Hi. This is Paul Zellizer, and welcome to the Awerepreneurs podcast. On this show, we dive deep into wisdom from some of the world's leading social entrepreneurs. Our goal is to help increase your positive impact, your profitability, and your quality of of life. Before we get into today's topic, I have one request. If you could hit subscribe and do a review on your favorite podcast app, it helps more people learn how to have positive impact through a values based business. Thank you so much. Today, I'm really honored, like, really honored to introduce you to Miyoko Shiner.

And our topic today is capital and exit strategies for impact founders. Mioka is like an OG, like, has been involved in this for 30 plus years, maybe more. Let me read you her Instagram bio because I really like this. Miyoko is a Epicurean activist out to create justice for animals, people, and planet by connecting our palate to our futures. I just like that. I just think that's awesome. She's been a vegan activist for 30 plus years and is the founder of what is now known as Miyoko's Creamery. If you go to Instagram, you'll see she has one of those coveted little blue check marks.

There's a lot of people who look to Miyoko as a leader and a founder in the justice and food space, Also, an increasing area of focus, and we'll get into this, is how founders can take care of themselves when it comes to capital and exit strategies, and also some of the ways that founders are not being taken care of. And we'll talk more about that. But I just am deeply grateful to have you here, Miyoko. Welcome to the show.

Hi, Paul. Thanks for having me. I'm glad to be here.

So you've been at this a long time, and this could be a 30 hour interview, but we're not gonna do that. But it could easily be. But if somebody didn't know you and they wanted to get a little sense beyond of this intro, and, obviously, Paul's, like, kind of fanguying a little bit, interviewing Miyoko. Like, who is Miyoko, and what would they need to know about you and your journey so we can get into this topic of capital and exit strategies?

Okay. Well, there's always the the public bio that everyone puts out, and that's, you know, part of any, introduction of any podcast or anything. But the real me is I'm an evolving human being. I am somebody who is constantly thinking about how do we become better as human beings in this world, and how do we participate in a way that can create more justice and equity for all? So that that is who I am, and I've done it through a variety of activities, through businesses, through nonprofit activity, etcetera. And my thinking about the world, about the economy, about business, because I've always been an entrepreneur at heart, and I've only ever been an entrepreneur. I've never been an employee except for my own companies, is is really how do we create a thriving opportunity? Well, how do we create a thriving venue environment for entrepreneurs to succeed, and what does that success truly mean? Is success at any cost to other people, the planet, to animals, or is success are you successful when you succeed and others around you also succeed? How do we create a win win as entrepreneurs? So those are the questions that I am thinking about, and that's why I say that I am a forever evolving human being. I'm not I don't have answers. I'm not this brilliant person who has the wisdom that's gonna go and set legislation or anything like that.

I have a lot. I am refining the questions that I should be asking and thinking about as I get older over time. Beautiful.

What are the areas that has been consistent? Not everything you've done, but this idea of food and justice and what we eat and eating well both for our own well-being, but also for the collective well-being. Is it fair to say that's been a through line for much of your career?

Oh, absolutely. Food has been everything to me. You know, food became a major part of my life when I was 12 years old. Because when you're 12, most people just eat unconsciously. You eat what your parents put in front of you. You never really think about it. You you know, you go to the you go to the, the the baseball game and you eat hot dogs and you just don't you eat what everyone else eats and you don't think about it. When I was 12 years old, I made a conscious decision to become vegetarian.