What needs to be considered when decarbonizing and detoxifying the plastic supply chain? The scale and urgency of the transformation required to fight climate change has never been more clear. Building hardware and software products, acquiring the funding and creating a diverse community to enhance talent capacity and to drive innovation, is essential to tackling this global environmental crisis. In this podcast, host Silicon Valley Bank (a division of First Citizens Bank) Climate Tech & Sustainability SVP Maggie Wong will be interviewing Matereal CEO and Co-Founder Jacqueline Ros Amable to discuss decarbonizing and detoxifying the plastic supply chain, the importance of Go-To-Market strategy and organizational structure in growing a start-up, as well as how proactive management of a diverse group of team members and stakeholders contributes to the success of product development.
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Show Notes
- Sustainability and environmental impact are key priorities for product development, with a focus on reducing carbon footprint and eliminating toxic materials.
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical factors in building successful product teams and creating products that serve diverse user needs.
- Leveraging AI and data-driven insights is essential for accelerating product innovation and improving user experiences.
- Seamless omnichannel experiences that integrate digital and physical touchpoints are becoming the new standard for consumer products.
- Personalization and customization are driving product design, allowing for more tailored and relevant experiences.
- The rise of the creator economy is shaping new product categories and business models, empowering individuals to build and sell their own products.
- Circular economy principles, such as reuse, repair, and recycling, are being integrated into product lifecycles to reduce waste.
- Collaborative product development, involving cross-functional teams and external partners, is key to driving innovation.
- Accessibility and inclusivity are essential considerations, ensuring products are usable by people with diverse abilities.
- In addition, ethical and responsible product design, considering privacy, security, and social impact, is becoming a competitive differentiator.
- Agile and iterative product development processes are enabling faster time-to-market and more responsive product updates.
- The integration of physical and digital experiences, such as augmented reality and IoT, is transforming product interactions.
- Subscription-based business models are gaining traction, providing recurring revenue and deeper customer relationships.
- Additionally, sustainability-focused product features, such as energy efficiency and recyclable materials, are becoming table stakes.
- Globalization and localization are driving the need for adaptable product designs that can be tailored to diverse markets.
- User-centric design, with a focus on empathy and understanding user needs, is essential for creating products that truly resonate.
- Interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together experts from various fields, is crucial for solving complex product challenges.
- Similarly, continuous user feedback and testing are enabling more informed product decisions and iterative improvements.
- Emerging technologies, like blockchain and virtual reality, are opening up new product opportunities and business models.
- Finally, regulatory and policy changes are shaping product development, requiring companies to navigate evolving compliance and sustainability requirements.
About the speaker
Jacqueline Ros Amable is the CEO & cofounder of Matereal, a technology company leveraging breakthrough innovations in biobased plastics and AI to decarbonize and detoxify the chemicals industry starting with polyurethane. Before she joined the team, she was the founder and Managing Director at Venture For ClimateTech, Regional Director of the Americas at Techstars and CEO & cofounder of Revolar. During her tenure at Revolar, they delivered world class products and never missed a deadline. It was through Revolar where her journey in climate tech began and where she witnessed plastic factories firsthand. It was also through that journey that she became one of the first Latinas ever to raise millions from institutional investors and was funded by great investors such as Foundry Group. Jackie has been a contributing writer for several entrepreneurial books and Forbes. She loves all things supply chain and when she’s not doing the work she loves you can find her with the people she loves in CO.
About the host
Maggie Wong is an accomplished product management and capital markets leader with over 15 years of experience in driving product strategy, delivering global products, fundraising & capital allocation, and leading cross-functional teams. Outside of her role at Silicon Valley Bank to support New York / East Coast based climate tech companies and investors, she is also experienced in increasing program impact, growing community reach and implementing DEI initiatives at travel and fintech non-profits. Maggie is passionate about making a social impact for the next generation, tackling climate change and traveling. She is fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese and a beginner in Spanish.