Best Startup
At Best Startup US we track over 1,000,000 US startups and over 3 million people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United States based CEO’ operating in the Food and Beverage space. If you think a CEO’ is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.us.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Jeremy Andrus
CEO of Traeger Pellet Grills
Jeremy Andrus joined Traeger Wood Pellet Grills as President & CEO in January, 2014 and acquired the business alongside private equity fund Trilantic Capital Partners in July of that year. Prior to Traeger, he served as President and CEO of Skullcandy as well as on its board of directors. In eight years, Jeremy helped grow Skullcandy’s annual sales from less than $1 million to nearly $300 million. He served as Director of Strategic Planning and Acquisitions for boutique hotel owner and operator Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Group from 2003 to 2005 and managed his own hotel development projects focused on Marriott franchise properties from 1998-2002. He served as a Consultant for Monitor Company from 1996 to 1998. Jeremy currently sits on the boards of directors for Wilson Electronics, PurePredictive and TrueGreece, and was formerly a board member of Goal Zero. He volunteers on the loan committee for refugee microfinance agency International Rescue Committee. Jeremy received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and B.A. from Brigham Young University. He lives in Salt Lake City with his wife and four daughters.
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About Traeger Pellet Grills: Traeger Pellet Grills is a manufacturer of wood pellet grills for outdoor cooking.
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Rachel Drori
Founder and CEO of Daily Harvest
Rachel Drori is the founder and CEO of Daily Harvest, a platform is serving the needs of modern consumers by turning freezers into personalized pantries stocked with clean food, quickly prepared and replenished as it is consumed. Daily Harvest was launched as a solution to Rachel’s own daily challenge: squeezing in nourishing fruits and vegetables into her busy life. She has built Daily Harvest into one of the fastest-growing consumer brands in the U.S. Prior to starting Daily Harvest, Rachel harnessed her skills as a customer-centric marketing executive, leading teams at Gilt Groupe, American Express, and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia Business School. She currently resides in New York City with her family
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About Daily Harvest: Daily Harvest is a customer-first platform that provides subscription-based food delivery services to offer healthy frozen foods.
Mary Biggins
Co-Founder and CEO of MealPal
Mary has over 10 years of marketing, product, and sales experience. She has a unique blend of experience creating marketing strategies for both big brands and micro businesses. She’s built marketing campaigns for big brands like the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and Disney. She’s also helped nearly a million small businesses grow as the manager of Vistaprint’s Canadian site. She has also operated two-sided marketplaces as the co-founder of ClassPass and MealPal.
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About ClassPass, MealPal: MealPal is a subscription service that provides members with affordable daily lunch options from restaurants near where they live or work.
Rick Blatstein
Founder & CEO of OTG
Rick Blatstein, founder and CEO of OTG Management, found his calling putting gourmet cuisine, swanky design and high-tech integrations into the drab world of airport terminals. OTG’s innovative approach to creating an “experience” is delighting travelers and catching the attention of airlines and airport operators.
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About OTG: OTG Management is a operator of airport food and beverage concessions
Todd Siwak
Chief Executive Officer of Ferrara Candy
Todd Siwak is CEO of the Ferrara Candy Company. Prior to joining Ferrara, he was an operating partner at Catterton Partners, one of the largest consumer-focused private equity groups in the United States. He brings to Ferrara a wealth of leadership experience in sales, marketing, operations, and management, with a specific focus on the consumer packaged-goods industry. Todd’s career has been defined by his entrepreneurial spirit, which has led him to build several companies that have experienced quick and dramatic growth. Before joining Catterton, Todd was co-founder of TRG Accessories, an international manufacturer and distributor of travel gear and accessories (global licensee for Swiss Army, Timberland, Callaway Golf); Verimetrix, a developer, manufacturer, and supplier of diagnostic medical equipment; and Mindseye Group, a boutique private equity firm with a focus on consumer and health care companies. He began his career as Executive Vice President of Paramount Headwear, where, under his sales leadership, the company quadrupled in size and became the largest headwear manufacturer in North America. In 2002, Todd was named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He holds a J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law and a B.S. in economics from the University of Missouri- Columbia.
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About Ferrara Candy: Ferrara Candy is virtual tours of the making of Lemonheads, Red Hots, Gummies, Jawbusters, Boston Baked Beans and Atomic Fireballs.
Joshua Stylman
Co-Founder, Managing Partner & CEO of Threes Brewing
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About TeamSnap, Threes Brewing: Threes Brewing is a brewery, bar & event space.
Fabian Estrada
Founder and CEO of Marley Spoon
Fabian Siegel is the Founder & CEO of Dinnerly & he attended The University of Bonn in 1995.
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About Dinnerly, Marley Spoon: Marley Spoon is a cooking platform that offers recipes, helps its customers order seasonal ingredients.
