People of Greentech #1 - Perfect Day
Welcome to the "People of greentech" - a blogpost series where we interview people working at various green-tech companies. We're starting with Perfect Day, a consumer biology company using precision fermentation to create a climate-positive food system, starting with animal-free, nature-identical dairy protein. Through three business units across B2B ingredients, consumer brands, and enterprise biology, Perfect Day is working with partners around the world to recreate the foods we love in a way that systemically builds a climate-positive future.
Who are you and what is your position at Perfect Day?
Janine Lin, Director of Protein Discovery
How long have you been working at Perfect Day?
Since May 2020
What's your background? How did your education help you get to this job, if at all?
I have a Ph.D. in Microbiology and I am a molecular biologist by training. I also have experiences in protein engineering and high throughput screening. My experience and knowledge is directly applicable to Perfect Day’s product development pipeline.
What was the main reason to apply for a position at this company?
I was inspired by Perfect Day’s mission in creating a new food category that will make great impacts for environment without sacrificing on taste. I was eager to apply my knowledge from a well-established big company to an enthusiastic startup like Perfect Day.
What do your day-to-day duties look like?
I direct a technology project in which cross-functional scientists from different geographical locations are involved. I also research and scope for future technology opportunities for Perfect Day, and I supervise other scientists to support their development needs and help them to be successful in Perfect Day.
What do you like and dislike the most in your job?
I like that my colleagues are all in this mission together and we do our best to help each other out. I also learn a lot from colleagues in other areas – it’s very rewarding to grow and expand my knowledge. As with any company, there are growing pains as we become a bigger company. Some tools may not be ideal, but I trust that our leadership has good intentions in providing the right tool to make our jobs successful.
What would you say makes Perfect Day different than other companies?
Perfect Day wants to make a difference in the world. Last year, Perfect Day conducted an ISO-compliant, third-party validated lifecycle assessment which found that Perfect Day’s whey protein reduces water consumption by up to 99%, greenhouse gas emissions by up to 97%, and non-renewable energy use by up to 60%, compared to conventional production methods. We have a long-term ambition (not just short-term gain) and the right technology to do it.
How would you encourage people to join Perfect Day?
I would encourage them to talk to any of us and hear our experiences of working in this company so far. We have demonstrated initial success, but we need more diverse experiences and knowledge to help us further scale up. If your knowledge and passion fit our mission, please join us!
If you're interested in working at Perfect Day, check out their open positions!