Allison Dring | CEO & Co-founder, Made of Air
2024-04-26
Welcome to an eye-opening episode where we explore the cutting-edge world of manufacturing carbon-negative materials and products using biochar. Our guest today is Allison Dring, the CEO and co-founder of Made of Air, a company dedicated to revolutionizing the building materials industry with sustainable solutions.
Allison, a trained architect with a passion for environmental sustainability, shares the journey behind Made of Air's inception and its mission to address the carbon footprint associated with traditional building materials. Through innovative processes like biochar production, Made of Air is leading the charge in the carbon removal industry, striving to achieve negative emissions and combat climate change.
In this conversation, we delve into the biochar process, Made of Air's business model that prioritizes the planet as a stakeholder, and their pioneering efforts in creating facade panels and integrating biochar into production. Allison also sheds light on the reception of biochar among industries, the practicality of transitioning to sustainable materials, and the entrepreneurial challenges and triumphs in this space.
[4:01] - The inspiration for Made of Air came from paying attention to manufacturers and the carbon footprint attached to materials.
[6:09] - The carbon removal industry is about creating negative emissions.
[7:24] - Allison explains the biochar process.
[11:22] - The system was great, but they realized that they were missing the disruption of the existing system.
[13:12] - Made of Air produces a ton of biochar. Allison shares the business model as using the planet as a stakeholder.
[15:18] - Allison describes the next step in creating facade panels and using biochar in production.
[18:37] - Are companies receptive and open to materials like biochar? Made of Air has great partners in varying types of industries.
[20:46] - Most companies don’t know about biochar and Made of Air can speak to them practically about the materials they’re currently using and the possibilities of biochar.
[22:26] - Allison explains the product economics.
[25:12] - Allison describes what it has been like as an entrepreneur in this space.
Allison, a trained architect with a passion for environmental sustainability, shares the journey behind Made of Air's inception and its mission to address the carbon footprint associated with traditional building materials. Through innovative processes like biochar production, Made of Air is leading the charge in the carbon removal industry, striving to achieve negative emissions and combat climate change.
In this conversation, we delve into the biochar process, Made of Air's business model that prioritizes the planet as a stakeholder, and their pioneering efforts in creating facade panels and integrating biochar into production. Allison also sheds light on the reception of biochar among industries, the practicality of transitioning to sustainable materials, and the entrepreneurial challenges and triumphs in this space.
Show Notes:
[1:42] - Allison is a trained architect but never entered the profession. Most of her career has been focused on considering environmental problems in building products.[4:01] - The inspiration for Made of Air came from paying attention to manufacturers and the carbon footprint attached to materials.
[6:09] - The carbon removal industry is about creating negative emissions.
[7:24] - Allison explains the biochar process.
[11:22] - The system was great, but they realized that they were missing the disruption of the existing system.
[13:12] - Made of Air produces a ton of biochar. Allison shares the business model as using the planet as a stakeholder.
[15:18] - Allison describes the next step in creating facade panels and using biochar in production.
[18:37] - Are companies receptive and open to materials like biochar? Made of Air has great partners in varying types of industries.
[20:46] - Most companies don’t know about biochar and Made of Air can speak to them practically about the materials they’re currently using and the possibilities of biochar.
[22:26] - Allison explains the product economics.
[25:12] - Allison describes what it has been like as an entrepreneur in this space.
