Launch: Ferment.TV

We are thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of Ferment.TV!

Ferment.TV is an experimental space for virtual gatherings by Faber Futures and Ginkgo Bioworks that foregrounds emerging ideas from some of the world’s leading scientists, industry leaders, designers, artists, and thinkers–all operating at the intersection of biology, technology and society.

In 2018, Ginkgo Bioworks established its annual, in-person meeting, Ferment, as a place for its ecosystem of scientists, engineers, investors, partners, consumer brands, and more to engage in open dialogue about the synthetic biology revolution and its impacts on the world. Previous speakers have included Susan Hockfield (MIT 16th president), Gina McArthy (former head of the EPA) and David Welch (Good Food Institute). This year, Ginkgo has decided not to wait until the fall for Ferment No. 3, opting instead to hold virtual gatherings in real-time as they repurpose their labs in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

With this creative partnership, we will experiment with different formats to produce live broadcasts on far-ranging topics including synthetic biology futures, regenerative design, public health and equitable innovation. From one on one interviews to expert roundtables, these timely conversations will be moderated by Christina Agapakis (Ginkgo Bioworks Creative Director) and Natsai Audrey Chieza (Faber Futures Founder & CEO). Content from the live broadcasts will be made available to listen to at your own leisure on Youtube and Instagram, and through a curated podcast series which also launches soon.

This outbreak has made plain the systemic relationships between science, technology, society and the environment. Now more than ever, as we re-imagine what futures lie ahead in a post-COVID-19 world, we think that it is vital to broaden our understanding of how science and innovation interact with the ways we wish to live, take care of one another, and become better stewards of this planet. No longer limited by venue size and travel, launching Ferment.TV allows us to create an exciting and inclusive space to explore and share these emerging possibilities with our community and beyond.

Ferment.TV will broadcast live events sequentially over the coming weeks, with the first conversation between Megan Palmer and Lisa Kay Solomon on Visions for Biotech 2030 launching on the 27th May.

We look forward to seeing you there!