Tyler Mayoras: Making Plant-Based the Healthiest Choice (with Beans!)

December 9, 2021

Theresa "Sam" Houghton

The Modern Health Nerd Podcast, Episode #33

Can a whole-food plant-based revolution start in the frozen food aisle?

Tyler Mayoras of Cool Beans sees the transition coming—and believes it can grow across the plant-based space.

With simple ingredients and upbeat branding, Cool Beans wraps are making it easier to eat whole plant foods on the go. But for Tyler, that's only part of a bigger picture that includes everything from regenerative agriculture to better-for-you plant-based products.

In this episode, we get groovy about:

How a lack of convenient whole-food plant-based options spawned the idea for Cool Beans
Why Cool Beans focuses exclusively on gluten-free, whole-food plant-based products
The benefits of beans for gut health
The environmental impact of animal agriculture
Potential health effects of glyphosate used in conventional farming
Why Tyler believes a return to regenerative agriculture is essential
The role of indoor agriculture in the future of food
The need for a "clean ingredient" revolution in the plant-based space
How cellular agriculture and precision fermentation fit into the larger plant-based picture

About Tyler & Cool Beans

Tyler Mayoras is the Cofounder and CEO of Cool Beans. One could say he’s the Cool Executive Officer.

Tyler has spent more than 20 years in private equity investing and consulting, focused on sustainable food and agriculture. After adopting a plant-based lifestyle and seeing the incredible health benefits, he wanted to continue helping to create a sustainable future of food and worked with partners to create the 100% plant-based taste adventure that is Cool Beans.

Prior to founding Cool Beans, Tyler was a principal in the Advantage Capital Food and Agriculture Fund where he led transactions involving Shenandoah Growers, Navitas Organics, Farmhouse Culture and Snaxsational Brands (Snack Pop and Pasta Chips). In addition to leading Cool Beans, he continues his support of other plant-based brands as an angel investor and mentor for Simple Mills, Spero Foods, Atomo Coffee, Lavva, Renewal Mill and Tiesta Tea. He’s a board member of Naturally Chicago and ACG Chicago, and an avid speaker on plant-based food and sustainable agriculture, appearing in the media and on podcasts.

Tyler lives in the Chicago area with his wife Sasha and their two daughters. Tyler received his BS from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Connect with Cool Beans!

You can also purchase Cool Beans products at Vegan Essentials, Good Eggs and select retailers throughout the U.S.

For Further Reading

The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health by David R. Montgomery and Anne Biklé
SWAP-MEAT Study
My post on SWAP-MEAT: Plant Based vs. Whole Food Plant Based

You might also want to check out...