In this episode, we talk neem oil, biology, and international business with the founder of Terramera.

Their products can increase crop yields over conventional and current organic pesticides, bee health and public health applications  by harnessing the power of natural plant defenses and innovative chemistry.

Checkout their PROOF® Spray at Walmart and Target.

This is important stuff: Karn Manhas recently traveled to Washington to talk with the Obama's about it! And have you ever had bedbugs?

Karn has a background in Biology and Law. He is incredibly bright and charismatic. So it is no surprise that his company is thriving. We dig into all sorts of cool stuff:

• All about the Neem tree
• What Terramerra is at its heart
• Explaining their technology in layman's terms
• The problem with many of today's bio-pesticides
• How to ensure integrity in organic farming
• Tips on doing effective work with government entities
• Resources for receiving government aid
• What it is like to do business in India
• Future of organic certification
• How to incentivize companies to work with Terramera

Selected links from the show:
Neem (Indian Lilac)
Terramera
About Terramera

Marlo Giudice landed in San Francisco by way of New York City and years of work in relationship management at digital marketing & Ad Tech companies.

Once relocating, she quickly realized that her passion actually lay in baking and enrolled in a professional pastry education program.

Today, she has expanded that recipe and Marlo's now sells five flavors of the contemporary twist on traditional biscotti across 10 SKUs.

We had a great time talking about biscotti, the ups and downs of being entrepreneur, and food business strategy:

• Turning a family recipe into a business
• What motivated her to start her own food brand
• How Marlo transitioned from a digital marketing job to starting a bake shop
• Soft-baked biscotti
• The high's and low's of entrepreneurship
• On selling online and importance to the brand
• Amazon Fresh and Amazon Payments
• Coffee shop distribution
• Alternative channels to grocery

Selected links from the episode:
Marlo's Bakeshop
Marlo's Bake Shop on YouTube
Kiva Zip Loans
Marlo's Kickstarter
The Sweet and Salty Podcast
Reach out to Marlo

“Any time more than two people mention something, you know that it is something to consider.”

Corey Hill is the founder and CEO of Indie Food Hub, a resource providing services to small and medium sized food businesses. He is driven to change the food system for the better, creating greater access for independent producers.

Indie Food Hub is in the bay area and recently launched Vittle Bus to help food startups with one of the two most difficult problems: delivery logistics.

The other is money, which will also be discussed in detail. Corey is passionate about helping people like you, the listener:

• What is the purpose of Indie Food Hub?
• How do you consolidate the wide array of resources for food entrepreneurs?
• How do I interact with IFH as a small food biz entrepreneur?
• Corey’s favorite food startup resources
• Water rights, The Big Short, and the precarious future
• Ideas on how to raise funds for your food business
• Vittle Bus – one of the brands under the IFH umbrella
• Stories from a childhood in Germany
• His experience as a freelance journalist
• Human frights, fracking, and the issues he is passionate about
• Corey’s favorite novels

"I've made a lot of people wealthy, but what about me? What do l love to do?"

Susan MacTavish Best creates interesting and engaging salons that have brought together some of the most creative minds of this century, from Tim Ferriss to Michael Pollan to food companies like Hampton Creek. The salons cover topics ranging from LSD to the future of death, and more.

Susan also has an all-encompassing lifestyle brand, Living MacTavish. It is not unlike Martha Stewart, but well, more accessible. And not a perfectionist. Martha Stewart meets the Royal Tennenbaums.

The art of casually bringing together our friends has been lost in this era of texting, social gaming, tweeting, IM’ing, and frenetic scheduling

Understand: strategically executed events, dinners, and salons can be used to make contacts, promote your food brand, and get deals done. Add this to your skill set. We cover a wide array of topics in a fun interview:

• How she "cold-emailed" Michael Pollan and got him to show up at a salon.
• Tips on putting together a guest list
• Getting over the fear of attending a party alone
• How to get people to show up to your event
• Social dynamics party tips
• Making a lasting, favorable impression
• How to foster introductions at a busy event or party
• Embracing imperfection
• Why Susan started Living MacTavish
• A common characteristic among elite performers like Tim Ferriss and Chris Sacca
• How to fit in when not drinking
• Using wigs and masks for events
• How to choose a topic for a salon
• How to create the right "vibe" for an event
• Why the back of a bar or restaurant is not the ideal location

Mentioned in this episode:
Living MacTavish
Best PR
Living the Lab
Expert advice for your best end-of-summer fete
This entrepreneur wants you to eat, drink – and party! – just like her
A high-tech high: Wearable gives you good vibes
Quid
Pundits Vs. Machine: Predicting Controversies In The Presidential Race