In this episode, I am joined by Nicole Rawling, CEO and co-founder of the Material Innovation Initiative (MII). Nicole tells us how and why MII got started in 2019, and her story behind how she went from practicing law to starting a material science organization. She delineates the basic technologies that are currently being used to replace animal-derived materials such as silk, leather, fur, down feathers, and exotic skins used in the fashion, home goods, and automotive industries. We discuss why replacing these animal-derived materials is necessary, challenges in the space, and how material innovation is complementing the agricultural innovation we are seeing in the food industry.
For more information about MII and to read their latest reports, visit www.materialinnovation.org.