No Trees Were Harmed: Symmetry Wood's Gabe Tavas on Growing Wood from Waste
Karl and Erum sit down with Gabe Tavas, CEO and co-founder of Symmetry Wood, who is pioneering a revolutionary approach to wood production. Gabe shares his journey from design student to bio-innovator, inspired by his time volunteering in rural Ecuador where he witnessed the devastating impact of plastic waste. His company has developed Pyrus, the first solid wood made primarily from bacterial nanocellulose—specifically, waste from the world's largest kombucha brewery. Instead of logging endangered tropical hardwoods, Symmetry Wood is targeting the high-end guitar industry first, proving that biodesigned materials can meet the most demanding performance standards. Gabe discusses the technical challenges of working with living systems, the importance of starting with niche markets before scaling to mass production, and his vision for fab cities where wood and other materials are manufactured locally from urban waste. This conversation bridges design, biology, and entrepreneurship, offering a glimpse into a future where we can create beautiful, high-performance materials without harming forests or ecosystems.
Chapters:
(00:00:00) - Introduction: Daylight Savings & The Joy of Extra Sleep
(00:02:58) - The Art of Repair: Erum's Kintsugi Journey
(00:05:18) - Wine as Art: Drops of God & Sensory Storytelling
(00:06:25) - Cosmic Mysteries: Comet Atlas & The Wow Signal
(00:09:39) - Synonym's Latest: Scaling Bio-Manufacturing
(00:11:44) - Meet Gabe Tavas: The Man Growing Wood From Bacteria
(00:15:00) - From Ecuador to Biodesign: Finding Purpose in Plastic Waste
(00:18:58) - The Science Unveiled: How Pyrus Mimics Natural Wood
(00:22:40) - Living Factories: The Challenge of Working With Microbes
(00:25:00) - Circular Innovation: Transforming Kombucha Waste Into Premium Materials
(00:31:23) - Strategic Launch: Why Start With $10,000 Guitars?
(00:35:38) - Ecological Symbiosis: Co-Creating Materials With Nature
(00:39:00) - The Fab City Vision: Localized Bio-Manufacturing Revolution
(00:42:00) - Quick Fire: Gabe's Favorite Materials, Books & Bio-Inspirations
(00:43:44) - Closing Thoughts: What It Takes to Build the Bio-Economy