Jonathan Regev
Co-Founder, CEO of The Farmer’s Dog
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About The Farmer’s Dog: A smarter, healthier pet food — delivered. #longlivedogs
Kandy Anand
President & Chief Executive Officer, Molson Coors International of Molson Coors
Kandy is President of Molson Coors International (MCI) where he is responsible for the growth and expansion of the company’s business and brand portfolio in global markets outside of the US, Canada and the UK. Appointed in 2009, Kandy has helped significantly expand the company’s footprint in Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Previously, he served as Division President of Coca Cola’s Philippines Business Unit. While at Coca Cola, he also served as Vice President of Coca Cola’s Global Revenue Growth Management and Commercial Leadership, as well as the Division Marketing Director for South Latin America. Prior to his time at Coca Cola, Anand served in various senior marketing strategy roles over fifteen years with Unilever in India. Kandy completed his Masters in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management.
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About Molson Coors: Molson Coors is a beer company and distributor that brews the world’s favorite beer brands.
Mark Hunter
President & Chief Executive Officer of Molson Coors
Mark is President and CEO of Molson Coors and serves as a member of the Board. He brings more than 20 years of Molson Coors experience and most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Molson Coors Europe. Prior to that, Mark was President and Chief Executive Officer of Molson Coors UK. Before that, he was Chief Commercial Officer for Molson Coors Canada where he responsible for all sales and marketing activities. Earlier in his career Mark managed the export markets and business unit strategy for Bass Brewers and marketing management of the Carling brand. He has also served on the board of Bass Brewers as Marketing Director and the board of Coors Brewers Ltd. Before joining the Bass in 1989, he held a variety of sales positions with Hallmark Cards and Bulmers Drinks. Mark holds a Bachelor Honours degree in Marketing and Business Administration from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
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About Molson Coors: Molson Coors is a beer company and distributor that brews the world’s favorite beer brands.
Kirk Tanner
CEO PepsiCo Beverages North America of PepsiCo
Kirk Tanner is president and chief operating officer of North America Beverages (NAB). He assumed his current role in March, 2016. A 24-year veteran of PepsiCo with strong leadership experience across beverages, snacks and foodservice, Kirk leads all aspects of PepsiCo’s beverage business in North America. Prior to this role, Kirk was chief operating officer of NAB and president of Global Foodservice. Under his leadership, the division introduced on-trend, transformative innovation including the Pepsi Spire fountain portfolio, STUBBORN Soda, Doritos Loaded and Hello Goodness Vending. In his role as chief operating officer of NAB, he was responsible for expanding partnerships and driving growth across PepsiCo’s foodservice and retail customer base in North America and foodservice operations globally. In his PepsiCo career, Kirk has lived and worked in 11 domestic and international locations and has had numerous positions, including senior vice president, Frito-Lay West Division and vice president of sales of PepsiCo in the UK and Ireland. His vast experience across sales, operations, customer marketing, distribution and channel development has given him a deep understanding of PepsiCo’s go-to-market systems, both in foods and beverages, as well as the varying needs of customers and consumers all over the world. Kirk has led several successful multi-cultural initiatives that resulted in multiple product introductions across the food and beverage portfolio.
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About PepsiCo: PepsiCo operates as a food and beverage company worldwide.
Ramon Laguarta
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo
Ramon Laguarta is Chief Executive Officer, Europe Sub-Saharan Africa, with responsibility for leading our food and beverages businesses across Europe and our food business in Sub-Saharan Africa. This role was effective in January 2015. Prior to this role, from November 2008, Ramon was President, PepsiCo Eastern Europe Region. Before that, from 2006 to 2008, he served as Commercial Vice President of Europe. From 2002 to 2006, he was General Manager for Iberia Snacks and Juices, and from 1999 to 2001 a General Manager for Greece Snacks and Marketing Vice President for Spain Snacks. Ramon joined PepsiCo in January 1996. Previous to PepsiCo, he worked for Chupa Chups, S.A., a Spanish leading confectionery company, where he held a number of international roles in Europe and the U.S. Ramon holds an MBA from ESADE Business School in Spain and a Master’s in International Management (M&M) from Thunderbird School of Global Management in the U.S.
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About PepsiCo: PepsiCo operates as a food and beverage company worldwide.
Albert Carey
Chief Executive Officer, North America of PepsiCo
Having served in a number of senior executive positions at PepsiCo, Inc., a consumer products company, Mr. Carey enhances our Board’s experience in and oversight of retail, supply chain and marketing matters, as well as contributing to the general management and strategic business development skills of our Board. In 2011, Mr. Carey was named Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo North America Beverages, assuming responsibilities for all aspects of PepsiCo’s beverages business in the Americas. From 2006 to 2011, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Frito-Lay North America, a snack food company and the largest North American business division of PepsiCo. He also served as President of PepsiCo Sales, the sales division of PepsiCo, from 2003 to 2006, in charge of PepsiCo’s sales and customer management for its retail, food service and fountain businesses. Other positions that Mr. Carey has held at PepsiCo, Inc. include Chief Operating Officer of PepsiCo Beverages & Foods North America, Senior Vice President of Sales for Pepsi-Cola North America and Chief Operating Officer of Frito-Lay North America. Prior to his career at PepsiCo, Mr. Carey spent seven years at Procter & Gamble.
