124. Cell-ebrating Success: Ilan Sobel Blends Science and Strategy to Scale-up BioHarvest

Grow Everything Biotech Podcast

What if you could grow health-boosting compounds—not in fields, but in bioreactors—using the power of plant cells? In this episode, Karl and Erum sit down with Ilan Sobel, CEO of BioHarvest, to explore how the company is reshaping biotech, nutraceuticals, and biomanufacturing. From leveraging botanical synthesis to create highly bioavailable compounds like piceid resveratrol, to scaling sustainable DTC operations that rival software margins, Ilan reveals how BioHarvest is closing the gap between nature, science, and commerce. Hear how this Coca-Cola veteran is building a biological infrastructure poised to disrupt pharma, food, and beyond—one cell at a time.

Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing?

Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

• 00:00:00 - Kicking Off with Biotech That Prints Money
• 00:00:21 - $9 Trillion Vanishes: Markets, Mayhem, and Monday Mood
• 00:00:36 - Brooklyn Birthdays, Bio Buzz & Citizen Scientists Unite
• 00:02:24 - Tariffs, Pharma, and the Future of Drug Supply Chains
• 00:04:20 - Reddit Rabbit Holes and Underrated Science That Could Change Everything
• 00:06:49 - Pharma’s Dirty Secret: Why Cures Don’t Always Win
• 00:09:39 - Meet Ilan Sobel: From Coca-Cola Exec to Biotech World-Changer
• 00:19:13 - What the Heck Is Botanical Synthesis? (And Why It’s a Game-Changer)
• 00:26:46 - Tiny Footprint, Massive Impact: Economics That Would Make Silicon Valley Jealous
• 00:29:02 - How a Grape Cell Became the King of Blood Flow Supplements
• 00:35:09 - Why Longevity Starts with Blood, Not Kale
• 00:37:32 - The Secret Sauce Behind Supplements That Actually Work
• 00:38:55 - How BioHarvest Orchestrated a Biotech Masterpiece
• 00:40:20 - From Plant Cells to Profit: Scaling Biotech Like a Pro
• 00:43:10 - Open Sourcing the Future: CDMO Deals with Global Impact
• 00:48:47 - Making Sweeteners Smarter (And Actually Tasty)
• 00:51:35 - Building the Tesla of Biomanufacturing—Globally
• 00:57:39 - What’s Next for BioHarvest? Legacy, Longevity, and Global Scale

Links and Resources:

• BioHarvest
• Vinia.com
• PwC’s US Tariff Industry Analysis – Pharmaceutical, Life Science, and Medical Device
• Reddit: Scientific Ideas that haven’t gotten enough traction
• Common Side Effects (tv series)
• Genesis Machine (book)

Topics Covered:

biomanufacturing, botanical cellular synthesis, plant biology, phytonutrients, sweet proteins, distributed biomanufacturing, direct to consumer biotech

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Music by: Nihilore

Production by: Amplafy Media