Page Schult is the co-founder & CEO of Topanga.io, a technology platform powering reusable container programs. In this episode, we’ll define what the circular economy really means, how it can help save businesses money in the long run, and talk about its deployments for meal delivery services, college campuses, and more. Watch on YouTube Subscribe to the HNGRY newsletter
Matthew Kenney is a world renowned plant-based chef, restaurateur, educator, and entrepreneur. In this episode we talk about Matthew’s launch of the first plant-based IP holding company, how he’s transitioned his restaurants from owned-and-operated businesses to asset-light franchises, and his thoughts on the future plant-based dining landscape. Watch on YouTube Subscribe to the HNGRY newsletter...
Arik Keller is the Founder & CEO of Mable, a next-generation wholesale technology platform for emerging food & beverage brands. In this episode, we’ll chat about Mable’s three-sided marketplace of retailers, CPGs, and distributors, how it’s enabling c-stores to test new brands, and how technology can play a role in creating a more diverse and flexible ecosystem. Watch on YouTube Subscribe to the HNGRY Newsletter...
Martina Lokaiova is the Co-Founder & CEO of Tempty Foods, a Danish food innovation company creating fungi-based alternatives to tofu and meat. In this episode, we’ll talk about why Tempty is shying away from imitating meat analogs, its recent partnership with mycoprotein leader Quorn, and the importance of unbundling of food brands from technology R&D. Watch on YouTube Subscribe to the HNGRY Newsletter...
Colin Webb is the Co-Founder & CEO of Sauce, a dynamic pricing engine that helps restaurants leverage their data to optimize their online sales. In this episode, we’ll chat about the history of dynamic pricing, how restaurants can double their profitability on third-party marketplaces, and how variable pricing can alleviate the many cost pressures facing food delivery. Watch on YouTube Subscribe to the HNGRY newsletter...
Ismail Salhi is the Co-Founder of Wildgrain, the first bake-from-frozen subscription food service for artisanal breads, pastries, and pastas. In this episode, we’ll chat about the current state of the over-commercialized American baked goods market, how Wildgrain bootstrapped itself to 44k paying subscribers, and its unique business model that taps into underutilized capacity of local bakeries. Watch on YouTube Subscribe to the HNGRY newsletter...
Alex Blum is the Founder & CEO of Relay, a last mile logistics company that consolidates restaurants delivery orders across every channel. In this episode, we’ll talk about how restaurants can save money by switching to self delivery, how Relay is able to more efficiently batch orders compared to DoorDash and Uber Eats, and the impact of the recent minimum wage legislation in NYC on the entire ecosystem. Watch on YouTube Join the HNGRY Newsletter...
Edward Shenderovich is the Co-Founder & CEO of Synonym, a developer of shared and dedicated commercial-scale biomanufacturing facilities. In this episode we’ll talk about the myriad use cases for fermentation in pharmaceutical to textiles and food, how Synonym is creating a new asset class, and how “fermentation as a service” can unlock a wide range of applications we have yet to fully appreciate. Watch on YouTube Join the HNGRY Newsletter...
Bobby Brannigan is the Founder & CEO of Mercato, a local marketplace highlighting over 1,500 top independent grocers and specialty stores in the US. In this episode, we’ll talk about how Mercato is able to quickly digitize merchants, the role of its unique marketplace alongside larger competitors, and how it strives to make grocery delivery profitable for its markets.
Dante DiCicco is the Founder & CEO of Zitti, a company on a mission to bring radical transparency to the $300bn wholesale restaurant industry while streamlining vendor payments for operators. In this episode, we’ll talk about the current inefficiencies of pen-and-paper restaurant procurement, the competitive landscape of back-of-house technology companies, and the massive opportunity to create a comprehensive inventory, ordering, and accounts payable solution for small and medium sized resta...
Ben Berman is the Co-Founder & CEO of Tomorrow Farms, a CPG startup focused on building irresistible consumer brands around emerging platforms like precision fermentation and upcycling. In this episode, we’ll chat about why foodtech startups should focus on being B2B and R&D centric companies, the nuances behind precision fermentation dairy, and how Tomorrow Farms plans to build the Unilever of sustainable pantry staples.
Jensen Cummings is a fifth-generation Chef and Restaurateur turned consultant and media operator. In this episode, we’ll talk about where Jensen sees the biggest growth opportunities for restaurants, the tug of war between restaurateurs and tech companies, and the lens operators should use to evaluate new innovations like automation. Watch on YouTube Join the HNGRY Newsletter
Kristen Barnett and Trevor Kerin are the Co-Founders of Culinary Creators Worldwide, a new agency focused on omnichannel activations for the next generation of culinary influencers. In this episode we’ll chat about the opportunity for influencers to work with brands, ghost kitchens, and tech firms to create tangible consumer experiences, the potential for grocers and restauranteurs to tap into such talent, and the key to successful partnerships in the space. Watch on YouTube Join the HNGRY Newsl...
Stefan Hertzberg is the SVP of Growth at ItsaCheckmate, an integrator between POS systems and online ordering channels for QSRs like Wendy’s, Five Guys, and Jet’s Pizza. In this episode, we’ll talk about the recent M&A activity in the fragmented restaurant tech space, how operators can own their customer data on third-party delivery platforms, and the challenges facing many startups in the space. Watch on YouTube Join the HNGRY Newsletter...
Karthik Shekar is the Head of Data Science at Climax Foods, a producer of specialty dairy-free cheeses currently being used by Michelin-starred chefs. In this episode, we’ll talk about how the startup leverages AI to speed up its R&D cycle, the advantages of natural plant-based alternatives over precision fermentation, and the potential for AI to create new foods we’ve never even dreamed of. Watch on YouTube Join the HNGRY Newsletter...
