On this week’s episode of The Friday Nooner sponsored by Dualboot, Pete, Joe and Chantal talk big tech companies reopening their offices, Lovesac bean bags, and hybrid work models.
Our featured guest is Sue Mecham, the Co-Founder, CEO and president of NALA Membranes. (FYI her last name is pronounced “Meek-em,” which Pete, alas, mispronounced.) The Durham startup—the name is an acronym for Nanoactive Layer Application—provides cost-effective reverse osmosis membranes to purify water. [We profiled the startup back in 2020.]
Here are some highlights:
- Pete, Joe and Chantal discussed Google starting a hybrid work model on April 4 and other big tech companies reopening their doors, even just to give employees the option to return (as opposed to requiring or mandating it). They talked about hybrid models likely becoming the new norm, where workers would only be required to come in a few days a week (if that) for collaboration.
- Pete wondered why NC Highway 147 charges tolls south of I-40. To which Joe said, you don’t have to go that route, and then something about how he avoids toll charges with vintage license plates. (Though if you can afford a vintage sports car, then maybe paying a few bucks in tolls isn’t a major issue.)
- NALA Membranes all started when Sue received a call from her mother—fellow scientist Judy Riffle—who said she had fixed the problem with one element of the process for desalinating water, i.e. removing salts and minerals. The solution helped reduce the cost of purifying water by about 40 percent. Sue talked about the future of reverse-osmosis technology and seeking funding as a women-led company.
Thanks again to our sponsor, Dualboot Partners! Watch the full episode on Facebook here or on LinkedIn here.
Or on YouTube:
Or if you’re more of an audio learner, here’s the podcast version:
