Scientist Turns Entrepreneur

A story about how Pat Brown left his dream job as a researcher to start a food company, despite having no business or food industry experience.

"10 years ago, the last thing I would imagine myself doing was founding a business, and even less likely than that was founding a food business. I had essentially no interest in business, and my only interest in food was eating it.

I was completely unqualified for this gig. At the time, I had what was really my dream job. I had awesome colleagues, a research lab that I loved, great students, great funding, and a very secure job. My job description was literally 'invent and discover things' - it was what I would have created for myself if I had the choice.

But I realized there was this massive problem with our food system and its environmental impact. I went to environmental conferences where lifelong environmentalists would understand the problem, but still go out for steak afterward. I realized we weren't going to solve this by persuading people to change their diets or making it a moral issue.

The solution wasn't to fight against people loving meat - it was to develop a better way of making it. We needed to make foods that consumers around the world would decisively prefer based on taste, nutrition, affordability, and convenience. If we could do a better job than the cow at making the best meat in the world, that would be the most decisive way to solve the problem."