SM Underground

The future of synbio

This episode’s topic is the future of synbio, and we discuss why the synbio future is so bright, how we can get there, and the importance of ethical and visionary leadership in the space.  Blackbird Associate Clare Birch [https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarebirch42/] is your host, and she's joined in the studio by George Peppou [https://www.linkedin.com/in/peppou/] and Julia Reisser [https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-reisser/]. George is Co-Founder and CEO of Vow. Vow produces meat that is better than the meat we eat today by culturing the cells of animals and creating a range of cell ingredients which can be turned into a wide variety of products. George began his career as a chef whilst studying biochemistry at the University of Sydney. He is a serial entrepreneur and inventor, with over 30 patents granted. Julia is the Co-Founder of ULUU. She is a highly regarded marine scientist and adjunct fellow at the University of Western Australia. She holds a doctorate in plastic pollution, and has more than 15 years of experience leading R&D for universities, technology companies and foundations. Julia is also completing her MBA at UWA and has a PHD, Masters and Honours in Oceanography.

The future of sextech

This episode’s topic is the future of sextech, and we discuss up-and-coming startups, sextech niches, sex education, cannabis and psychedelics, relationship structures, sex as a key component of mental health, and future of intimacy. Startmate Senior Media Associate Bronte McHenry [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brontemchenry/] is your host, and she's joined in the studio by Lucy Wark [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-wark-1a614837/] and Bryony Cole [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryonycole/]. Lucy runs NORMAL, an Australian sextech brand making exploring sexuality stress-free, stigma-free and regret-free. From creating modern sex education, to making it easy to find the perfect toy for you, NORMAL is making sexual wellness accessible for all. Bryony is the world’s leading authority on sextech. She is fascinated by the way technology permeates every corner of our lives, even the most intimate ones. She is the creator and host of the Future of Sex podcast, founder of Sextech School and Lovehoney's resident sextech advisor.

The future of media

This episode’s topic is the future of media, and we discuss the new revenue models at play in the industry, the evolution of journalism and content creation industries, and the emerging tech making this shift possible. Startmate Principal Lauren Capelin [https://twitter.com/laurenjcapelin] is your host, and she's joined in the studio by Brad Esposito [https://twitter.com/bradesposito], Zara Seidler [https://twitter.com/zaraseidler1] and Chris Wirasinha [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-wirasinha-a26bab16/]. Brad is Head of Editorial at Vice Australia and New Zealand. An editor, writer, presenter, and strategist, Brad was part of the founding team that brought BuzzFeed to Australia, before spending time at startup Eucalyptus as Director of Content. He is also the host and creator of the interview newsletter Very Fine Day. Zara is a former government relations and political advisor turned content creator as the founder of The Daily Aus, an Instagram-based digestible news organisation that keeps Millennials and Gen Z informed on the issues of the day. Chris co-founded Pedestrian Group when he was just 21. Over 14 years, Pedestrian grew from two people working out of a bedroom to a $100m valuation and staff of 100. After selling Pedestrian to Nine Entertainment and exiting the business in 2019, Chris has gone on to launch Linkby, an adtech platform enabling pay-per-click editorial coverage for emerging d2c brands.

The future of waste

This episode’s topic is the future of waste, and we discuss waste literacy, financial incentives and levies, regeneration over sustainability, and exciting innovations in waste-tech, such as PHA and turning food waste into food for human consumption Startmate Outreach Associate Bronte McHenry [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brontemchenry/] is your host, and she's joined in the studio by Phoebe Gardner [https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoebe-gardner/], Jayden Klinac [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayden-klinac-9a0481a1/] and Prisca Ongonga-Daehn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/prisca-ongonga-daehn-b93a7437/]. Phoebe is the Co-fFunder of Bardee, which is on a mission to reshape the global food system. To do this, Bardee is using insects to transform food waste into protein and fertiliser, and offsetting CO2e in the process. Jayden is the Founder of For The Better Good, which sells compostable water bottles across New Zealand. His goal is not only to replace Oil Based Plastics and end our reliance on fossil fuels, but to create products, systems and business models that go beyond sustainability and into regeneration. Prisca is the Founder of baresop, and is on a mission to make it easy for everyone to reduce their usage of single-use plastic. To achieve this, baresop crystallises the active ingredients in soap into a powdered formulation, using only plant-based ingredients.

The future of Web3

This episode’s topic is the future of Web3, and we discuss the convergence of the creator economy and decentralised finance, the driving forces behind the explosion of NFTs and digital art, and the potential to re-empower the internet’s users. Startmate Principal Lauren Capelin [https://twitter.com/laurenjcapelin] is your host, and she's joined in the studio by Joan Westenberg [https://twitter.com/Joanwestenberg] and Nick Tong [https://twitter.com/tongnk]. Joan has had a long career in the Australian startup ecosystem at companies such as Fishburners and Flare HR, and as a writer with work published in Wired, The AFR, Junkee to name a few. She runs Studio Self, a web3 creative agency, writes prolifically at Substack publication PizzaParty, and drops NFTs even more prolifically. Nick has worked across the startup ecosystem for a decade now, both as a founder and operator. Following a four-year stint in fintech at Lumi Finance, Nick made a shift into the world of DeFi just over a year ago as Head of Strategy for Perpetual Protocol. Nick is also a Startmate First Believer and angel investor.