Ara Katz

Ara Katz is the co-founder of Seed, a microbial sciences brand developing probiotics for human and planetary health. The company recently closed a $40M round and is backed by Founders Fund, Greycroft, 8VC, and BoxGroup, among a host of marquee investors.

On her morning routine.

I’m usually awake between 5:45 and 6:15 AM. 

Most of my morning routine revolves around my 5-year-old and matcha.

On the other mornings, I’ll take any European calls that I need from 6:30 to 7:30, and then afterward I’ll work out for an hour.

Post-workout, I’ll drink plenty of salt and lemon water, and if I do have breakfast, it’s typically something with garlic, spinach, and egg whites, or oatmeal and pomegranate.

On variable training.

I do heavy workouts 3 times a week, which usually involve HIIT, some lifting, and a lot of bodyweight work. 

On other days, I do yoga. I’ve been doing yoga for over 20 years, and I’ve found it’s really grounding and centering for me especially given long hours working.

On her optimal diet.

I mostly follow a plant-based diet, with some occasional salmon or sardines.

I’ve always felt that there’s something intuitively important about the relationship between health, the earth, and our environment.

For me, food is a reflection of that ethos.

On upgrading supplementation.

Food can’t just be looked at as the sum of its parts.

It’s more than just macros and micros and calories.

The human experience of food, combined with the biological, microbiological, and ecological, is a much more holistic approach.

Supplementation can help fill a deficiency in diet or lifestyle that you might not be getting from food, either because of your age, geography, or the way you live your life.

For example, when I wasn’t living in California, I used to supplement D3 because I wasn’t getting the level of sun exposure I do now.

On navigating trade-offs.

I think a lot about work-life balance.

If I’m going to be present for my son the way that I want to be, there’s an unavoidable trade-off since I run a startup.

That’s why I’m fully present during my precious time with him. Also, structuring my time is something that can always improve.

As our company’s grown, I’ve found it harder to structure my days, especially in a remote setting, which is something I’m looking to improve.

On blocking off time.

I block out my work time like a meeting.

Otherwise, it’s too challenging to get deep work and writing done during the day. 

I also get work done in non-traditional ways. After a yoga class, I’ll always rush to my phone (as people give me their best side-eye) to email myself the 20 ideas I came up with during class.

That’s one of my peak flow states.

On evening meditations.

Meditating at night is a really great way for me to clear my head and finish out my day. 

I meditate as part of going to sleep, and it’s definitely improved my sleep quality.

My morning version of meditation is being incredibly present with and mindful of the time that I spend with my son.

On her nightly ritual.

I always try to read before bed. 

We retain the most information right before sleep, so I’ll read a paper, something from the team, or really any books — even if it’s for just 5 to 10 minutes. 

After shutting my book, I’m lights-out and in bed most days between 11:30 PM and midnight, though I aspire for that to get closer to 9:30.