Josh Tetrick Speaks to SALDF and SABER

On Wednesday, September 13th the Lewis & Clark Law Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (LC SALDF) chapter and the Students Advocates for Business and Environmental Responsibility (SABER) co-hosted Josh Tetrick, Chief Executive Officer of Hampton Creek, for a Speaker Series event.

SABER’s President Pavlo Stavrou got things kicked off by highlighting the extreme impacts on the environment that animals’ use in agriculture brings about.  He encouraged members of his organization that were more so focused on the environment to consider what other organizations, like those working in animal protection, they could work together with in order to 1) recognize their mutual goals and later 2) to achieve those mutual goals.  Next, LC SALDF Co-Director, Maral Cavner, introduced both Hampton Creek and Tetrick to the students gathered.  Maral said she was lucky enough that Tetrick responded to her Facebook message asking if he would be willing to speak to a group of students over lunch and it was apparent that everyone gathered was very glad he did.

Tetrick founded Hampton Creek, a company “on a mission to bring delicious, accessible, healthier and more sustainable food to everyone, everywhere,” but before doing so he went to the University of Michigan’s School of Law.  Because of this legal background Tetrick was able to bring a unique perspective to share with the students throughout his talk, given the innovative ways he has used and continues to use his law degree.  The Hampton Creek CEO passionately encouraged students to solve the important problems out there in the world including: the systemic and widespread problems like disease in Africa, degradation of the environment, and the callous treatment of nonhuman animals as a source of food.  

It is this last problem that especially speaks to Tetrick (although he did work to solve some others while a Fulbright Scholar in Nigeria and South Africa) and is the reason that Hampton Creek is pioneering the “clean meat” initiative, during which the company unlocks novel ways to produce sustainable meat and seafood that does not require a nonhuman animal to die for its production.  Hampton Creek is on track to be the first company to put lab-grown (or clean meat) on the market, with current estimates placing it in stores sometime in 2018.  In the meantime, the company is also working on promoting their acclaimed “Just Mayo,” dressings, scrambled eggs, and cookie dough, all which are made without animal products or parts.  Students of both LC SALDF and SABER were thrilled to see future product designs and learn more about Hampton Creek’s regulatory hurdles and successive victories.

Tetrick left the students with a renewed call to do something good with their law degrees and leads by example over at Hampton Creek.  Here’s to more plant-based innovation in the future!