Entrepreneurs on Fire Fungi, Plastic, and the Future of Business: Miki Agrawal's HIRO Vision
May 8, 2026
Miki Agrawal, entrepreneur and author behind Tushy, THINX, and HIRO, who builds mission-driven brands. She discusses fungi-enabled biodegradable diapers and the science-led path to using nature to solve plastic waste. She explores spaciousness for creativity, building a science team, and turning parenting into a lever for eco-conscious change.
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Epiphany While Staring At A Tree Led To Hero
- The Hero idea came during a Friday thinking day when Miki realized baby poop is nutrient-rich and diapers wrap that fertilizer in plastic waste.
- Her two-year-old pointed to a book that mentioned fungi breaking down plastic, which she took as a sign to pursue the idea.
Fungi Are Nature's Original Plastic Recyclers
- Fungi evolved to recycle tough carbon backbones over millions of years and can also break down plastics because plastics derive from fossil fuels, which come from dead plants and animals.
- Miki connected lignin-degrading fungal enzymes to plastic degradation and built a team of mycologists and diaper engineers to apply that biology to diapers.
Schedule Sacred Thinking Time Weekly
- Build deliberate spaciousness into your schedule to let creative ideas surface, like Miki's Friday thinking and feeling days.
- She treats that time as sacred and avoids calls so ideas like Hero can emerge.