Podcast
Leaders on a Mission
Hosted by Simon Leich · EN
Discussions with leaders with a clear mission of creating a healthier world in today’s most innovative startups across FoodTech, AgTech (Agritech), Synbio, Sustainability, Climate Tech, and Clean Tech. Learn more about precision fermentation, cellular agriculture, alternative proteins, crop protection, biologicals, protein expression systems, carbon capture, plant health, precision agriculture, bioinformatics, human nutrition and what it takes to successfully scale your business in this budding sector.
150episodes
Episodes
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Winning Back Trust in Alternative Protein
Sep 2300:39:21Tap to summarizeCan alternative protein earn back meat-eaters’ trust? At Prime Roots, CEO Kimberlie Le believes the answer lies in reinventing the deli—one of the most consumed, and most distrusted, meat categories. Using koji mycelium and chef-led formulation, Prime Roots has developed clean-label deli meats that meat-eaters often prefer in blind taste tests.In this episode, we break down how their ingredient simplicity, category focus, and manufacturing efficiency unlock a more scalable, credible path for the future of food.Tune in to learn how Prime Roots is rebuilding belief in alternative protein—one deli cut at a time..--- Hey Climate Tech enthusiasts! Searching for new podcasts on sustainability? Check out the Leaders on a Mission podcast, where I interview climate tech leaders who are shaking up the industry and bringing us the next big thing in sustainable solutions. Join me for a deep dive into the future of green innovation exploring the highs, lows, and everything in between of pioneering new technologies.Get an exclusive insight into how these leaders started up their journey, and how their cutting edge products will make a real impact. Tune in on…YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersonamissionNet0Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726…to listen to the latest episodes!Timestamps:00:00 – The trust gap in alt-protein01:12 – Kimberlie’s flexitarian roots05:36 – Why the deli—not burgers08:12 – Koji fermentation and clean labels10:16 – Rebuilding trust through taste14:01 – Blind taste test wins18:39 – Product lineup: ham to salami23:26 – Distribution and go-to-market28:18 – Scaling with margin disciplineUseful links: Prime Roots website: https://www.primeroots.com/Prime Root’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/primeroots/Kimberlie Li LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberliele/Leaders on a Mission website: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/Simon Leich’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executive-talent-headhunter-agtech-foodtech-agrifoodtech-agritech/
Transcribe →Getting the Economics of Carbon Capture Right
Sep 900:39:11Tap to summarizeDirect air capture has long been too costly and energy-intensive to scale. But economist Ethan Cohen‑Cole is changing the equation. As CEO of Capture6, he’s embedding carbon removal into water infrastructure—cutting brine disposal costs, generating fresh water, and mineralizing CO₂ in one modular system.In this episode, Ethan shares how Capture6 is turning industrial waste into a climate asset by avoiding energy-intensive heat steps and integrating directly into existing desalination and wastewater systems. Learn how this approach flips the economic model of carbon removal—unlocking cost-effective, globally scalable projects that don’t rely on subsidies or voluntary carbon markets. Tune in to hear how better economics make carbon capture viable.--- Hey Climate Tech enthusiasts! Searching for new podcasts on sustainability? Check out the Leaders on a Mission podcast, where I interview climate tech leaders who are shaking up the industry and bringing us the next big thing in sustainable solutions. Join me for a deep dive into the future of green innovation exploring the highs, lows, and everything in between of pioneering new technologies.Get an exclusive insight into how these leaders started up their journey, and how their cutting edge products will make a real impact. Tune in on…YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersonamissionNet0Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726…to listen to the latest episodes!Timestamps:00:56 – Why removals must scale01:28 – From economist to climate founder05:09 – What makes DAC expensive10:18 – Capture6’s unique solution13:01 – Brine as feedstock16:59 – Rethinking carbon economics20:46 – Storage, value, and durability27:23 – Scaling through replication31:25 – Project execution + capex35:16 – Vision for global impactUseful links: Capture6 website: https://capture6.com/Capture6 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/capture6/Ethan Cohen-Cole’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ecohencole/Leaders on a Mission website: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/Simon Leich’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executive-talent-headhunter-agtech-foodtech-agrifoodtech-agritech/
Transcribe →Scaling the World’s First Zero-Emission Metals Company
