The daughter of the Godfather of cell-based meat carries on her father’s legacy
Growing up, Ira Van Eelen was no stranger to the world of alternative protein due to her father’s dedication to lab-grown meat research. What seemed like a distant possibility at that time became a stunning reality when Ira received a call from Josh Tetrick, the CEO of the San Francisco based food company - Hampton Creek (now known as JUST). After learning that her father’s patent for lab-based meat was acquired by Silicon Valley’s biggest and only food unicorn, Ira realised that she was dealing with a much larger project than what she had originally envisioned. Almost overnight, Willem van Eelen’s daughter had become a minor celebrity in the small sphere of researchers and entrepreneurs racing to bring lab-grown meat to the world table.
Three years later, Ira has built upon the legacy that her father began by starting Kind Earth.Tech (KET) with Olivia Fox Cabane. Ira has helped shine light on sustainable and ethical technology by bringing together food tech innovators from all over the world, by organising the Alternative Protein show in Amsterdam and San Francisco. We sat down with Ira to learn more about KET and the upcoming Alternative Protein & Foodtech Show in Singapore.
“I didn’t expect there to be a role for me. But in this alternative protein sphere, which is broader than cell-based meat, I believe in the collaboration and sharing of the new techniques in food and being a trailblazer for that phenomenon… This is just a daughter in the footsteps of her father,” says Ira - who finds that her personal connection with her father’s work has helped open doors for new opportunities and connections.
This passion and drive to keep her father’s vision alive led to the formation of Kind Earth.Tech alongside Olivia Fox Cabane. As a strong believer that it is natural for humans to be technical beings, Ira hopes that we can create awareness on techniques that are kind to the earth and the environment. “We try to organise events for people who are not only in the Alternative Protein sphere in order to get a dialogue going. So to anyone that is skeptical, they at least have the opportunity to formulate thoughts instead of being ignored” explained Ira, who sees Kind Earth.Tech’s events as a platform to learn and be more enlightened about sustainable food systems. Thus, Kind Earth.Tech helps to foster communication, connection and dialogue by bringing together food tech innovators and the general public.
Bringing Kind Earth.Tech’s Alternative Protein Show to Asia has always been a passion project for Ira. Since her father was born in Indonesia, Ira came from a very Asian-oriented household where she developed a palate for Asian food. In our present day, there has been a rise in meat consumption in Asia due to the eurocentric idea that meat is associated with a rich and affluent diet. Hence, Ira believes it’s absolutely necessary for the sustainable food market to be extended to Asia. Moreover, she shared how her father was invited by the Singaporean government to develop cell-based meat but declined due to old age. “It’s very personal that I go to Singapore because that is where the growth is happening” shared Ira, who hopes to contribute to the growing clean-meat and alternative protein market in Singapore. The Alternative Protein & Foodtech Show in Singapore is run by Kind Earth.Tech, Shiok Meats (Singapore and SE Asia’s first cell-based meat company) and SciGlo.
In a food technology space replete with scientists and venture capitalists, Ira Van Eelen represents the consumer that food tech companies hope to attract. She’s a bridge between scientists and the public, turning complicated scientific jargon into the layperson language. She dreams of bringing about exciting tastes and variety in the sustainable food industry- daydreaming especially about how her kitchen will look like as the market expands.The Alternative Protein Show is just one out of the many opportunities for her to bring awareness to sustainable and innovative food technology, and she is excited to get to work. “The future is tomorrow,” Ira emphatically exclaimed. “And tomorrow starts with today”
Article by Vandana Venkataraman