Insights and Resources

This episode features Simon Fried, head of business at MeaTech. Simon grew up around restaurants, has business experience including food retail, FMCG, distilleries and 3D printing. Combined with his academic background in risk, behavioral economics, and behavior change, he’s excited to be playing a part in the cultivated meat mission.

This episode features Doug Dresslaer, the Director of Cultural Innovation for Dairy Farmers of America.  Doug works with DFA farmer members and employees to foster a culture of innovation within the Cooperative to help keep DFA at the forefront of emerging technologies and trends in the industry.  Prior to joining DFA in 2019, Doug worked with the cooperative as managing director of the T-Mobile and DFA Accelerator program working with startups to help build partnerships between small businesses and T-Mobile and DFA.

This episode features Matt Gibson of New Culture. Matt grew up in New Zealand. He studied microbiology and genetics at the University of Auckland before co-founding New Culture, a venture-backed cell ag startup based in the Bay Area that is making cow cheese without the cow.

This episode features Mike Beveridge, a Senior Associate Merchant at FreshDirect, a New-York based online grocer.  He joined FreshDirect in 2019 to work in their express, one-hour delivery service, improving the supply chain, buying and merchandising for Meat, Poultry, and Seafood. 

This episode features Didier Toubia of Aleph Farms. Didier Toubia is the Co-Founder and CEO of Aleph Farms, a cultivated meat company that is shaping the future of food by growing slaughter-free beef steaks directly from cow cells, preserving natural resources, and avoiding the use of antibiotics.

This episode features Sonia Lo, who joins the Sensei Ag team with over 32 years of combined agriculture, technology and business experience.

This episode features Christie Lagally, the founder and CEO of Rebellyous Foods, a food production technology company working to make plant-based meat price-competitive with traditional chicken products. 

This episode features Lou Cooperhouse, a leading global authority in food business innovation and technology commercialization. This podcast is sponsored by Black & Veatch.

Global use of hydrogen has grown rapidly over the past 10 years in many areas, and it’s increasingly gaining traction as part of the mix in a balanced energy portfolio whether as blue hydrogen with carbon-capture technology in the short term, or as green hydrogen in power plants in the near future. Jonathan Cristiani, Advanced Power Fuels Engineer for Black & Veatch, discusses the possibilities and challenges for hydrogen, including storage and transportation, in this Power Tech Pod with host Becca Schmidt.

As a follow-up to his webinar, “Planning Considerations for Underground Transmission Lines,” Justin Bardwell answers questions critical to the success of underground projects ― from start to finish ― in this Power Tech Pod with Black & Veatch’s Becca Schmidt. Justin addresses permitting, one of the most difficult and time-consuming aspects of underground transmission projects, as well as planning to ensure competitive pricing. The session then details cable selection for optimal lifespan and performance, and Justin, Black & Veatch’s Underground Transmission Manager, shares insights from some of his experiences with submarine projects.

What is the ideal size for a hybrid solar and battery energy storage system? How many years do batteries last, and how do you plan for decline over time? Frank Jakob, Black & Veatch’s Technology Manager for Energy Storage, provides his insights into these and other questions, as well as the latest views of the renewables market, in this Power Tech Pod with Becca Schmidt. Listen to this session and view the webinar, “Hot Topics When Considering Solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Projects,” which also is available at www.bv.com/power-on-demand.

Spoiler alert: any facility that has electrical distribution equipment needs an Arc Flash Hazard Analysis. The key (and hard part) is making sure they’re done successfully, with safety driving the entire process. In this Power Tech Pod, host Becca Schmidt talks with Kevin Parish, Lead Electrical Engineer for Black & Veatch, who outlines proper steps for an analysis. Kevin discusses best practices for planning and preparation, site visits, data collection, risk mitigation and equipment labeling.

A little planning goes a long way. In this Power Tech Pod, Black & Veatch’s Tom Hudson explains how high-energy piping assessments at power plants improve safety, optimize operations and extend the lives of facilities. As more renewable energy generation comes on line, conventional power plants are further stressed due to cycling. Along with host Becca Schmidt, Tom discusses the steps operators can take now to ensure system reliability and understand potential pipe stress issues before they become major problems.

Across the Power industry, utility operators must address all forms of safety, including acoustics and noise control, especially in urban and suburban areas. In our first Power Tech Pod, host Becca Schmidt talks with Black & Veatch’s Jeff Szymanski, Senior Acoustical Engineer, about mitigating those risks early to ensure successful projects. They also discuss noise control concerns amid the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.