A Self-Proclaimed Sustainability Nerd feat. Lauren Miller ‘14

Lauren Miller started her first business as a student at Rice, and she hasn't slown down since! While getting her MBA at Rice Business, Lauren started and led a venture-funded company named A-76 Technologies (later relaunched as Aidant Brands) with a teammate (Tim Aramil) from a Technology Entrepreneurship course. After developing a business and commercialization plan for A-76, the company came in second at the Rice Business Plan Competition in 2014 and traveled to top competitions around the world.

Lauren was also listed on the 2015 Forbes “30 Under 30” in the energy category and has been featured in numerous local, national and international media. 

She talks in this episode with host Maya Pomroy about growing up in a family of entrepreneurs & Texas ranchers, sustaining long term Rice connections, her latest venture as a new mom, and some of the roughest lessons she learn in her early days of starting a company.

Episode Quotes:

There is a lot of power in crazy ideas

17:34 - Everybody is looking at climate solutions at these huge technology-based solutions. And here we are, going, "You know what? Let's just give cows grass. Let's just move them the way they should be moved." And it's so funny because it sounds insane when you're telling people in the industry, but it's so effective. It improves profitability. It improves biodiversity. It improves the water systems, as I mentioned. And then they can make money off it, too. 

On being a female entrepreneur

25:50 -  There are so many investors now who recognize the benefits of women entrepreneurs because of how hard working we are and we can really get things done.

How growing up on a ranch influenced her career choices

13:23 - You really see the impacts of the environmental changes and what that means. And when those occur, you see what that impact is on the towns nearby too. So when there are huge droughts, heat waves, et cetera, you're seeing that first hand because you're actually looking at the land every day.

The importance of having a support system as an entrepreneur

20:01- It's so important not to get completely lost in your business and to have people who are still supporting you, so that when you are in a tough time like that, there are others you can rely on. You're not just sitting there, stressed, alone, crying out by yourself, going, you know, what's going on? You have folks you can lean on.

Show Links:

Episode Transcript

Guest Profile:

Professional Profile at Sharks In HeelsLauren Miller on LinkedIn