Happy Women’s History Month! Throughout the month of March, we’ll be featuring Q&As with a few of the inspiring female founders in our portfolio. In this series, you’ll hear firsthand about their entrepreneurial journeys – the challenges, the wins, and the lessons learned along the way. This week, we’re thrilled to share this Q&A between Jill and Magi Richani, the Founder and CEO of Alpine Bio.
Magi Richani is the Founder & CEO of Alpine Bio (formerly Nobell Foods), a company that makes dairy proteins from plants, and then turns those proteins into melty, stretchy cheese that uses 90% less water, 90% less land, and 70% less emissions than animal cheese. Magi and I first connected at Pear’s Female Founders Circle Retreat in Palm Desert last year, and we hit it off right away. It turns out we go to the same yoga studio and share a love of all things sustainability and climate. But Magi’s journey with Pear began in 2017 when Pear wrote the first check into their seed round. Alpine Bio now has over 75 employees, has raised over $100M from top investors including a16z and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, and has secured over 10 patents for their breakthrough work. I’m so excited to share a little more of Magi’s personal story today!
Can you tell me a little bit about your journey to becoming an entrepreneur?
I started my career as an engineer, managing technical projects in the Energy sector. I always had a passion for tackling big, systemic challenges — ones that could fundamentally change the way we live.
My “aha” moment came when I realized how broken our food system is. I saw an opportunity to harness science and technology to create a more sustainable way to produce dairy — one that didn’t rely on animals but still delivered the same taste, functionality, and nutrition. That’s what led me to found Alpine Bio. It’s been a journey of relentless problem-solving, learning,adapting and building something the world hasn’t seen before.
What’s a big or surprising lesson you’ve learned as a woman in tech? What advice do you have for women in their professional journeys as entrepreneurs?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that you can’t wait for permission to build something bold. Women, especially in tech and science, are often expected to prove themselves before they even get a seat at the table. But the truth is, no one has it all figured out and you learn as you go,
My advice for women entrepreneurs is to have confidence in themselves and their vision. Own your vision, ask for what you need, and don’t let self-doubt creep in just because you don’t fit the typical mold of a tech entrepreneur. Surround yourself with people who see your potential and push you to go further.
Have you had any unexpected champions or mentors along the way? How did they support you?
Absolutely. I’ve had incredible mentors who didn’t just offer advice but actively opened doors for me — whether that was making introductions, challenging my thinking, or investing in Alpine Bio early on when it was just an idea.
What’s one myth about entrepreneurship (or fundraising) that you’d love to debunk?
That you need to have everything perfectly figured out before you start fundraising.
Entrepreneurs — especially women — often feel like they need to have all the answers before stepping into a pitch meeting. But the reality is, investors aren’t just betting on your idea; they’re betting on you. They know the plan will evolve. What they care about is whether you can adapt, problem-solve, and push through challenges.
You don’t need to be perfect; you need to be convincing, passionate, and resilient.
What do you think needs to change in the startup ecosystem to better support women founders?
We need more women writing the checks. The venture world is still overwhelmingly male, which means unconscious biases persist, especially in industries like food & ag tech, where women are already underrepresented.
What’s next for Alpine Bio and why are you excited about your space and your team?
Alpine Bio is on a mission to bring sustainable alternatives to dairy to the world. We’re in the process of commercializing our first products, and the excitement we’re seeing from partners is incredible.
The most exciting part is that we’re just scratching the surface. Molecular farming has the potential to revolutionize biomanufacturing — not just for food but for a whole range of industries and applications.
Thank you, Magi! As Women’s History Month continues, we look forward to sharing more stories from our incredible female founders and celebrating their achievements in building category-defining companies.