In this episode, Daniella sits down with Maddie Hamann, who transitioned from a PhD in oceanography to founding an organic buckwheat bread company focused on regenerative agriculture, PACHA. Maddie shares her journey from academia to entrepreneurship, highlighting her passion for sustainability and how she and her partner overcame initial hesitations to launch their business. They discuss the marketing challenges, the importance of sustainable packaging, and their persistence in securing Whole Foods distribution. The conversation also covers the significance of regenerative agriculture, the impact of buckwheat as a cover crop, and the difficulties of educating consumers about the benefits of sustainable practices. Maddie emphasizes the need to align values with actions and the potential for big brands to lead in consumer education about regenerative farming.

EPISODE KEY MOMENTS:

• Transitioning from academia to entrepreneurship.


• PACHA's focus on regenerative agriculture and sustainable practices.


• Launching a business with multiple co-founders during the pandemic.


• Overcaming marketing challenges and lack of foundational knowledge.


• Securing production facility and Whole Foods distribution with improved product.


• Compostable packaging and aligning with sustainability mission.


• Buckwheat's role as a regenerative cover crop.


• The challenges of educating consumers on regenerative agriculture benefits.

Where to connect with Maddie on the internet:

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

Plantas Pod Credits

Host: ⁠⁠Daniella Allam⁠⁠

Producer: ⁠⁠Jacqueline Smith⁠⁠

⁠⁠Plantas Strategy website⁠⁠

For episode transcripts, go to the Plantas Pod website ⁠⁠here

If you have any feedback or questions about the podcast, email ⁠info@plantasstrategy.com