Marc Washington is the Founder & CEO of Supergut, a line of shakes, snack bars, and powders focused on gut health through prebiotic fiber. In this episode we’ll talk about the misconceptions behind probiotics, the role of the gut in moderating everything from our mood to our metabolism, and the future of clinically-validated health and wellness products like Supergut. Watch on YouTube Join the HNGRY Newsletter...
Brad McNamara is the founder & CEO of Morrissey Market, an online grocery platform built on top of the existing restaurant distributor infrastructure. In this episode we’ll talk about Brad’s roots in vertical farming, how Morrissey is building online grocery as a service for food as medicine and nonprofit organizations, and the economics behind his asset-light approach. Watch on YouTube Join the HNGRY Newsletter...
Shawn Walchef is the owner of Cali BBQ and Cali BBQ Media, a 15-year-old BBQ chain located in San Diego, California that also creates B2B content for operators. In this episode, we’ll discuss how Cali BBQ is leveraging smaller-format locations like ghost kitchens and stadium concessions to build the “Amazon Prime of BBQ,” the current state of restaurant technology, and how restaurant operators can leverage the full potential of social media. Watch on YouTube Join the HNGRY Newsletter...
Morley Ivers is the Co-Founder & CEO of Cookin, a Toronto-based food delivery marketplace enabling a new crop of creators to sell hot food from their homes or commissary kitchens. In this episode, we’ll talk about the regulatory hurdles facing Cookin and similar platforms, how Cookin is developing its own chef certification program, and the behavioral shift in how consumers will order food over the next five to ten years. Watch on YouTube Join the HNGRY newsletter...
Dmitry Shevelenko is the former head of Uber’s mobility partnerships and founder of Tortoise, a startup that built slow-moving robotic vending machines for stadiums, parking lots, and other public spaces. In this episode, Dmitry talks about lessons learned from his startup, the current landscape of autonomous delivery bots, and the challenges for hardware startups to become commercially viable businesses. Watch on YouTube Join the HNGRY newsletter...
Elliot Roth is the Founder of Spira , a startup growing algae to be used in protein, pharmaceuticals, plastics, and pigments. In this episode, we’ll talk about Elliot’s personal journey of growing his own spirulina algae while he was food insecure, how algae can replace harmful petrochemicals found in our clothes and food, and the future of hyperlocal, distributed food systems. Watch on YouTube Join the HNGRY newsletter...
Jeffrey Dietrich is the founder and CEO of Rarebird , a modern coffee company building a new replacement to caffeine without the jitters. In this episode, we’ll talk about the 60% of the population who are slow caffeine metabolizers, how Rarebird is leveraging a metabolite called Paraxanthine, and the various adaptogens that it's infusing into its portfolio of coffees to support long-term cognitive health. Watch on YouTube Join the HNGRY newsletter...
Steph Chen is the founder of Anyday, a modern cookware brand designed specifically for microwave cooking. In this episode we’ll talk about some of the biggest misconceptions around the health and safety of the home microwave, how culinary influencers like Dave Chang and Kenji Lopez-Alt have become proponents of this way of cooking, and the next generation of CPG brands rethinking your freezer and pantry.
Justin Mares is an entrepreneur behind better-for-you CPG brands like Kettle & Fire, Perfect Keto, & Surely and co-founder in TrueMed, a payment integration that allows health-promoting merchants to accept pre-tax HSA and FSA funds. In this episode, we’ll talk about designing decentralized, local economies around food, uncover some of the perverse incentives of Big Food lobbying that impacts our health, and look at the potential for personalized nutrition and wearables to improve prevent...
Carlos Ventura Jr. is the Founder & CEO of Feast & Fettle, a regional meal prep service delivering throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In this episode, we’ll talk about how the service has scaled from a home chef operation to over $20mm in revenue, how it’s differentiated other delivery services, and its new retail strategy.
Marc Wulfraat is the Founder & President of MWPVL International , a global supply chain and logistics consulting firm that advises large retailers on warehouse and automation strategies. In this episode, we’ll dissect the various pieces of Amazon’s global supply chain, its recent changes to its online grocery business, and the role of automation. Full disclosure, the host is a shareholder of Amazon stock.
Dane Atkinson is the Founder & CEO of Odeko, an online wholesale and technology platform powering a third of independent coffee shops across the US. In this episode we’ll talk about how Odeko’s reverse franchise model arms mom and pops against Starbucks, what the future of loyalty looks like for small businesses, and the myriad of ways technology can build sustainable local economies around the café ecosystem. Read the full HNGRY Trends article here...
Zack Abbott is the founder & CEO of ZBiotics, a manufacturer of the world’s first genetically engineered probiotics. In this episode we’ll chat about how ZBiotics started with a product that aims to reduce the negative effects of hangovers, the current state of the sober-curious movement, and the implications of GMO labeling. Show notes: Get 15% off ZBiotics Read the full HNGRY Trends deep dive...
Josh Hix is the Co-Founder and CEO of Season, a food-as-medicine platform that enables people with chronic conditions like diabetes to access healthy food through delivery services in partnership with their insurance provider. In this episode we’ll talk about the incentives of the healthcare system to support healthy eating, how Season was born out of meal kit startup Plated, and the role of data when it comes to at-home testing and nutrition.
Tim Luckow is the founder & CEO of Farm, a platform for investing in farmland to be used in various environmental projects such as regenerative agriculture and wind energy. In this episode we’ll talk about the challenges of quantifying natural capital, how Farm is building technology to identify investment opportunities, and how it’s championing collective land ownership to better align incentives between land owners, farmers, and ranchers.
