Biomimicry is a practice that learns from and mimics the strategies found in nature to solve human design challenges in a regenerative way. The Biomimicry Institute empowers people to create nature-inspired solutions for a healthy planet. Their goal today is for biomimicry to become a natural part of the design process, to create a new generation of innovators who support all life on this planet.
Jared brings his entrepreneurial background and startup coaching experience to the Biomimicry Institute, where he supports startups as they commercialize biomimetic innovations that are addressing major climate and environmental issues. Before joining the Institute, Jared developed and ran startup training programs with Penn State University’s incubator and accelerator programs and was the Program Director of Thought For Food, a global community of food and agriculture entrepreneurs. He is the creator of the open-source startup training toolkit Startup Guts, was an initial founding member of the AgTech company GreenTowers, and started a small food preservation company in rural Kenya. He has an Executive Certificate in Social Impact Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Penn State University.
Show Notes:
[1:21] - What is biomimicry? Jared explains what this means and how understanding biomimicry can help us solve a lot of climate challenges.
[3:36] - Jared did not begin his career in this space. He shares how he found himself in the climate space and why it has become so important to him.
[6:40] - You can’t predict future customers if you don’t understand their past behaviors.
[7:34] - One of the most successful and exciting programs the Biomimicry Institution offers is a startup support program called The Ray of Hope Accelerator.
[8:29] - Jared shares some of the data and statistics that show the success from The Ray of Hope Accelerator.
[11:58] - Jared describes some of the companies that are a part of the Biomimicry Institute’s portfolio.
[13:21] - If we work with nature instead of against it, we can make things stronger.
[14:36] - There is a lot to learn from nature and many ways to apply what we learn.
[16:18] - A key component of the Biomimicry Institute’s support is education.
[19:25] - Jared shares how he and his team stay up to date on their own education and learning in the industry.
[22:54] - What sets the Biomimicry Institute apart?
[25:13] - There are several things that Jared is excited about when it comes to new technologies and new things to explore that could impact the climate world.
[28:51] - This area has a ton of growth opportunities and potential for positive change.
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