From Street Lad to Biosphere-Inspired Entrepreneur with Dr. Vincent Walsh
“Waste” is a human construct that does not exist in an ecological context. The waste from one species is then used by others for things like food and shelter. When a tree dies in the forest it becomes habitat for insects and birds. It eventually falls to the forest floor and becomes fodder for fungi that then decompose the tree into organic soil out of which new plants will grow. This continuous cycling of nutrients is a virtuous cycle that has helped to create incredibly rich environments and biomass like top soil. As humans wreak havoc on natural systems, people are beginning to turn towards nature to rethink how inhabit the planet, and they are creating good businesses out of it.
Dr. Vincent Walsh is a designer and serial entrepreneur living and working in Manchester, England. He is inspired and fascinated by the biosphere's natural inclination toward circular systems and "upcycling"—taking components and creating from them something of equal or greater value.
In the show, we discuss Vincent's incredible life story: his experience with severe dyslexia which made school extremely difficult but allowed him to think in terms of connections and whole systems, his gonzo-style documentary of poverty in the U.S., and his three-story biosystem building project. We also discuss the three companies he operates now—RegenfarmCo, Mycoloops, and Herbalism—which work in tandem to develop regenerative farms, produce organic mushrooms from agricultural waste, and create plant-based meat alternatives.
