Watch the replay of our virtual conversation with Dr. Jessica Hernandez, an Indigenous scientist, climate justice leader, and best-selling author. Her work, including "Fresh Banana Leaves," transforms environmentalism by integrating Indigenous science, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and Western frameworks to foster climate justice and ecological healing. In this session, Dr. Hernandez explores Indigenous approaches to resilience, relationality, and decolonizing environmental practice, offering powerful insights for creating more just, life-affirming systems within the biomimicry community and beyond.

Learn more about biomimicry: [biomimicry.org](https://biomimicry.org/), [asknature.org](https://asknature.org/), [biomimicry.org/community](https://biomimicry.org/community/). Connect with us on social media: [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/biomimicryinstitute/), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/biomimicryinstitute/).

Join our online Q&A for nature-inspired startups about the Ray of Hope Accelerator. Ask anything about applications, program benefits, or The Biomimicry Institute.

We accelerate nature-inspired startups scaling environmental solutions. Ten global startups annually (Pre-seed to Series A) receive $15,000 non-dilutive funding and over $50,000 in services: mentoring, investor introductions, and a Nature Retreat. We foster founder growth and community, with 60+ successful companies in our portfolio.

Applications for the 2025 Cohort open March 2nd and close April 24th. Visit our website to learn more, including eligibility, criteria, and FAQs on the application page.

The Biomimicry Institute's Ray of Hope Accelerator empowers early-stage, nature-inspired startups to develop regenerative solutions. Ten recent graduates from the six-month program showcased their biomimicry innovations, addressing urgent global challenges in energy, materials, water, and biodiversity. These founders leverage nature's strategies to shape the future.

Applications for the 2026 Cohort open in early March. Learn more and ask questions at our Ask Us Anything Session on March 18 at 9:00 AM PT: https://biomimicry.org/events/ray-of-hope-accelerator-ask-us-anything-session/.

Join Tim McGee for a live conversation exploring how manufacturing and materials can draw inspiration from living systems. From self-healing fibers to future electronic systems, his work reveals how biology can spark a materials revolution, building resilience and reshaping our relationship with nature.

Tim, a resident at the Astera Institute, leads a lab pushing fiber manufacturing boundaries, inspired by nature's playbook. With over a decade of experience, he translates biological insights into real-world innovation, using biomimicry to connect science with future technologies.

Learn more: [Biomimicry Institute](https://biomimicry.org/), [AskNature](https://asknature.org/), [Community](https://biomimicry.org/community/). Connect on social: [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/biomimicryinstitute/), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/biomimicryinstitute/).

Join author Erica Berry for a virtual gathering. Drawing from her acclaimed debut, *Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear*, Berry invites us to rewild our imaginations and reweave connections with the living world. She explores how inherited myths shape our understanding of wildness, fear, and belonging, encouraging us to listen differently to nature and guiding stories.

We'll consider biomimicry as a way of being, learning from nature's patterns to inspire healing, creativity, and renewal. This event offers space for reflection and reimagining our place within the web of life, welcoming all seekers of connection.

LEARN ABOUT BIOMIMICRY
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Explore critical questions like "What could possibly go right?" and "What does it mean to join the biomimicry movement?" in the "Thoughts in Three" segment. This short clip, part of "From a Meme to a Movement: 25 Years of Biomimicry," features Janine Benyus answering three insightful questions posed by Lex Amore.

Watch the full discussion with Janine Benyus and Lex Amore here. Learn more about the Biomimicry Institute and connect with us on social media: biomimicry.org, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

High schoolers Annika and Kellen addressed local flooding through the Youth Design Challenge, applying biomimicry principles. Studying mangroves and beaver dams, they engineered an Urban Floodwater Reduction System, earning 1st Place for their nature-inspired solution.

Their success highlights the impact of our MIMIC Curriculum, which has reached 12,000 students. We are expanding this program to provide more future innovators with biomimicry education and professional learning. Support our mission by donating today at http://www.biomimicry.org/donate.

Rob Gilson champions hands-on, real-world learning for all students. At Blue School, his model demonstrates how children become deeply invested in urgent issues, accelerating their learning within an expanding STEAM curriculum.

In this video, Rob shares the significant impact of the Biomimicry Youth Design Challenge on his students and highlights some of the innovative designs they created.

To explore the Challenge further, visit: http://youthchallenge.biomimicry.org

India's GreenPod Labs, an agricultural biotechnology startup, tackles food loss in developing nations. By mimicking nature's pest and fungal resistance in fruits and vegetables, they address both climate and societal problems.

GreenPod Labs is the proud recipient of the Ray of Hope Prize. Discover more about the program at biomimicry.org/rayofhopeprize/.

Explore further resources from the Biomimicry Institute: biomimicry.org/, asknature.org/, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Biomimicry challenges conventional design and innovation, prompting us to rethink fundamental concepts like knowledge origin, nature's role, and our place on Earth.

Explore these ideas further in Dr. Henry Dicks' fascinating article, "Biomimicry and Philosophy."

Learn more about the Biomimicry Institute and connect with us on social media: Biomimicry.org, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

The Ray of Hope Prize is a biomimicry startup accelerator. It connects top nature-inspired leaders globally, offering sustainable business and communications training to accelerate their growth.

Our yearly cohorts feature global startups combating industrial pollution with nature-inspired innovations that prioritize all life. Annual immersions bring these portfolio leaders together in nature.