Sep 200:40:42Tap to summarizeWhat if the clean energy transition is built on one of the dirtiest secrets in industry—rare earth metals? They power EVs, AI, and defense systems, yet most are processed overseas with toxic, outdated methods. In this episode, Nicholas Myers, CEO of Phoenix Tailings, shares how his company is transforming mining waste into a clean, domestic source of critical materials. From backyard prototypes to pioneering world-first predictive complexation, Nick shares the grit, innovation, and vision it takes to scale deep tech in one of the world’s most entrenched industries—and why zero-waste, zero-emission metals are vital for both energy security and the environment. Tune in to hear how backyard experiments grew into a global metals revolution.--- Hey Climate Tech enthusiasts! Check out Leaders on a Mission, where I interview climate tech leaders shaking up the industry and bringing us the next wave of sustainable solutions. Join me for a deep dive into the future of green innovation—exploring the highs, lows, and everything in between of pioneering new technologies.Tune in on…YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersonamissionNet0Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726…to listen to the latest episodes!Timestamps:00:58 – Nick’s unconventional journey04:17 – Backyard experiments begin07:22 – Tackling mining waste11:23 – Predictive complexation breakthrough13:40 – AI in metallurgy17:04 – US-China supply chain exposure19:15 – Scaling defense capacity22:56 – Financing beyond VC25:05 – Rare earths in production28:27 – Lessons from fundraising31:43 – The three-year IPO vision33:35 – Building high-performance teams38:31 – Values that drive Phoenix TailingsUseful links: Phoenix Tailings website: https://phoenixtailings.com/Phoenix Tailings LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/phoenixtailings/Nicholas Myers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholaswilliammyers/Leaders on a Mission website: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/Simon Leich’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executive-talent-headhunter-agtech-foodtech-agrifoodtech-agritech/
Transcribe →Engineering Color: Reinventing Dyes with Microbes
Aug 1900:46:11Tap to summarizeWhat if one of the world’s dirtiest industrial processes could be reinvented—by microbes? Textile dyeing causes 20% of global water pollution, but Colorifix CEO Orr Yarkoni is flipping the script. In this episode, he explains how engineered microbes are replacing toxic dye chemicals with clean, modular, biological systems. Learn how Colorifix built a scalable, sustainable solution for color production—cutting carbon, chemicals, and water use—while tackling global supply chains and navigating complex GMO regulations. Tune in as biology rewrites the future of fashion.---Hey Climate Tech enthusiasts! Searching for new podcasts on sustainability? Check out the Leaders on a Mission podcast, where I interview climate tech leaders who are shaking up the industry and bringing us the next big thing in sustainable solutions. Join me for a deep dive into the future of green innovation exploring the highs, lows, and everything in between of pioneering new technologies.Get an exclusive insight into how these leaders started up their journey, and how their cutting edge products will make a real impact. Tune in on…YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersonamissionNet0Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726…to listen to the latest episodes!Timestamps:00:56 – Biology vs. chemical dyeing04:07 – Origins: arsenic biosensor to fashion07:22 – Why textile dyeing is broken12:05 – Mapping the supply chain19:36 – Modular bioreactors for scale23:44 – Fermentation hardware breakthrough28:15 – The challenge of making black32:44 – Strategic backing from IKEA & H&M34:54 – Scaling globally, sustainably40:44 – GMO regulation bottlenecksUseful links: Colorfix website: https://www.colorifix.com/Colorfix’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/colorfix/Orr Yarkoni’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orr-yarkoni-48653095/Leaders on a Mission website: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/Simon Leich’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executive-talent-headhunter-agtech-foodtech-agrifoodtech-agritech/
Transcribe →Why Biotech Needs a New Playbook
Aug 5, 202500:44:08Tap to summarizeWhat if biotech’s biggest scaling challenge isn’t technical—but philosophical? In this episode, Massimo Portincaso, founder and CEO of Arsenale Bioyards, explains why industrial biotech must be reimagined from the ground up. He challenges legacy “scale-up” thinking, highlighting biology’s context dependency and the economic dead ends of retrofitted pharma models. From modular, AI-informed bioreactors to a scale-out strategy and data-first infrastructure, Massimo shares how his team is rewriting the rules of economic viability, manufacturing innovation, and organizational design. Discover why scaling out — not up — is the future of biomanufacturing.--- Hey Climate Tech enthusiasts! Searching for new podcasts on sustainability? Check out the Leaders on a Mission podcast, where I interview climate tech leaders who are shaking up the industry and bringing us the next big thing in sustainable solutions. Join me for a deep dive into the future of green innovation exploring the highs, lows, and everything in between of pioneering new technologies.Get an exclusive insight into how these leaders started up their journey, and how their cutting edge products will make a real impact. Tune in on…YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersonamissionNet0Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726…to listen to the latest episodes!Timestamps:00:46 - Biology resists code scaling03:18 - From BCG to biotech founder07:33 - Why biotech remains niche10:24 - Redesigning from first principles13:40 - Biology's context dependency16:55 - Intelligent design via Bayesian models18:46 - Building the bioproduction stack21:00 - Scale-out vs scale-up25:56 - Rethinking the CDMO model29:20 - Reinventing the capital stack33:30 - Future sectors & applications37:10 - Killing the org chart40:12 - Complexity as a strategic assetUseful links: Arsenale Bioyards website: https://arsenale.bio/Arsenale Bioywards LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arsenale-bioyards/Massimo Portincaso LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/massimo-portincaso-36a8795/Leaders on a Mission website: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/Simon Leich’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executive-talent-headhunter-agtech-foodtech-agrifoodtech-agritech/
Transcribe →Redefining Returns: Investing Where Impact Matters
Jul 22, 202500:40:40Tap to summarizeWhat if moral ambition became the new standard for investing? In this episode, Rogier Pieterse, Managing Partner at Pymwymic, shares how his team is transforming venture capital by embedding impact into every investment. From pioneering farm tech that reduces chemical loads to empowering regenerative practices through data, Pymwymic is reshaping agriculture from the soil up. Rogier reflects on his transition from investment banking to impact leadership, the tension between financial performance and purpose, and how long-term thinking is critical in ag-tech venture success.Tune in to explore capital with conscience—and staying power.--- Hey Climate Tech enthusiasts! Searching for new podcasts on sustainability? Check out the Leaders on a Mission podcast, where I interview climate tech leaders who are shaking up the industry and bringing us the next big thing in sustainable solutions. Join me for a deep dive into the future of green innovation exploring the highs, lows, and everything in between of pioneering new technologies.Get an exclusive insight into how these leaders started up their journey, and how their cutting edge products will make a real impact. Tune in on…YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersonamissionNet0Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726…to listen to the latest episodes!Timestamps:00:44 – Embedding impact under pressure02:21 – From banker to moral investor05:42 – Pymwymic’s origin and mission10:25 – What counts as real impact?14:04 – Balancing capital and purpose19:01 – Farm data meets machine learning22:10 – Strengthening farmers' positions23:20 – VC fit for ag tech?28:49 – Hype vs. grounded strategy32:30 – Impactful exits that lastUseful links: Pymwymic website: https://pymwymic.com/Pymwymic LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pymwymic/Rogier Pieterse Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogier-pieterse-81846a5/Leaders on a Mission website: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/Simon Leich’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executive-talent-headhunter-agtech-foodtech-agrifoodtech-agritech/
Transcribe →Accelerating Nature: AI Meets Agriculture
Jul 15, 202500:39:25Tap to summarizeWhat if evolution had a fast-forward button? William Pelton, CEO of Phytoform Labs, is harnessing AI-powered gene editing to radically accelerate crop development and boost climate resilience. He shares how Phytoform’s platform decodes plant genomes, eliminates guesswork in breeding, and delivers scalable, sustainable traits at speed. Explore how partnerships, precision, and platform thinking are rewriting the rules of agriculture—and why Phytoform’s compact, climate-resilient tomatoes could redefine how and where we grow our foodTune in as we decode innovation that feeds the future--- Hey Climate Tech enthusiasts! Searching for new podcasts on sustainability? Check out the Leaders on a Mission podcast, where I interview climate tech leaders who are shaking up the industry and bringing us the next big thing in sustainable solutions. Join me for a deep dive into the future of green innovation exploring the highs, lows, and everything in between of pioneering new technologies.Get an exclusive insight into how these leaders started up their journey, and how their cutting edge products will make a real impact. Tune in on…YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersonamissionNet0Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726…to listen to the latest episodes!0:04 Climate threat to crop yields1:36 William’s path to plant science5:03 Solving the crop innovation gap9:46 AI-guided gene switching10:05 CRISPR for precision breeding17:01 Choosing crops and markets22:19 Reducing tomato crop waste26:10 Partnering with Corteva30:26 Launching compact tomato plantsUseful links: Pytoforms website: https://www.phytoformlabs.com/Phytoforms LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/phytoform-labs/Will Pelton Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-pelton-12813b56/Leaders on a Mission website: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/Simon Leich’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executive-talent-headhunter-agtech-foodtech-agrifoodtech-agritech/
Transcribe →Building the Salesforce of EV Charging
Jul 8, 202500:44:12Tap to summarizeYou can build sleek software—but if the charger fails, the user blames you. Casper Rasmussen, CEO of Monta, knows this all too well. In this episode, he shares how he built a platform that’s more than “EV charging software”—it’s a full-stack execution engine, now powering over 200,000 chargers. We explore how he scaled through regulatory complexity, turned EV pain points into product strategy, and why being a startup CEO means staying on the floor, not in the boardroom. A must-listen for founders navigating tech-infrastructure intersections, growing with resilience, and staying obsessed with execution over optics. Tune in for real-world insights on scaling through complexity and fragmentation--- Hey Climate Tech enthusiasts! Searching for new podcasts on sustainability? Check out the Leaders on a Mission podcast, where I interview climate tech leaders who are shaking up the industry and bringing us the next big thing in sustainable solutions. Join me for a deep dive into the future of green innovation exploring the highs, lows, and everything in between of pioneering new technologies.Get an exclusive insight into how these leaders