Chill out at Velocity Kickbacks — where everyone can learn and connect in a fun, laid-back setting. It’s the perfect chance to unwind while gaining new skills and meeting cool people!
Join us for a cozy evening of chatting with a successful Velocity alum. They’ll share their entrepreneurial journey and give you some insider tips on building a business. Plus, we’ll have a hot chocolate bar so you can sip on something warm and delicious while you mingle.
Myra Arshad, Co-founder and CEO of ALT TEX
ALT TEX is a biotech startup that has developed the world’s first food-waste derived and biodegradable synthetic textile. Through their patent-pending food-to-fiber fermentation technology, ALT TEX creates a polyester fiber derived entirely from the world’s largest landfill contributor - food waste. The biopolymer fiber plugs into the existing polyester supply-chain, providing fashion brands with a highly scalable and sustainable synthetic textile alternative. With 60% of all clothes being petroleum-based, the food-to-fabric technology directly impacts the 8-10% of GHG emissions emitted by the fashion industry, while tackling the 2.5 billion tons of food wasted globally. With family ties in the textile manufacturing industry in Pakistan, Myra is an advocate for ethical and sustainable fashion. Through ALT TEX, she aims to disrupt the ethically and environmentally extractive practices of the industry by creating accessible and equitable solutions rooted in materials Science. Prior to ALT TEX, Myra held corporate roles in sales and marketing at Fortune 500 companies, before founding fluidic – a women’s empowerment social enterprise. Prior to fluidic, Myra founded FarmBox, a Hult Prize backed, AI micro-farming technology that enabled food sustainability in refugee camps. As an Alumna from the Schulich School of Business in Toronto, Canada, Myra is actively involved in the startup community, participating in programs like Y Combinator and Creative Destruction Lab, and speaking at various events and organizations such as Stanford University, Yale University, University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University and York University. With $4M in funding and backing from Y Combinator and H&M’s Global Change Awards, Myra is now working with her team of scientists to scale the technology as they work to take the polyester-replacement technology global in the coming years.
