Zimri T. Hinshaw from Rheom Materials

Plastic doesn’t have to be the villain of the story anymore, Rheom Materials is flipping the script. From brewing kombucha to brewing up a whole new way of thinking about sustainable plastics, they’re proving that bio-based, biodegradable materials can hold their own against petrochemical giants. In this chat, you’ll hear about the wild ride from Zimri T. Hinshaw’s beginnings to Rheom’s breakthrough materials that work with existing manufacturing setups, why Houston’s energy hub is a hot spot for climate tech, and what it takes to scale a startup that’s shaking up an industry. If you’ve ever wondered how innovation meets practicality in the fight against plastic waste, this one’s for you.Join the conversation shaping the future of energy.Collide is the community where oil & gas professionals connect, share insights, and solve real-world problems together. No noise. No fluff. Just the discussions that move our industry forward.Apply today at collide.ioClick here to view the episode transcript. 00:00 - EnergyTech Nexus Ad00:16 - Intro00:24 - Rio Materials02:18 - Moving Away from Plastic05:26 - Scaling with Existing Infrastructure08:12 - Customer Collaboration at Rio Materials16:15 - Keeping Costs Competitive20:00 - Bio-based vs. Petrochemical Pricing21:35 - Rebranding to Rheom Materials27:15 - Differentiating Rheom Materials30:45 - Insights from Customer Testing33:09 - Why Choose Houston?35:45 - Building Houston's Future37:46 - Lessons for Investors in Hard Tech43:29 - Tips for New Entrepreneurs45:20 - Getting Involved in Startups49:27 - Future Plans for Realm51:03 - Future Plans for Covehttps://twitter.com/collide_iohttps://www.tiktok.com/@collide.iohttps://www.facebook.com/collide.iohttps://www.instagram.com/collide.iohttps://www.youtube.com/@collide_iohttps://bsky.app/profile/digitalwildcatters.bsky.socialhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/collide-digital-wildcatters