You can’t tackle climate change without taking a hard look at the environmental impact of the global meat and dairy industries. Combined, they emit 7.1 gigatons of greenhouse gasses every year and account for 14.5% of man-made emissions.
The direct connection between farming animals and climate change inspired Pat Brown, founder, former CEO and now chief visionary officer at Impossible Foods, to develop a better plant-based meat. Thus far, his vision has been a rousing success, with Impossible hitting a $9.5 billion valuation last year. We’re thrilled he will be joining us on stage at TC Sessions: Climate and The Extreme Tech Challenge 2022 Global Finals on June 14 in Berkeley, California.
Brown received his bachelor of arts, an MD and a doctorate in biochemistry at the University of Chicago. While on sabbatical from teaching biochemistry at Stanford University, he explored ways to use his expertise to make a significant, positive impact on the world. He founded Impossible Foods in 2011 to develop plant-based foods with all the flavor and nutrition of meat without the negative environmental or health effects.
Changing the hearts, minds and taste buds of carnivores is no easy feat. Brown believed that meat’s high level of heme, an iron-rich molecule in blood that carries oxygen, made meat taste like well, meat. It’s the not-so-secret sauce found in Impossible burgers. It’s the stuff that makes the plant-based burger juicy and “bleed” like a medium-rare beef patty.
Heme, derived from fermented soy beans, also differentiates Impossible Foods from its closest competitor, Beyond Meat — that and its blend of soy and potato protein. Beyond uses a blend of pea, mung bean and rice proteins.
Under his watch as CEO, Brown expanded the company’s product distribution to more than 11,000 grocery stores in the U.S., including Walmart, the nation’s largest meat market.
You’ll also find the Impossible Burger sold at 30,000 American restaurants, in thousands of groceries stores on three continents and in global fast food franchises like Burger King and Starbucks.
Brown stepped down as CEO on April 4, following two wild years during which pandemic-induced meat shortages caused the company’s grocery sales to soar. He’ll join us to discuss that journey and his new role as chief visionary officer, along with the impact of plant-based diets on the climate.
Don’t miss what’s sure to be a fascinating and vital conversation with Impossible Foods’ Pat Brown at TC Sessions: Climate 2022.
TC Sessions: Climate 2022 is all about the growing wave of startups, technologies, scientists and engineers dedicated to saving our planet and, of course, the investors who finance them. Join us in-person on June 14 at UC Berkley’s Zellerbach Auditorium. Register now and save $200.