Episode 80

S7E80: Dr. Isaac Berzin / Vaxa Life’s - The Complexity of Algae & A Quest for Sustainability

Episode Summary

Dr. Isaac Berzin is the Founder and CTO at Vaxa Life, an organization that is developing sustainable algae-based feed and food ingredients. He was named one the 100 most influential people in politics, business, and science in 2008 by the Time Magazine for his work in sustainability and climate change. Today, Harry and Dr. Isaac discuss the biology of algae and its role in the food chain, his experience working with supplements at Qualitas Health, and the work he is doing at Vaxa Life to create alternative foods rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins.

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Key Takeaways

07:07 – Dr. Isaac Berzin joins the show to discuss his passion for sustainability, what brought him to Iceland and what he learned from his time at Qualitas Health

15:19 – The origins of Vaxa Life

19:55 – Unforeseen roadblocks and challenges faced along Dr. Isaac’s journey

21:48 – The different strains of algae

25:35 – Vaxa Life’s current product offering and their ideal customer

30:01 – Dr. Isaac talks about Örlö, the world's most sustainable Omega-3 supplement

32:55 – The similarities between Iceland and Israel

37:04 – Future opportunities for Vaxa Life

40:13 – A tough question Dr. Isaac has had to ask himself recently

41:14 – Dr. Isaac’s experience as an adjunct professor at Reykjavik University and what keeps him motivated

44:48 – Harry thanks Isaac for joining the show and lets listeners know where they can go to connect with him and learn more about Vaxa Life

Tweetable Quotes

“One of the challenges of agriculture is inconsistent quality, especially with a crop that you harvest every day.” (11:30) (Dr. Isaac)

“Remember how we started this journey. It’s a quest for sustainability and it’s a quest for superior user experience.” (15:43) (Dr. Isaac)

“There are hundreds of strains in the nature of microalgae. Out of these, there are a handful of strains that are approved for human consumption.” (22:38) (Dr. Isaac)

“Vaxa is a technology company that creates alternative foods rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins. We use algae as a vehicle, but we are not an algae company. And we do it in a sustainable way.” (25:45) (Dr. Isaac)

“I have to tell you, the more time I spend with algae, the more I appreciate the complexity. And I understand why they are the baseline of the food chain because they are so versatile and so adaptable. It’s pretty fascinating.” (39:22) (Dr. Isaac)