Haas School of Business
Plant-based food has become a booming industry. From fast-casual chains to Fortune 500s, companies are racing to meet demand for sustainable, meat-free alternatives – especially in states like California. At UC Berkeley Haas, two students see this newer industry not as a trend but as a business opportunity to share their knowledge and lifestyle with others.
In 2020, Samantha Derrick (MPH ’21) was deep diving into food innovation and entrepreneurship courses at Haas. A longtime vegan, she was passionately exploring how plant-based diets could help the planet and public health. Around the same time, Brittany Sartor (BS ’21) was working on a similar idea, designing a student-led course on plant-based food systems through Berkeley’s DeCal Program. Their paths crossed thanks to Will Rosenzweig, a Haas faculty member and social entrepreneurship expert. He saw the two were both chasing the same vision so he introduced them, and their connection was instant.
“We got on the phone and just immediately clicked,” Derrick said. “It felt like serendipity.”
Sartor’s background gives her a unique perspective. “My grandparents were cattle ranchers and hunters,” she said, “So I’ve seen firsthand how animal agriculture works and why it needs to change.”
With Rosenzweig’s guidance, Derrick and Sartor co-founded Plant Futures, their nonprofit focused on education, careers, and community in the plant-based food space. Derrick has the role of executive director and while Sartor worked as the program director. Rosenzweig, who also co-founded The Republic of Tea, now chairs the board.
EXPANDING ACROSS THE UC SYSTEM AND A NEW CHALLENGE LAB
Their first big win was launching their 3-credit Challenge Lab where Berkeley students teamed up with companies like Beyond Meat and Califia Farms to solve real problems in the industry. They’ve since launched a second course across the other 10 UC campuses and are piloting a certificate program to make the curriculum more accessible.
“College students are at a unique point in their lives,” Rosenzweig said. “Small changes in how they eat can have massive impacts over a lifetime.”
Their first course, launched during the pandemic, was a surprise hit. Expecting maybe 10 students, the founders had to cap enrollment at 500. Sartor now teaches alongside Miyoko Schinner, founder of Miyoko’s Creamery, and has helped educate over 1,000 students to date.
Derrick, now based in Mexico City, is taking Plant Futures global. Harvard and UCLA have adopted the curriculum, and she’s developing a Spanish-language version to reach students across Latin America. Ultimately, the root of what they’re striving for is a systemic change. Derrick says that even for those who aren’t vegan or vegetarian, there’s growing consensus that a shift toward plant-centered food systems is critical and she’s glad to see that awareness is finally gaining momentum.
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