# Fungi, Plastic, and the Future of Business: Miki Agrawal's HIRO Vision

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/entrepreneurs-on-fire-389136/fungi-plastic-and-the-future-of-business-miki-agrawal-s-hiro-vision
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/entrepreneurs-on-fire-389136/fungi-plastic-and-the-future-of-business-miki-agrawal-s-hiro-vision.md
Podcast: [Entrepreneurs on Fire](https://stenobird.com/podcast/entrepreneurs-on-fire-389136)
Published: 2026-05-08T08:30:00+00:00
Episode link: https://entrepreneuronfire.libsyn.com/fungi-plastic-and-the-future-of-business-miki-agrawals-hiro-vision
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/entrepreneuronfire/Miki_Agrawal_2.19.26.mp3?dest-id=100507
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Duration seconds: 1425

## Resource

Entrepreneur Miki Agrawal reveals how intentional stillness and nature-inspired insights led to the creation of HIRO, a mission-driven venture using fungi to tackle plastic waste. The discussion explores the intersection of regenerative business models and environmental stewardship.

## Highlights
- Main idea: True innovation requires 'spaciousness'—intentional time away from screens and meetings to allow creative ideas to surface
- Practical takeaway: Use nature as a tool for business strategy; observing natural cycles can inspire solutions for complex industrial problems
- Failure mode: Over-reliance on the prefrontal cortex and logical planning while ignoring intuitive and embodied creativity
- Main idea: The next era of entrepreneurship prioritizes 'outsized impact, outsized returns' in that specific order
- Practical takeaway: Small, regenerative micro-shifts in consumer habits can compound into massive long-term ecological benefits

## Topics

Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, Mycology, Regenerative Business, Innovation, Environmental Science, Circular Economy, Biotechnology

## Chapters
- 2:40 — The Origin of HIRO: Miki describes the epiphany of viewing baby waste as 'fertilizer gold' and the quest to find fungi that can consume diaper plastics.
- 4:20 — Lessons from Mycology: An exploration of how fungi and biological processes can be harnessed to solve modern waste management crises.
- 6:10 — The Science of Biodegradation: Discussing the collaboration with PhDs to utilize microremediation and biology for environmental repair.
- 7:50 — The Global Landfill Crisis: The staggering reality of the hundreds of billions of diapers ending up in landfills annually.
- 13:10 — The Power of Spaciousness: Why stepping away from the grind and into nature is essential for high-level business breakthroughs.
- 14:50 — The Future of Regenerative Business: Moving beyond sustainability toward business models that actively improve the ecosystems they inhabit.
- 18:10 — Combating Microplastics: Addressing the urgent need to reduce plastic ingestion in humans and the impact on future generations.

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## Transcript

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