She Quit Google to Reinvent Milk—Without Cows | Fengru Lin, CEO of TurtleTree

Fengru Lin left a high-powered tech career at Google and Salesforce to take on one of the biggest challenges in food: reinventing milk—without cows. As the CEO and Co-Founder of TurtleTree, Fengru is using precision fermentation to produce lactoferrin, a powerful protein that boosts immunity, gut health, and iron absorption.In this episode of The Mark Haney Show, we dive into: The $1,000/kg molecule hidden in milk Why UC Davis and Sacramento are ground zero for foodtech How TurtleTree became the first startup with FDA GRAS approval for animal-free lactoferrin The ups and downs of startup life — including layoffs, pivots, and breakthroughs Why this protein could show up in your coffee, supplements, skincare... even olive trees 🌿 👉 Learn more: https://turtletree.com👉 Check out her DTC brand: https://intentionaleveryday.com👉 YouTube Channel: @TurtleTree👉 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TurtleTreeOfficial/👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turtletreeofficial/👉 X.com: https://x.com/turtletree_👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/turtletree/⏱️ Chapters:00:00 – From Google to biotech: Fengru’s leap of faith03:40 – The surprising story behind starting TurtleTree06:00 – What is lactoferrin and why is it so valuable?14:00 – FDA approval, profitability, and going to market21:00 – Beyond food: skincare, pets, and even plants30:00 – Startup resilience and advice for future founders🔔 Subscribe for more stories of entrepreneurial grit and innovation#TurtleTree #FengruLin #MarkHaneyShow #FoodTech #Biotech #Lactoferrin #SacramentoStartups #UCDAvis #PrecisionFermentation #SustainableNutrition #femalefounders If this episode inspires you to be part of the movement, and you believe, like me, that entrepreneurs are the answer to our future, message me so we can join forces to support building truly great companies in our region. -Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCom_​... -  Mark Haney is a serial entrepreneur that has experience growing companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is currently the CEO and founder of HaneyBiz -  Instagram: http://instagram.com/themarkhaney​ Facebook: www.facebook.com/themarkhaney LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehaney​ Website: http://haneybiz.com​ Audio Boom: https://audioboom.com/channels/5005273​  Twitter: http://twitter.com/themarkhaney-This video includes personal knowledge, experiences, and opinions about Angel Investing by seasoned angel investors.  This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, tax, investment, or financial advice.  Nothing in this video constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, or endorsement.#thebackyardadvantage #themarkhaneyshow #entrepreneur #PowerOfWith #SacramentoEntrepreneur #Sacramento#SacramentoSmallBusiness #SmallBusiness #GrowthFactory #Investor#Podcast