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About PepsiCo: PepsiCo operates as a food and beverage company worldwide.
Laxman Narasimhan
Chief Executive Officer, Latin America of PepsiCo
Laxman Narasimhan is the chief executive officer of PepsiCo Latin America. PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $63 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. PepsiCo’s main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. Laxman assumed the position in September 2014. He leads PepsiCo’s food and beverage business across Latin America and reports to PepsiCo Chairman and CEO, Indra Nooyi. The business covers PepsiCo’s food and beverage businesses in Mexico, Brazil, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. He previously served as the senior vice president and CFO of PepsiCo Americas Foods based in Purchase, New York, which covered the important businesses of Frito-Lay, Quaker and PepsiCo’s Latin America Foods. Prior to PepsiCo, Laxman was a director and location manager of McKinsey’s New Delhi Office. He worked with McKinsey for 19 years around the world, including rotations in Cleveland, Tokyo, Toronto, San Francisco and New Delhi. He had responsibility for consumer-facing industries in India, co-led the Global Consumer and Shopper Insights Practice and led McKinsey’s research on the emerging market consumer. He has worked across multiple industries, including consumer, retail, energy, manufacturing, technology and healthcare. Previously, Laxman co-led the Global Retail Knowledge Council of McKinsey’s Retail Practice.
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About PepsiCo: PepsiCo operates as a food and beverage company worldwide.
Eric Weaver
CEO of Transparent Path spc
Eric Weaver is a long-time digital disrupter who has been at the leading edge of multiple waves of innovation. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Eric’s first career began as a software developer for General Motors and Ford Motor Company. In 1990, he became one of the very first digital marketers, walking brands like P&G, Ford and Johnson & Johnson through their very first digital efforts. Over the years, Eric has created marketing strategies and digital presences for nearly 100 global brands, persuading senior executives around the world to embrace e-commerce, webcasting, social content, blockchain, and augmented reality. Eric’s primary role these days is serving as the founder and CEO of Transparent Path. The company’s mission is to tackle the global food waste issue by creating more trust and transparency in our most critical supply chains. The Transparent Path platform uses continuously connected IoT sensors, edge computing and artificial intelligence to create real-time supply chain visibility. Sensors track products in real time, providing instant alerts when something goes wrong, allowing whoever has custody to preserve shipments and prevent waste, fines, and loss. Other projects include the Weaver Company, through which he counsels global brands, and ARCHIVE, an advanced metaverse and extended reality initiative. During his career, Eric has staffed, managed & grown award-winning creative, strategy & production teams in London, New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Seattle, Detroit and Cincinnati. His last role prior to launching Transparent Path was to launch the Xerox Customer Experience Practice, where he managed a $550M services book of business. Eric has been quoted in nearly 30 industry publications. With over 15 awards for marketing excellence, he lectures for universities in the US, Canada, Ireland and elsewhere, and speaks globally on topics like transparency, sustainability, and ethics.
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About Transparent Path spc: Real-time, end-to-end visibility for perishables — using IoT sensors, blockchain security, and predictive AI.
Kimberlie Le
CEO and Co-Founder of Prime Roots
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About Prime Roots: Prime Roots is celebrating the culture of meat by reimagining protein itself.
Chris Kempczinski
President and CEO of McDonald’s
With an eye toward delivering a modern, progressive customer experience, Chris Kempczinski oversees strategy, planning and new concept innovation for McDonald’s. His role is to serve the business units and franchisees by identifying new ideas and best practices to accelerate their growth and grow the overall value of the system. Kempczinski has significant experience in strategy and operations with some of the world’s leading consumer companies, including Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo and most recently, Kraft Heinz. He has a proven track record of driving transformative change, which is invaluable as McDonald’s evolves its restaurant experience and business model to consistently deliver top-tier shareholder returns. Most recently, Kempczinski was Executive Vice President of Growth Initiatives and President of Kraft International, where he oversaw Kraft’s global corporate growth agenda and was responsible for driving the business in 80 countries outside of the United States, making up roughly $3 billion in net revenue. Kempczinski has an MBA from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree in public policy and economics from Duke University.
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About McDonald’s: McDonald’s is a global foodservice retailer generating revenue through company-owned restaurants, franchise royalties, and licensing pacts.
Kevin Boyer
President & CEO of CustomVine
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About CustomVine: CustomVine is a winery company that provides custom wine production, process management, and fulfillment for the restaurant business.
