The Venture Capitalist Who Wants You to Donate More to Charity

Nick Cooney is one of the most prolific investors in food and ag tech. As the founder of Lever VC, he's helped deploy nearly $80 million from his first fund and has now closed more than $50 million toward his second $100 million fund. He's backed companies across the spectrum of sustainable protein—plant-based meat, cultivated meat, fermentation-derived proteins (including, in full disclosure, my own company, The Better Meat Co.), and more.

But despite his deep roots in venture capital, Nick's latest project is about something very different: giving money away with no expectation of any financial return.

In his new book, What We Don't Do: Inaction in the Face of Suffering and the Drive to Do More, from Simon & Schuster and Regalo Press, Nick challenges the reader with a bold moral argument: it's not enough to simply avoid doing harm—we have a responsibility to proactively reduce suffering where we can, including suffering we didn't cause. That includes using our time, our talents, and yes, our money, to help others—especially those we'll never meet.

So how much should we be giving? While philosopher Peter Singer proposes 10% of your income as a moral benchmark, and Jesus went even further, telling his followers to sell everything and give to the poor, Nick stakes out a middle ground somewhere between Singer and Jesus of Nazareth: give until you feel it. Not until it hurts, necessarily—but enough that it makes a noticeable impact on your life. Because that impact could be life-changing—or even life-saving—for someone else.

In this episode, Nick and I dive into the ideas behind What We Don't Do, and why our inactions—what we don't do—may be among the biggest sources of preventable suffering in the world. We explore the psychology behind why it feels easier to forgive inaction than harmful action, and how we can train ourselves to think differently.

We also discuss the current state of the alt-protein industry, Nick's analysis of why venture capital has cooled off on the space in recent years, and what it'll take to bring investors back to the table.

It's a rich and rewarding conversation with one of the most influential thinkers in the future of food. I found What We Don't Do to be both thought-provoking and motivating, and I think you'll feel the same. Whether you're a founder, a funder, or just someone who wants to do a little—or a lot—more good in the world, this episode is for you.