From making leather out of mushrooms to growing silk in a lab, innovative textile startups around the world are reinventing how we make and consume materials. Nicole Rawling is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Material Innovation Initiative. Her organization is working to bring together scientists, entrepreneurs, retailers, and consumers—to accelerate the global trend towards a new era of animal-free fashion, automotive, and home goods industries. In this episode, she shares: - The story behind Material Innovation Initiative and this growing movement.  - The reasons why we need to stop relying on animal materials such as leather, wool, silk, down, fur, and exotic skins.  - The unique and cutting-edge types of innovation and technologies next-gen material startups are using.  - How the next-gen materials trend might go mainstream even faster than the fast-growing plant-based food and meat alternatives industry. AND how to learn more—or get involved in this space.

Material Innovation Initiative's website: https://www.materialinnovation.org/ 

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