Heather Hartnett
CEO and Founding Partner of Human Ventures
Heather Hartnett is the CEO and founding partner of Human Ventures, an early-stage venture studio in NYC that backs and builds industry-changing business. Heather has spent her career in venture capital, technology startups, and philanthropy. She was recently featured in Business Insider as “the first female-led startup studio in New York City” bringing a fresh new perspective to the tech scene. Heather also serves on the Leadership Council for tech:nyc. Prior to Human Ventures, Heather incubated companies within a NYC-based venture fund that invests in companies seeking to generate measurable social impact alongside financial returns. Heather leads the Human team with a knack for identifying innate talent, and a track record of building strong, successful early teams.
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About AARP, Human Ventures: Human Ventures is a business creation platform, comprised of a venture fund, studio and enterprise agency.
Na’ama Moran
Co-Founder & CEO of Cheetah
Na’ama Moran is Co-Founder and CEO at Cheetah. Growing up in Israel with a family of farmers and small business owners, she’s seen first-hand the imminent need for a more efficient, accessible food supply. She came to the US to study economics, math, and political science at Cornell University, and started her career with Greylock Capital Management as an analyst. She soon left finance and moved to Silicon Valley to pursue her dream of building products that make people’s lives better with technology. She’s founded several companies including Zappedy and Sourcery, where she encountered many restaurant owners and food entrepreneurs, and discovered the hardships of running a restaurant, including the lack of transparency and ease-of-use in such an important industry. Remaining committed to building products that help food businesses thrive, she saw an opportunity to solve the very real problem that legacy distributors created for independent restaurants with Cheetah. Today, Na’ama is scaling Cheetah at an unprecedented pace. Since its inception in 2015, Cheetah has served over 2,000 independent restaurants with a mission to improve their supply chain. In early 2020, Cheetah turned their fleet of refrigerated trucks into mobile fulfillment centers, to provide the safest option for grocery pickup without contact and away from crowds. Consumers and restaurant owners simply place their order through the Cheetah mobile app and drive to one of multiple designated locations in the Bay Area, where products are placed in the trunk of customer’s cars without leaving the driver’s seat.
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About Cheetah: Cheetah is an e-commerce platform offering contactless pickup and delivery of food and supplies.
Nabeel Alamgir
CEO & Co-founder of Lunchbox Technologies
CEO & Co-founder of Lunchbox, Former CMO of Bareburger.
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About Bareburger, Lunchbox Technologies, Tapt: Lunchbox Technologies offers digital marketing and ordering solutions for brick and mortar restaurants.
Geoffrey Martin
President and Chief Executive Officer of CCL Industries
Geoffrey Martin joined CCL as President of CCL Label in April 2001. In May 2005 he assumed the role of President and COO of CCL Industries and President and Chief Executive Officer in May 2008. He is responsible for all CCL’s operating units including the Label, Avery and Container businesses. Martin is an international business leader with a proven track record in turnarounds, mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining CCL, he was the Senior Group Vice President, Worldwide Converting Graphic and Specialty Tapes with Avery Dennison.
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About CCL Industries: CCL is the largest label company in the world and provides innovative solutions.
Serge Shilnov
CEO & Founder of reOrder Technologies
Sergey has been involved in digital development projects for more than 15 years. With a background in Fintech and Marketing, Sergey was an early adopter of technologies related to the Digital Securities space. Sergey has launched 2 software and infrastructure companies in the digital space in the past 5 years and has help roles in a New York based startup involved in the development of two distinct projects: a strategy & marketing platform for STO offerings that could be used as a mobile App by any individual; and the development of self-service POS terminal for restaurants and retail sector, for easy use by both vendors and consumers. For the past three years, Sergey has been particularly interested in developing a better on-line platform to bring better quality STO’s to market, and his passion has been in developing a crypto currency that could truly be used in place of fiat currency for day-to-day human transactions such as buying groceries and eating in restaurants. To this end, Sergey has developed a substantial amount of IP in the form of both detailed knowledge and planning, together with bringing a large number of low cost, high value programmers, to create both a complete STO underwriting platform, AND all of the required elements to launch a global “consumer coin” that could be used from a mobile-app between customers and vendors for multiple transaction in the same way we use cash, debit cards, or credit cards today.
