natural products industry. On this episode, we discuss Romitha’s background and notable lessons learned, industry trends and predictions for 2021 being more active than the last 10 years in public markets, the evolution of public markets and SPACs in addition to tips for entrepreneurs and companies considering an IPO.

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G Investments, LLC or its affiliates (“S2G Ventures”). Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of S2G Ventures. Specific companies are mentioned herein solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular company or investment. Please note that S2G Ventures may maintain investments in the companies mentioned herein.

For more important information, please see www.s2gventures.com/disclosures

We are delighted to welcome Oceans 2050 leaders Alexandra Cousteau and Megan Reilly Cayten to this episode. Guests discuss the transition from an abundant ocean to the state of the oceans today. We dive into the private sector opportunity ahead and discuss the interconnection of the climate crisis and the oceans. Beyond the issues and opportunities ahead for markets and investors, we discuss actions we can all take today.

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G Investments, LLC or its affiliates (“S2G Ventures”). Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of S2G Ventures. Specific companies are mentioned herein solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular company or investment. Please note that S2G Ventures may maintain investments in the companies mentioned herein.

For more important information, please see www.s2gventures.com/disclosures

We are excited to welcome scientist, engineer and entrepreneur Jasmin Hume to the podcast. We discuss Jasmin’s founder story and experience starting a company right before the pandemic hit, including how they continued to grow despite the unexpected challenges. The episode also highlights how Shiru helps food companies innovate away from animal-based solutions towards novel new plant proteins.

This content is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, business, tax or investment advice, or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investor or potential investor in any investment vehicle sponsored by S2G Investments, LLC or its affiliates (“S2G Ventures”). Investing involves risk, including the risk of loss. The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of S2G Ventures. Specific companies are mentioned herein solely for educational purposes and should not be construed as an endorsement of any particular company or investment. Please note that S2G Ventures may maintain investments in the companies mentioned herein.

For more important information, please see www.s2gventures.com/disclosures