Biomimicry is a new discipline that studies nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems.  My husband Larry was introduced to Janine by her board member and lawyer in San Francisco, Susan McCormick.  Based on her enthusiasm, Larry bought Janine’s book, Biomimicry, Innovation Inspired by Nature.  He hadn’t been able to get that book out of his head, so when he learned Janine was speaking at the San Diego Zoo on October 2nd, he invited her to dinner and she accepted.

Larry envisions San Diego being part of Janine’s future plans for Biomimicry to commercialize some of the myriad of possible innovative products.  San Diego is an incubator city for technology and biotech in a collaborative way.  In attendance were Joe Panetta, President and CEO of Biocom, Duane Roth, CEO of Connect, and Ruprecht von Buttlar, Director of Connect’s Commercialization and Finance Programs.  They  tangibly substantiated the collaborative nature of our fine city.  Duane, for example, shared the growth of the Sorrento Mesa area into fifty research institutes today.

I like Janine, she’s genuine, warm and quick.  This video clip from our evening provides an example of her witty humor and her grasp of a future view.  Toward the end of dinner I couldn’t help myself.  I turned to Janine and said, “Most entrepreneurs are trying to develop ONE product.  Biomimicry is a veritable thing-a-thon!”  While we had a good laugh, it is true.  Biology makes way for so many innovations it is mind-boggling.  Janine’s book Biomimicry was based on research into at least 2,000 strategies for potential products that could be commercialized.  Need I say you should pick up a copy of that book?