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Q & A with Rose Wang:

1. City of residence: San Francisco

2. Place of birth: China

3. In under five sentences, define your business: We’re taking the “ick” factor out of eating insects in order to build a world where everyone is healthy, no one is hungry, and the eco-system is thriving.

4. What social or environmental impact is your business making? Our food system is broken. We rely heavily on farmed livestock for protein, despite the detriment to our environment. The livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all forms of transportation combined. Plus, 50% of the fresh water in the US is used by the livestock industry. It takes 2,000 gallons of water to make a pound of beef!

Additionally, about half of food produced goes to waste (valued at ~$1 trillion). It takes land greater than all of China and 25% of freshwater to grow the food that is never eaten. After our food is grown, on average, it travels 1,500 miles from farm to plate. We need to do something to change this!

At Chirps, we create insect-based snacks to eliminate the stigma around eating insects and hopefully shift our eating culture to be more environmentally-friendly.

5. What is the best part about the work you’re doing? Why? I love solving really hard problems with amazing people. The challenges are harder, but achieving successes are that much sweeter. Plus, with the right people, it’s fun!

6. Out of all the products you produce, which is your favorite? Why? I love our protein powder. These little bugs pack a lot of power:
– only 4g net carbs
– all 9 essential amino acids
– 59% of your daily value of B12 in every serving
Available in either a deliciously rich chocolate or creamy vanilla, a scoop of our protein powder makes for the perfect high protein shake or smoothie.

7. What book(s) are you currently reading? Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss, Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl, Black against Empire by Joshua Bloom and Waldo E. Martin Jr.

8. Quote you (try to) live by? “Every ‘No’ gets me closer to a ‘Yes.'” – Mark Cuban

9. Using one word, how would you describe yourself? Driven

10. What is one random fact that most people don’t know about you? I fiddled for a year (I did grow up in Nashville, TN).