About His Business & Career: Why He Made the Worthy 100: Grain4Grain lives up to its name by matching every sale with a donation of their Barely Barley Flour to local organizations in need. Medhin made the mission of Grain4Grain a reality through the innovative design of his patent-pending mill which cuts down the drying and milling time of spent grain from six hours to just 20 minutes. Medhin’s mill design has allowed his food tech company to make use of massive quantities of spent grain that would otherwise have ended up in landfills. Grain4Grain has taken the inconvenience out of utilizing spent grain by drying and milling it into a healthy alternative to regular flour. They have even turned their Barely Barley Flour into dry mixes for pancakes, waffles and more, along with providing recipes for its use on their blog. Medhin’s creative and innovative approach to making use of spent grains has opened the door to preventing massive amounts of food waste, and the company’s founding principle of donating grain for grain means that they have an intrinsic policy to match sales with donations of their product. Industry: Food/Tech Year Founded: 2018 Headquarters: San Antonio, Texas
Yonatan Medhin, founder and engineer at Grain4Grain, developed a system that allows breweries and distilleries to make use of their spent grain—the byproduct of brewing beer or distilling whiskey. The spent grain is high in protein and fiber, but low in carbs and gluten, because the carbs and gluten are what is extracted during the brewing process. The San Antonio-based local food tech company is committed to the mission of upcycling food and making use of the massive quantities of spent grain produced daily by breweries and distilleries. This upcycling prevents food waste and provides a healthier alternative to flour.