started up their journey, and how their cutting edge products will make a real impact. Tune in on…YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersonamissionNet0Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726…to listen to the latest episodes!04:01 – Becoming CEO: stepping up from CTO08:55 – Execution first: what energizes a startup CEO11:19 – Core mission: electrify everything—EV to home & grid14:40 – Platform advantage: software, wallets & regulation20:38 – Support and SLAs: why service is product21:05 – Scaling milestone: 200k charge points & growth metrics24:06 – Market dynamics: public, private & home charging breakdown33:00 – Financial playbook: growth funding vs. profitability38:59 – Team & structure: staying nimble in scale-up34:48 – AI integration: reshaping roles and operationsUseful links: Monta’s website: https://www.monta.comMonta’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/montaapp/Casper Rasmussen Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casper-h-rasmussen-63b13922/overlay/contact-info/Leaders on a Mission website: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/Simon Leich’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executive-talent-headhunter-agtech-foodtech-agrifoodtech-agritech/
Transcribe →Optimizing Every Droplet: The Future of AgTech
Jul 1, 202500:47:43Tap to summarizeWhat if every droplet sprayed on a crop actually counted? In this episode, we meet Vishnu Jayaprakash, founder and CEO of AgZen, who’s leading a revolution in precision agriculture—one droplet at a time. With a staggering 50% of pesticides missing their mark, AgZen’s feedback-driven spray technology is eliminating guesswork, boosting efficiency, and giving farmers real-time insights into every application. Vishnu shares how a childhood experience with mango trees shaped his mission, and how AgZen scaled to one million acres in just three years by measuring what no one else did. Tune in for a fresh look at innovation that solves a massive problem--- Hey Climate Tech enthusiasts! Searching for new podcasts on sustainability? Check out the Leaders on a Mission podcast, where I interview climate tech leaders who are shaking up the industry and bringing us the next big thing in sustainable solutions. Join me for a deep dive into the future of green innovation exploring the highs, lows, and everything in between of pioneering new technologies.Get an exclusive insight into how these leaders started up their journey, and how their cutting edge products will make a real impact. Tune in on…YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersonamissionNet0Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726…to listen to the latest episodes!00:58 – Childhood on Indian farm04:17 – MIT research origins07:26 – The “sticky” nozzle breakthrough10:12 – The billion droplet problem13:45 – Feedback loop vs. blind spraying17:33 – Differentiating from precision sprayers22:01 – From lab to field trials26:19 – Word-of-mouth growth model32:59 – Farmer trust and reliability38:44 – Building industry-wide partnershipUseful links: 👇AgZen website: https://www.agzen.com/ AgZen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agzen/Vishnu Jayaprakash LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishnu-jayaprakash/Leaders on a Mission website: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/Simon Leich’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executive-talent-headhunter-agtech-foodtech-agrifoodtech-agritech/
Transcribe →Biotech That Scales: Using a 30-Year Playbook to Reinvent Protein
Jun 24, 202500:43:20Tap to summarizeWhat if the key to transforming the global protein system lies in technology we've had for decades?Stephan van Sint Fiet, CEO of Vivici, reveals how industrial biotech is stepping off the lab bench and onto supermarket shelves — using precision fermentation to create dairy proteins ready for scale.In this episode, we unpack Vivici’s strategic focus on high-value proteins like beta-lactoglobulin, their approach to reaching cost parity, and why trust, transparency, and taste are critical for mainstream adoption.Learn how a tried-and-tested biotech playbook is helping rewrite the rules of sustainable food production. Tune in to hear how decades-old biotech is poised to reshape the way the world consumes protein.---Hey Climate Tech enthusiasts! Searching for new podcasts on sustainability? Check out the Leaders on a Mission podcast, where I interview climate tech leaders who are shaking up the industry and bringing us the next big thing in sustainable solutions. Join me for a deep dive into the future of green innovation exploring the highs, lows, and everything in between of pioneering new technologies.Get an exclusive insight into how these leaders started up their journey, and how their cutting edge products will make a real impact. Tune in on…YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersonamissionNet0Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726…to listen to the latest episodes!1:06 — Why biotech drew Stephan in 2:47 — The protein demand crisis 7:01 — Why Vivici chose dairy 9:14 — Tackling the scale-up challenge 14:01 — The power of beta-lactoglobulin 17:24 — Competing with cheap proteins 20:47 — Key milestones to date 30:39 — “We’re not reinventing this” 34:21 — Cracking consumer adoptionUseful links: Vivici website: https://www.vivici.com Vivici’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/viviciprotein/ Stephan van Sint Fiet LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanvansintfiet/Leaders on a Mission website: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/Simon Leich’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executive-talent-headhunter-agtech-foodtech-agrifoodtech-agritech/
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