Subtracting the Bean from Coffee: The Minus Story
Release Date: 02/01/2025
Inside Mighty Earth: Glenn Hurowitz on Transforming the Meat Industry
Business for Good Podcast
What if the biggest environmental culprits were hiding in plain sight—right on our dinner plates? While most environmental organizations train their sights on the energy sector, Mighty Earth has taken a bold, and often lonely, stand in confronting the meat industry’s massive role in climate change, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. In this episode, I sit down with Glenn Hurowitz, founder and CEO of , to unpack why the meat industry typically gets ignored by the environmental movement, and what he thinks needs to be done. Glenn has spent decades fighting for the planet, from...
info_outline
Turning Waste into Bioplastic Gold with Genecis CEO Luna Yu
Business for Good Podcast
It’s rare that we contemplate where all the plastic we throw out goes, but rest assured that nearly none of it is being recycled. Simply put, it’s usually cheaper to make new plastic than to recycle old plastic, even the plastic you put in the recycling bin. Because it takes plastic centuries to break down, this means for each one of us you could build a mountain of plastic from all the packaging we use over the course of our lives. But what if plastic didn’t have to take centuries to break down, and could actually biodegrade in a matter of days or weeks? That’s exactly the...
info_outline
Turning Plants into Plastic-Free Packaging: The Xampla Story
Business for Good Podcast
Plastic pollution is one of the defining environmental challenges of our time—microplastics are now found in our oceans, our soil, our drinking water, and even in our bloodstreams. But what if we could make high-performance materials that look, feel, and function like plastic—without being plastic at all? Enter . Born out of the University of Cambridge, Xampla is a materials science innovation company that’s developed a new class of plastic-free, fully biodegradable materials that offer a drop-in replacement for the most polluting types of plastic. Their flagship line, known as Morro™,...
info_outline
Microbial Might: Can MicroHarvest Replace Animals in Pet and Livestock Feed?
Business for Good Podcast
What if we could grow nutritious, sustainable protein—not in months or weeks—but in just one day? This episode’s guest is doing just that. Rather than going big with animal agriculture, MicroHarvest is going small with microbial agriculture. A huge number of animals are used to feed both our pets and the animals we raise for food. Kate Bekers, the CEO and co-founder of , is seeking to change that. She’s running a fast-rising European biotech startup using fermentation to produce high-quality protein from microbes—in just 24 hours. Based in Hamburg and Lisbon, MicroHarvest is on...
info_outline
There’s no Eighth Continent to Farm: Mike Grunwald on Feeding Ourselves without Frying the Planet
Business for Good Podcast
In this episode, I’m joined by one of America’s most thoughtful national journalists: Mike Grunwald. You may know him from his work at Time, Politico, or The Washington Post, or from his critically acclaimed books about the Obama administration and the history of the Everglades. He’s also now a contributing columnist at the New York Times. But for the purpose of this episode, Mike is here to discuss his third book, . In this sweeping and deeply reported work, Mike tackles one of the most uncomfortable truths of our time: our global food system, especially animal farming, is a...
info_outline
Trash into Treasure: ChainCraft Is Converting Food Waste into Sustainable Chemicals
Business for Good Podcast
What if we could turn the mountains of food waste we generate every day into high-value chemicals that replace fossil fuels and palm oil—two of the most environmentally destructive inputs in our economy? That’s exactly what this episode’s guest is doing. is the CEO of , a Dutch biotechnology company using fermentation to convert agricultural waste into medium-chain fatty acids—essential building blocks for everything from fats for foods to lubricants to bioplastics and fragrances. Founded as a spin-off from , ChainCraft is pioneering open-culture fermentation process that offers a...
info_outline
Unstoppable Entrepreneurs: Lori Rosenkopf on the Many Paths to Startup Success
Business for Good Podcast
This episode’s guest is someone who’s spent her career studying—and championing—entrepreneurs who don’t always fit the Silicon Valley mold. Dr. Lori Rosenkopf is the Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship at the Wharton School and the author of the new book . In this short guide, Lori explores how success doesn’t have to mean dropping out of college to start a venture-backed unicorn in your garage. Instead, she highlights seven distinct paths that entrepreneurs can take to build impactful ventures, whether they’re bootstrapped, mission-driven, or even working within larger companies....