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About DigiMax, NeuraLoom, reOrder Technologies: reOrder Technologies Inc is a US Company, aimed to automate the restaurant industry in order to increase the economic efficiency
Don Thompson
Founder and CEO of Cleveland Avenue
As President and Chief Executive Officer of McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE: MCD), Don Thompson leads the world’s largest foodservice company. McDonald’s serves 70 million customers everyday in more than 100 countries and employs 1.8 million people across the globe in corporate and restaurant positions. During his 23 years at McDonald’s, Thompson has helped drive business results and global strategic innovation across the organization. Since joining as an electrical engineer in 1990, he has held a variety of key leadership positions within the company including Regional Vice President, Division President and Chief Operating Officer. Between 2006 and 2010, Thompson served as President of McDonald’s USA, the company’s largest business segment. Most recently as President and COO of McDonald’s Corporation, Thompson and his leadership team established three global growth priorities in support of the McDonald’s Plan to Win: to optimize the menu, modernize the customer experience and broaden restaurant accessibility. In July 2012, Thompson became President and CEO and is leading the company on its mission to become “our customers’ favorite place and way to eat and drink.” A true advocate of collaboration and believer in the strength of the McDonald’s three legged stool, Thompson and his leadership team work closely with the 5,000 independent owner/operators, corporate staff and restaurant employees around the world as well as countless McDonald’s suppliers. A leader in the business community, Don serves on the Board of Directors for McDonald’s Corporation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Catalyst, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Purdue University. Thompson also serves as a member of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club, The Economic Club, World Business Chicago and the Brazier Foundation. Thompson has been recognized for his leadership and passion by the Illinois Holocaust Museum (2012 Humanitarian Award), the Executive Leadership Council (2010 Corporate Award), the Trumpet Foundation (2008 Corporate Executive Award), and Black Enterprise (2007 Corporate Executive of the Year). Thompson received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and an honorary Doctorate in Science degree from Excelsior College. Thompson resides in the Chicagoland area with his wife and two children.
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About Cleveland Avenue: Cleveland Avenue is a Chicago-based venture fund and accelerator that invests in food, beverage, and tech businesses.
Donald Thompson
CEO and Founder of Cleveland Avenue
Don celebrates people and drives results. His 25-year ascension through the ranks of McDonald’s Corporation to become its President and CEO is one of the most respected career trajectories in corporate America. An electrical engineer by education and trade, Don approached his leadership of the world’s largest restaurant chain in a strategically methodical manner, while still embracing the warmth and enthusiasm of the dynamic teams around the world. He’s a heart leader with a head for serious business, as evidenced by his achievements such as developing the global platforms for the company’s beverages, sustainability and digital initiatives. In 2015, Don left McDonald’s to form Cleveland Avenue, LLC, bringing together his vast restaurant expertise and engineering experience with his passion for innovation, digital trends and startup concepts. Don leads the CA team in bringing creative and consumer-focused restaurant, food and beverage ideas to reality. Don is committed to mentoring others, fueled by his foundation in faith, family and community. Not to be outdone by the culinary geniuses he regularly encounters, Don occasionally dons a chef’s hat of his own, and enjoys cooking for family and friends.
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About Cleveland Avenue: Cleveland Avenue is a Chicago-based venture fund and accelerator that invests in food, beverage, and tech businesses.
Jerry Bello
CEO & Founder of Pasta Chips
Jerry Bello serves as a CEO – Founder at Vintage Italia – Pasta Chips.
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About Advanced Micronutrition, KEEN Growth Capital, Pasta Chips: Vintage Italia, the maker of Pasta Chips brand pasta snacks
Aimee Yang
Founder, CEO of Better Brand
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About Better Brand: Better Brand is a food tech startup marking a new era of nutrition by driving innovation in the multi-trillion-dollar refined carb industry.
David S. Shapira
Founder , Chairman & CEO of Giant Eagle
David Shapira is executive chairman of the board of directors of Giant Eagle, Inc. and is president of the David S. and Karen A. Shapira Foundation. In his role at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business and College of Business Administration, he is responsible for enhancing ethics and leadership at the school. He is also responsible for engaging with Katz and CBA students across a spectrum of business areas including entrepreneurship, supply chain management, and organizational behavior. During his thirty-plus years as chairman, chief executive officer and president, David Shapira positioned Giant Eagle, Inc. as an industry leader, and grew the company from a local chain of 50 grocery stores to an organization now employing more than 34,000 with more than 420 locations and $9.5 billion in revenue. A Pittsburgh native with an undergraduate degree from Oberlin College and a Master’s Degree in Economics from Stanford University, Mr. Shapira joined Giant Eagle in 1970, a company founded by his grandfather with four others. Today, the same five families own Giant Eagle, and remain actively involved. Named president and CEO in 1980 and Chairman of the Giant Eagle Board of Directors in 1992, David led the company during its peak years of growth and transformation, which included his application of a world-class customer loyalty program with the development of the Giant Eagle Advantage Card and fuelperks!. Mr. Shapira has implemented numerous industry-leading technologies and marketing concepts, including: gift card development and sales, in-store pharmacy and banking, multi-format retailing, and a truck fleet that is being converted to run on compressed natural gas. Since stepping away from day-to-day operations of Giant Eagle in 2013, David has applied the entrepreneurial approach developed at Giant Eagle to the world of philanthropy. Through the Foundation he leads with his wife Cindy, David has led the development of a number of projects that demonstrate real and meaningful positive impact on civic challenges of our day. These entrepreneurial philanthropic ventures include Onward Israel, which transforms young adults through professional summer internships with Israeli businesses and organizations, and the Comprehensive Excellence initiative at Hillel International. David’s civic involvement reflects his and Giant Eagle’s commitment to advancing and investing in the many communities the company and Foundation serve. David has served on numerous corporate and civic boards, including EQT, Mellon Bank, the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance (Past Chairman). David is the Immediate Past Chairman of Carnegie Mellon University’s Board of Trustees, and the current Chairman of Carnegie Mellon’s Investment Committee, as well as a Trustee at Oberlin College, and a Founding Co-Chairman, along with Cindy, of The Pittsburgh Promise Campaign. David’s philanthropic board service has also included the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh (Past Chairman); Jewish Healthcare Foundation (Past Chairman); United Way of Allegheny County (Past Chairman of the Annual Campaign); Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Past Chairman); Extra Mile Foundation; and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. David is currently a member of the Hillel Foundation International Board of Governors.