Learn more about the Ray of Hope program and the Biomimicry Institute: biomimicry.org/rayofhopeprize/. Explore more nature-inspired solutions: biomimicry.org and asknature.org.

Traditional surface finishing technologies, including chemical etching and sandblasting, often rely on ecologically harmful processes. Fusion Bionic offers a sustainable alternative with its Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP) technology.

DLIP creates functional surface textures inspired by nature, mimicking structures found on lotus leaves and shark skin. This innovative approach earned Fusion Bionic recognition as a runner-up for the prestigious Ray of Hope Prize.

Learn more about the Ray of Hope Prize program, explore biomimicry and AskNature, or connect with the Biomimicry Institute on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Thank you for joining us in learning from nature this year. We look forward to connecting with you again in 2023.

To learn more about the Biomimicry Institute and stay connected, visit our [website](https://www.biomimicry.org). You can also find us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/biomimicryinstitute/) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/biomimicryinstitute/).

Millions of tons of construction waste annually pollute our environment and contribute to climate change. Mycoremediation, a nature-inspired solution, uses fungi to transform harmful construction and demolition waste into usable materials, mimicking natural decomposition.

Mycocycle, a 2022 Biomimicry Institute Ray of Hope Prize finalist, cultivates fungi to detoxify construction debris and asphalt. Their innovative process converts toxic trash into harmless, reusable materials, moving us closer to building waste-free, sustainable cities.

Learn more: Mycocycle.com | AskNature.org (Mycocycle) | Biomimicry.org | AskNature.org. Connect with the Biomimicry Institute: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn.

Prashant Dhawan and Seema Anand, co-founders of Biomimicry India Lab and Studio, share their inspiring journeys to happiness, each other, and biomimicry. They have taught biomimicry to over 25,000 people, demonstrating its profound impact.

Learn more about their personal story and the field of biomimicry. Read their complete biography: [Biomimicry Biographies](https://youthchallenge.biomimicry.org/en/page/biomimicry-biographies).

Explore additional resources from the [Biomimicry Institute](https://biomimicry.org/), [Youth Challenge](https://youthchallenge.biomimicry.org), and [AskNature](https://asknature.org/). Connect with us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/biomimicryinstitute/) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/biomimicryinstitute/).

Biome Renewables is revolutionizing wind energy by developing more efficient and less disruptive turbines, drawing inspiration from nature. Their "FeatherEdge" technology, inspired by owls' silent flight, reduces noise by up to 80% and allows for increased power generation. Additionally, the "PowerCone" device, modeled after falling maple seeds, channels air to boost efficiency and electricity output.

This biomimicry approach enables elegant solutions that maximize wind power while minimizing environmental impact. For further information on biomimicry, visit biomimicry.org and asknature.org. Connect with the Biomimicry Institute on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Our livers use enzymes to break down complex molecules, inspiring Sudoc, a non-toxic industrial cleaning solution. While traditional cleaning often relies on harsh chemicals, creating toxic conditions, Sudoc offers a sustainable alternative.

Sudoc employs biomimicry, mimicking liver enzymes to create catalysts. Paired with oxidants like hydrogen peroxide, these catalysts accelerate the breakdown of pathogens, drugs, pesticides, and industrial contaminants in land and water, achieving zero elemental toxicity.

The Biomimicry Institute recognized Sudoc in its 2022 Ray of Hope Prize Program. For more, visit Sudoc, Biomimicry Institute, AskNature, Root House Studio, and Ray C. Anderson Foundation.

Inspired by natural kynurenine chemicals found in human eyes, Sóliome is revolutionizing sunblock. Traditional synthetic sunscreens harm marine life and persist in the environment. Sóliome's biomimetic, kynurenine-based sunscreens offer an effective, economical, and environmentally friendly alternative.

These innovative sunscreens feature large molecules that remain on the skin's surface for maximum protection. As natural products, they biodegrade quickly and pose fewer risks than synthetic alternatives, protecting both human health and the planet.

Sóliome was a participant in our 2022 Ray of Hope Prize Program. Learn more about biomimicry: biomimicry.org and asknature.org.

Companies developing lightweight structural materials seek sustainable alternatives. Strong By Form, a 2022 Ray of Hope Prize participant, offers a solution by applying the natural intelligence of tree structures to engineered wood. Their design-to-manufacturing technology combines digital design, structural optimization, and fabrication to produce lightweight, wood-based composite parts. This innovation replaces high-CO2 materials like concrete and steel across diverse applications.

For instance, their Woodflow-composite slabs can reduce concrete use by 30% and wood by 70% compared to conventional timber-concrete slabs. Strong By Form is also developing optimized wood-based connectors to eliminate metal in frame joints, creating lighter, 100% wood-based, and lower-CO2 structures.

Learn more: Strong By Form, AskNature Innovation, and Biomimicry Institute.

Inspired by millions of years of natural evolution, Fusion Bionic harnesses the surface properties of plants and insects to create advanced functional surface technology. Their laser technology engraves micro and nano textures onto materials, efficiently mimicking nature's solutions and outperforming traditional methods.

For instance, lotus leaves repel water and dirt, while moth eyes are naturally anti-reflective. By mimicking these structures, Fusion Bionic optimizes materials for eyeglasses, smartphones, solar panels, vehicles, and electronic connectors, reducing energy and chemical use.

Learn more about Fusion Bionic at [fusionbionic.com](https://fusionbionic.com/en/) and explore biomimicry at [biomimicry.org](https://biomimicry.org/) or [asknature.org](https://asknature.org/).