Knowing whether or not to invest in a startup isn’t easy – it’s a skill that makes VCs like Zal Bilimoria extremely valuable. And Zal, the co-founder and solo GP of seed-stage VC firm Refactor Capital, is leveraging his knowledge to build a portfolio of human and planetary health-focused startups merging profits, sustainability, and technology.

Zal honed his skills and eye for the market working for tech industry giants like Microsoft and Google through pivotal moments in their history, and even created a new role for himself at Netflix, pioneering their dedicated mobile platform, before turning his hand to investing at a16z. It was there that he recognized his passion for health, biotech, and other impact-oriented industries, and in 2016, Zal struck out on his own to launch Refactor Capital. The firm has since invested in over 100 companies – four of which have gone on to reach unicorn status – and recently finished raising its fourth $50M fund.

Hear Zal share key insights from his time at tech and VC behemoths, the importance of believing in founders over ideas, and which startups and technologies could literally change the world for the better.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 Zal Bilimoria on super responsiveness
• 00:44 Conor Gaughan introduces Zal and Refactor Capital
• 07:03 Early passion for computers, UPenn, and Microsoft
• 11:36 Google, head of mobile at Netflix, and product management
• 18:05 Biotech and health, angel investing, and shifting investment strategy
• 21:49 Launching Refactor Capital, being a solo GP, and hard tech
• 28:47 Getting deals done, communication, and managing portfolios
• 36:20 Aligning profit and impact, exciting tech, and sci-fi vs science reality
• 42:53 Climate tech and human health, urgency, and Checkerspot
• 47:42 Aether Biomachines, founder dinners, and entrepreneurship
• 52:15 Leaving a legacy and defeating defeatism
• 56:01 Conclusion and end credits

If you liked this episode, listen next to Pavle Jeremic of Aether Biomachines on Rearranging Atoms, Scaling Deep Tech, and Defeating Scarcity

More on Refactor Capital and Zal Bilimoria:

• refactor.com
• linkedin.com/company/refactor-capital
• linkedin.com/in/zalzally

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at CiC@consensus-digital.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really makes a difference!

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

Soli Organic grows approximately 120,000,000 units of fresh herbs and greens every year, making it the number one grower of fresh, organic, culinary herbs in the U.S. That’s an impressive agriculture story on its own, but Soli has an even more amazing twist – they grow it all indoors! Led by CEO Matt Ryan, former head of brand management at Disney and chief marketing officer at Starbucks, the company is taking the indoor agriculture sector by storm (or rather, soil) with its commercial-grade organic growing systems and sustainable soil-based technology.

Founded over 30 years ago as Shenandoah Growers, the Virginia-based company has grown under Matt’s leadership to serve over 20,000 retail locations across the country while developing an integrated platform of farms, production, and logistics facilities. As the only controlled-environment producer to use soil-based technology, Soli is still growing rapidly, even launching a 140,000-square-foot soil-based vertical farm in Texas earlier this year.

Hear Matt Ryan share his business wisdom from game-changers like Disney and Starbucks, the revolutionary potential of precision fertilizers for indoor, soil-based growing, and how Soli is working to make flavorful, nutritious, and affordable organic produce available to all.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:00 Matt Ryan on indoor organic technology
• 00:46 Conor Gaughan introduces Matt and Soli Organic
• 05:30 Harvard studies, history, and passion for business
• 09:47 Working at Disney and marketing at Starbucks
• 13:57 Joining Soli’s board, becoming CEO, and its origin
• 17:30 The elevator pitch, soil tech, and precision organic fertilizer
• 24:10 Defining organic, sustainability in farming, and climate tech
• 29:57 Raising capital, critical storytelling, and the triple bottom line
• 36:03 Community engagement and leaving a legacy
• 38:20 Where to learn more
• 39:23 Conclusion and end credits

If you liked this episode, listen next to Nicolas Pinkowski of Nitricity on Lightning-Powered Fertilizer and the Decarbonized Future Of Food

More on Soli Organic and Matt Ryan:

• soliorganic.com
• linkedin.com/company/soliorganic
• linkedin.com/in/mattryanceo

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at CiC@consensus-digital.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really makes a difference!

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

60 billion board feet of wood products are used in the U.S. every year, a majority produced by fresh logging and shipped from across the globe, while simultaneously, millions of tons of local wood waste ends up in landfills off-gassing carbon as it rots. But that inefficiency could rapidly change thanks to Cambium and its CEO and co-founder, Ben Christensen, who are revolutionizing lumber supply chains with their Carbon Smart Wood™ and Traece operating system.

Cambium reclaims fallen or removed trees that would typically end up in landfills and turns them into a locally sourced, carbon negative material that could potentially cut global carbon emissions by 4%. The firm is also using new technology to better track the trees during the supply chain process, increasing transparency, traceability, and sustainability. Cambium is also just getting started, partnering with mega brands like Microsoft and Patagonia in recent years and continuing to develop their clean technology and expand their markets.

Ben Christensen is an accomplished ultra marathon runner, so it’s probably fitting that the company he runs is built with long-haul sustainability and scalability in mind. Surrounded by forests and the outdoors as a child, Ben went to Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies to pursue his passion, and it was there that the idea for Cambium first took root. Not long after, Ben and his co-founder, Theo Hooker, a childhood friend and fellow ultra marathon runner, were racing to transform waste wood into valuable building materials.

Hear Ben share how his love for the outdoors turned into a revolutionary sustainable materials startup, why wood waste is such a massive problem (and also a potential market), and what carbon smart wood means for the future of lumber, supply chains, and our planet.

Episode Highlights

• 00:00 Ben Christensen on wood waste
• 00:51 Conor Gaughan introduces Ben and Cambium
• 06:34 Early passion for wood, a childhood co-founder, and ultra running
• 16:37 Yale’s Forestry Program, natural climate solutions, and carbon sinks
• 22:42 Launching Cambium, wood’s waste issue, and carbon smart materials
• 29:09 The potential market, building with scalability in mind, and evaluating impact
• 35:33 Brand partnerships, remaining unique, and aligning purpose with profits
• 44:37 Innovations to watch, the blue carbon space, and staying optimistic
• 49:20 Leaving a legacy and where to learn more
• 51:57 End credits

If you liked this, listen next to our episode with Jasmine Crowe-Houston of Goodr on Being A Voice For Hunger And Why Food Waste Is All About Logistics.

More on Cambium and Ben Christensen:

• cambiumcarbon.com
• linkedin.com/company/cambium-carbon
• linkedin.com/in/btchr

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone.

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at CiC@consensus-digital.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really does make a difference!

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.