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About Giant Eagle: Giant Eagle is a national supermarket chain with some of their own brands of products.
Bowie Cheung
Co-founder & CEO of Pepper
Bowie is the co-founder and CEO of Pepper, where he’s partnering with restaurant wholesalers across the country to build a more transparent, technology powered food supply chain. Before co-founding Pepper in 2019, Bowie was the first General Manager for Uber Eats and Director of US & Canada Operations at Uber Technologies, and prior to that a management consultant at Bain & Company. He holds degrees in engineering from the University of Toronto and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Business.
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About Pepper: Building the digital operating system for the food supply chain
Roly Nesi
Founder & CEO of Roar Organic
Roly Nesi is the Founder and CEO of Roar Organic.
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About Roar Organic: Roar Organic is a natural line of vegan, low-calorie, low-sugar, electrolyte-infused beverages
Ashton Braun
Co-Founder & CEO of Silo
Ashton Braun is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Silo.
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About Silo: Silo is a wholesale food marketplace that enables customers to buy and sell produce, protein, dairy, and shelf-stable food quickly.
Matt Schwartz
CEO & Co-Founder of Afresh Technologies
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About Afresh Technologies: Afresh is an AI-powered company selling software to track demand and manage orders for fresh produce in grocery stores.
Scott Semel
Founder & CEO of Ripple Brand Collective
Scott Semel is Founder & CEO at Ripple Brand Collective.
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About Ripple Brand Collective: Ripple Brand Collective is a producer of snacks and chocolates under the brand name of barkTHINS.
Hamdi Ulukaya
Founder & CEO of Chobani
Hamdi Ulukaya is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Chobani. After moving to New York from his native Turkey, Hamdi found that in America, yogurt just wasn’t as delicious and widely available as it was back home. Hamdi believed everyone deserved better options, so he set about making delicious, nutritious, natural and accessible Greek yogurt right here in the U.S. The rest, as they say, is history. America’s number one Greek yogurt is made with only natural ingredients. Always has been, always will be. In 2005, Hamdi happened upon an ad for a recently closed yogurt plant. For him, the find was fate, and he knew in his heart he wanted to buy it. The Chobani® dream finally had a home. For the next two years, Hamdi focused on every step of the process. He carefully built his team, which included hiring a master yogurt maker to ensure quality from the ground up. Just nine years after Chobani started, it has become the #1 Greek yogurt brand in the U.S.
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About Chobani, Chobani Food Incubator: Chobani produces and markets Greek yogurt.
Jared Cannon
Founder & CEO of Simply Good Jars
Jared Cannon developed his concept for Simply Good Jars after an award-winning 18 year career as a chef in the food service industry working for celebrated restaurants and growing fast-casual eateries; all the while realizing how there still is an incredible need for faster, healthier food options. Upon graduation from New York City’s reputable Culinary Institute of America, Jared transitioned to Florida International University in Miami to continue his journey in hospitality management and finished his education at Temple University’s top-rated Fox School of Business with a Masters in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. It was at Fox that Jared’s vision for expanding people’s access to healthy food options evolved. Notably, Jared has spearheaded culinary teams at Tria, Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant, Ritz Carlton Hotels, FS Food Group, honeygrow, and Di Bruno Bros. He has cooked at New York’s legendary James Beard House and has studied cuisine extensively throughout Italy, Mexico, and across the United States. Jared founded Simply Good Jars in the fall of 2017 with the intent to help improve lives and communities through responsible, respectful food choices for everyone. Jared is starting in Philly—the birthplace of America, and our hometown. But get ready. Simply Good Jars are just too good and too important to stay in one place for too long.
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About Simply Good Jars: Simply Good Jars is to make healthy choices easier and to foster a strong and critical connection between local growers, consumers.
