Creating Regenerative Materials Economies: A Conversation with Tina Funder from Alt.Leather | #4

Send us Fan MailImagine a future where materials like leather are sustainable, ethical, and biobased, harming no animals in its production. Imagine a world where your leather handbag could be thrown in your garden at the end of its life, where it could decompose and actively regenerate the soil. Luckily for us, this vision of an entangled future where nature-grown and human-made collide is closer than you think. (Hat tip to pioneers like Neri Oxman, Materiom and Blue City Lab, biodesign Join us in discussion with one of our members, Tina Funder, as we explore her journey from the founder of the successful sustainable fashion label Life on Mars through to the founding of Alt. Leather, a next-gen materials startup pushing the boundaries of what is possible with regard to circular, bio-based leather alternatives.  As successful entrepreneurs know, the path to innovation is filled with countless challenges. Tina shares her experience of fundraising for her startup and outlines the importance of building a strong network along the way. She also shares how narrative can build rapport with investors and why due diligence is crucial before entering partnerships. Want to know more about Alt? Here are some links: WebsiteInstagramLinkedInKeep Following the PatternSam's InstagramSubstackCoLabs CoLabs NewsletterThis is an evolving experiment.The Strange Attractor is produced by Ecotone Studio — a creative practice exploring the fertile edge where art, science, technology and philosophy meet.Like the ecosystems we are a part of, this project is designed to evolve. Every conversation changes the next one.If there’s a question you’d like us to explore, a guest we should invite, or a theme you think deserves more attention, drop us a line. We’re especially interested in the spaces between disciplines—the ecotones where unexpected ideas emerge. If you’re building something thoughtful, beautiful or regenerative, or simply wrestling with questions that matter, we’d love to hear from you. Thanks for listening. Until next time — stay curious.