<p>This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re rethinking how clothes, shoes—and even car interiors—get made without plastic. My guest is&nbsp;Maria Intscher-Owrang, CEO and co-founder of&nbsp;Simplifyber.&nbsp;Her innovation takes&nbsp;plant fibers + water, then&nbsp;forms finished 3D shapes in a single step—skipping spinning, weaving, cutting, and sewing.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><h3>We get into:</h3><ul><li>What’s broken about fossil-based textiles (cost curves, subsidies, and why polyester took over)</li><li>How Simplifyber’s&nbsp;cellulose slurry + compression molding&nbsp;works—and why it cuts waste dramatically</li><li>Early results: an LCA showing&nbsp;up to 30× lower impact&nbsp;for shoe uppers vs. standard construction</li><li>Performance and durability (including why these parts can survive&nbsp;sun/heat/humidity&nbsp;in car interiors)</li><li>Unit economics: cost parity at scale via tooling (and why higher volumes matter)</li><li>Beachhead products:&nbsp;GANNI&nbsp;“moon shoe” uppers and a&nbsp;Kia EV2&nbsp;concept interior, now moving toward production</li><li>What this could mean for labor, local supply chains, and using regional feedstocks (cellulose everywhere)</li></ul><p><br></p><h3>Links:</h3><ul><li>Website Simplifyber:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.simplifyber.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.simplifyber.com/</a></li><li>LinkedIn&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-intscher-owrang-3278a07/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-intscher-owrang-3278a07/</a></li><li>All episodes:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/</a></li></ul><p><br></p><h3>What you can do to help:&nbsp;</h3><ul><li>Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mollywood.co/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.mollywood.co/</a></li><li>Become a member and get an ad-free version of the podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/</a></li></ul><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Everybody in the Pool

Molly Wood

E110: Simplifyber and a plastic-free textiles future

NOV 6, 202536 MIN
Everybody in the Pool

E110: Simplifyber and a plastic-free textiles future

NOV 6, 202536 MIN

Description

<p>This week on Everybody in the Pool, we’re rethinking how clothes, shoes—and even car interiors—get made without plastic. My guest is&nbsp;Maria Intscher-Owrang, CEO and co-founder of&nbsp;Simplifyber.&nbsp;Her innovation takes&nbsp;plant fibers + water, then&nbsp;forms finished 3D shapes in a single step—skipping spinning, weaving, cutting, and sewing.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><h3>We get into:</h3><ul><li>What’s broken about fossil-based textiles (cost curves, subsidies, and why polyester took over)</li><li>How Simplifyber’s&nbsp;cellulose slurry + compression molding&nbsp;works—and why it cuts waste dramatically</li><li>Early results: an LCA showing&nbsp;up to 30× lower impact&nbsp;for shoe uppers vs. standard construction</li><li>Performance and durability (including why these parts can survive&nbsp;sun/heat/humidity&nbsp;in car interiors)</li><li>Unit economics: cost parity at scale via tooling (and why higher volumes matter)</li><li>Beachhead products:&nbsp;GANNI&nbsp;“moon shoe” uppers and a&nbsp;Kia EV2&nbsp;concept interior, now moving toward production</li><li>What this could mean for labor, local supply chains, and using regional feedstocks (cellulose everywhere)</li></ul><p><br></p><h3>Links:</h3><ul><li>Website Simplifyber:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.simplifyber.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.simplifyber.com/</a></li><li>LinkedIn&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-intscher-owrang-3278a07/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-intscher-owrang-3278a07/</a></li><li>All episodes:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.everybodyinthepool.com/</a></li></ul><p><br></p><h3>What you can do to help:&nbsp;</h3><ul><li>Subscribe to the Everybody in the Pool newsletter:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mollywood.co/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.mollywood.co/</a></li><li>Become a member and get an ad-free version of the podcast:&nbsp;<a href="https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://everybodyinthepool.supercast.com/</a></li></ul><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>