Loren Wallis
Co-Founder & CEO of Alpha Foods
Loren Wallis is the CEO and co-founder of Good Karma Foods and Alpha Foods.
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About Alpha Foods: Alpha Foods produces plant-based foods focused on taste, texture, and sustainability.
Chris Baggott
Co-Founder and CEO of ClusterTruck
Over the course of his career, Chris Baggott has redefined what it means to be a marketer. After co-founding ExactTarget, one of the world’s most successful, publicly-traded email service providers, he saw an opportunity to branch out into content marketing. In 2007, Chris launched Compendium, the leading content marketing platform helping organizations capture and create original content in a branded hub for distribution to any marketing channel. As a marketing futurist, Chris is frequently quoted in national business and marketing trade magazines, and speaks regularly on the topic of digital marketing at hundreds of venues. He is recognized as one of the most influential marketers by Invesp Consulting and BtoB Magazine. His blog was voted “Best Online Marketing Blog” by MarketingSherpa readers and “Best of the Web” by Forbes.
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About ClusterTruck, Tyner Pond Farm: ClusterTruck is a provider of online food delivery platform used to offer foods at the doorsteps of customers.
Geoff McFarlane
Co-Founder and CEO of Winc
Geoff McFarlane is the Co-Founder and CEO of Winc. He is an entrepreneur incorporating over seven years experience in project management and finance. Proven track record in building highly customized projects and successful businesses. Has successfully acquired unsuccessful businesses and made them profitable, while creating an effective business model. His specialties: Skills include budgeting, financial analysis, and management of construction process.
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About Winc: Winc is a winery company with a direct connection to the consumer, building a portfolio of brands for the next generation of wine drinkers.
Robert Gamgort
CEO & President of Keurig Dr Pepper
Robert Gamgort was appointed Chief Executive Officer at Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig), a personal beverage system company that has revolutionized the way consumers create and enjoy beverages, in May 2016. Robert came to Keurig from Pinnacle Foods, where he spent seven years as CEO, increasing the value of the company over five times during his tenure. Prior to joining Pinnacle, Robert served as North American President for Mars Incorporated, where he managed the company’s portfolio of confectionery, main meal, pet food, and retail businesses. Robert joined Mars in 1998, initially serving as Vice President of Marketing for M&M / Mars and then as General Manager of its Chocolate Unit. Prior to Mars, Robert served as President of Major League Baseball Properties. Bob began his career at Kraft Foods where he served in key marketing, sales, corporate strategy, and general management roles. Robert holds an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and a BA in Economics from Bucknell University. He also studied at the London School of Economics. Bob serves on the Board of Directors of Wayfair Inc. and the Grocery Manufacturers Association.
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About Keurig Dr Pepper: Keurig Dr Pepper is a coffee and beverage company.
Carey Cooper
Co-Founder & CEO of L3 Hospitality Group
Carey is our CEO Extraordinaire. His early success as president of Redi Cut Foods, the largest regional processor of vegetables, made him a supply chain expert. His entrepreneurial spirit has only grown since then and nothing has brought him as much professional joy as becoming a restaurateur. We refer to him as Mr. Positive. He’s the go-to guy in his community and at work… not to mention he can tell you the origin of an avocado by the way it spins on the table.
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About L3 Hospitality Group: L3 Hospitality Group is a restaurant operating company.
Jonathon Perrelli
CEO & Co-Founder of LifeFuels
Jonathon’s newest project and startup is LifeFuels, a beverage technology company created with the goal of helping people feel their best, from the inside out. Jonathon and his team will be launching the world’s first portable beverage maker, which makes drinks on the go tailored to match your activity and lifestyle, in 2018. Inspiration for Fortify Ventures and Distilled Intelligence came from Jonathon’s 18 years as an entrepreneur and angel investor. As a native Washingtonian, Jonathon is a key player in the thriving startup technology ecosystem in our nation’s capital. He is dedicated to and passionate about startupland. Jonathon is a proud graduate of Virginia Tech and alumnus of UUNET.
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About LifeFuels, SecureForce: LifeFuels is changing the way consumers approach hydration and nutrition by empowering them to create personalized beverages on the go.
Shane Heath
Founder and CEO of MUD\WTR
He is designer of ishBowl.
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About MUD\WTR: MUD\WTR is a food & beverage company that provides natural organic ingredients for health benefits.
Adam Lowry
Co-Founder & Co-Chief Executive Officer of Ripple Foods
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About Ripple Foods: Ripple Foods specializes in making non-dairy milk with just as much protein as milk and half the sugar.