info_outline
The Crazy Rock Lady: How Eion is Turning Crushed Rocks into Climate Gold
Business for Good Podcast
You’ve heard of carbon capture machines, but what if one of the most powerful tools for removing CO₂ from the atmosphere isn’t high-tech at all—just crushed rock and rain? Meet Ana Pavlovic, CEO of and the self-described “Crazy Rock Lady.” Her company is pioneering a process called enhanced rock weathering, which uses the natural properties of a green volcanic mineral called olivine to pull carbon dioxide out of the air and lock it away—permanently. The best part? They do it on farmland, replacing conventional agricultural lime with olivine. The result is a two-for-one win:...
info_outline
Vedge of Glory: How Two Plant-Based Restaurateurs Have Survived for Decades
Business for Good Podcast
In the restaurant world, infant mortality is the norm. Nearly two-thirds of new eateries shut down in their first year. Only one in five lives to see its fifth birthday. So when a restaurant—not just any restaurant, but a plant-based fine-dining spot—thrives for decades, it’s not just impressive. It’s almost mythic. Enter Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby, the married duo behind , the acclaimed Philadelphia restaurant that’s helped redefine what plant-based food can be. With nods from Bon Appétit, GQ, Food & Wine, and the James Beard Foundation, Rich and Kate have built more than a...
info_outline
The Venture Capitalist Who Wants You to Donate More to Charity
Business for Good Podcast
Nick Cooney is one of the most prolific investors in food and ag tech. As the founder of , he’s helped deploy nearly $80 million from his first fund and has now toward his second $100 million fund. He’s backed companies across the spectrum of sustainable protein—plant-based meat, cultivated meat, fermentation-derived proteins (including, in full disclosure, my own company, ), and more. But despite his deep roots in venture capital, Nick’s latest project is about something very different: giving money away with no expectation of any financial return. In his new book, , from Simon &...
info_outlineDid you know that it takes 140 liters of water to make a single cup of coffee? Turns out that coffee, as far as plant crops are concerned, has a fairly heavy footprint on the planet. And it’s getting harder to farm, with climate change altering where and how many coffee beans can even be grown.
You’ve heard of making meat without chickens, and milk without cows. Well, you can also now get coffee without beans.
This episode’s guest is the CEO of Minus, a startup reimagining how you enjoy your daily brew. Minus has developed an innovative way to replicate the rich flavor, aroma, and experience of coffee without using coffee beans at all. Minus’ beanless coffee emits 86% less carbon than traditional coffee, uses 94% less water and utilizes 92% less land.
Made from upcycled ingredients like date seeds and grape seeds, this alt-coffee is primarily marketed to women for reasons you’ll hear from CEO Maricel Saenz.
The traditional coffee industry is rife with challenges, from deforestation and water-intensive farming practices to the instability of supply chains caused by climate change. Minus aims to address these issues head-on with a sustainable, scalable alternative that delivers the same satisfying experience without the environmental baggage.
We’ll explore the science behind beanless coffee, the startup’s journey from concept to reality, and the potential impact of this bold innovation on coffee lovers and the planet. Whether you’re a caffeine connoisseur or just curious about how cutting-edge food tech is reshaping our world, this conversation is one you won’t want to miss.
Discussed in this episode
-
You can buy Minus coffee from their website.
-
Maricel recommends the Y Combinator Startup Library.
-
Maricel also recommends reading Regnesis.
-
Our past episodes on chocolate without farming cocoa and bean-free coffee.
More about Maricel Saenz
Maricel Saenz is a Costa Rican entrepreneur living in California with a strong passion for sustainability and innovation. She is the founder and CEO of Compound Foods, a food-tech startup that aims to reduce supply chains and food waste while creating sustainable and valuable products through fermentation. The company's first product, Minus, uses a beanless approach to reduce the negative environmental impact of coffee production and ensure a sustainable supply for the future. Maricel holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia and attended Singularity University's Global Solutions Program in 2017. She has a diverse background, having previously co-founded Nextbiotics, a synthetic biology startup that addressed antibiotic resistance. She has also worked in international development in South Africa and Cambodia, empowering women and working with local entrepreneurs. Maricel has also worked with Monitor Deloitte in corporate strategy and innovation consultancies.In recognition of her accomplishments and innovative thinking, Maricel was named on the 2022 Forbes' 30 under 30 list. Her work in sustainability and food-tech is making a positive impact on the planet and inspiring others to think creatively about how to reduce waste and create sustainable solutions.