Kevin Reddy
Chairman And CEO of Noodles & Company
Kevin Reddy has served as Chief Executive Officer since April 2006. He became a member of board of directors in May 2006, and Chairman of the Board in May 2008. Mr. Reddy was President and Chief Operating Officer from April 2005 to April 2006, continuing to serve as President until July 2012. Prior to joining Noodles & Company, he was the Chief Operating Officer, Chief Operations Officer and Restaurant Support Officer for Chipotle Mexican Grill. Mr. Reddy began his professional career with McDonald’s Corporation in 1983 as a regional controller and progressed into positions of escalating responsibility. Mr. Reddy has received a number of awards in connection with his role as Chief Executive Officer, including being named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Restaurant Business Magazine in 2009, “All-Star CEO” by Restaurant Finance Monitor in 2012 and was named to Nation’s Restaurant News’ 2014 “Builders List,” created to feature people who are taking restaurant brands to the next level. He currently serves on the executive advisory board to the Daniels School of Business at the University of Denver. He received a BS in Accounting from Duquesne University.
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About Boloco, Noodles & Company: Noodles & Company is a Customer Service company.
Katherine Sizov
CEO & Co-Founder of Strella Biotechnology
Katherine Sizov is the Founder and the Co-President of Strella Biotechnology and Co-President of YouthHack’s.
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About Strella Biotechnology: Strella Biotechnology offers a biosensing platform that predicts the ripeness of fruit which reduces waste and improves product quality.
Ilya Avshalumov
Co-Founder & CEO of Variety Fun
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About Variety Fun: Variety Fun is an online a monthly subscription-based snack foods delivery service for business and home.
Mason Sexton
CEO & Founder of Soozy’s
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About Nomad Interactive, Soozy’s: Soozy’s is a food and beverage company that offers healthy and tasty grain-free baked goods.
Mike Cessario
CEO / Co-Founder of Liquid Death
Mike Cessario is the CEO & Co-Founder at Liquid Death.
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About Liquid Death: Liquid Death is a non-alcoholic beverage brand that is focused on health and sustainability.
Eitan Fischer
CEO of Mission Barns
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About Mission Barns: Mission Barns is making the juicy, savory meats they all love in a sustainable, more efficient way.
Bryan Meehan
Chief Executive Officer of Blue Bottle Coffee
Bryan Meehan CEO at Blue Bottle Coffee. Previously, I co-founded Nude Skincare (acquired by LVMH) and Fresh & Wild in London (acquired by Whole Foods). I’m an advocate of socially responsible investing and co-founded Greenmont Capital, a venture firm focused on investing in people who are primarily interested in creating environmentally friendly products. Investments include IZZE soda line and Mary’s Gone Crackers. I get very excited about great founders and have recently invested in Slack, Hampton Creek, and of course, Blue Bottle Coffee where I spend most of my time working with James Freeman and the Blue Bottle team. I’m also a very active real estate investor. I grew up in Dublin. Since, I’ve lived in London, Boston and San Francisco. I love music, hiking, travel, art, organic food and coffee. I’m on the Board of Trustees at De Young and Legion of Honor museums in San Francisco. I hate GMOs and campaigning hard to have food properly labelled.
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About Blue Bottle Coffee: Blue Bottle Coffee is a coffee roaster and retailer platform that delivers coffee subscriptions to doorsteps nationwide.
James Freeman
Founder & CEO of Blue Bottle Coffee
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About Blue Bottle Coffee: Blue Bottle Coffee is a coffee roaster and retailer platform that delivers coffee subscriptions to doorsteps nationwide.
Aayush Phumbhra
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Nectar
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About Nectar: Nectar develops an IoT solution for the hospitality and consumer packaged goods industries.
Atallah Atallah
CEO & Co-Founder of Club Feast
Atallah Atallah currently works as the CEO and Co-Founder for Club Feast. He previously worked at StartX as an Entrepreneur.
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About Club Feast, Seated: Club Feast is a restaurant delivery application that provides pre-scheduled food delivery.
Kevin Johnson
President & CEO of Starbucks Corporation
As president of the Platforms & Services Division of Microsoft, Kevin Johnson leads an organization of over 14,000 employees responsible for product development, marketing and strategy for the Windows and Online Services businesses. With Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer and seven other senior executives, Johnson also serves on the Senior Leadership Team that sets overall strategy and direction for Microsoft. Since assuming his role in September 2005, Johnson successfully launched Windows Vista to consumers and commercial customers, resulting in record-breaking Windows revenue of nearly US$15 billion in fiscal year 2007. In addition to leading the Windows business, Johnson is driving the company’s evolution towards software + services and building on the company’s position as a leader in the online advertising market. Under Johnson’s leadership, Microsoft has completed over 30 acquisitions in support of its software + services strategy. In August 2007, Johnson closed the company’s largest acquisition, of aQuantive, Inc., to form Microsoft Advertiser & Publisher Solutions, and complement Microsoft’s development of an industry-leading online advertising platform. Microsoft Advertiser & Publisher Solutions provides an online advertising platform for an ecosystem of industry partners, including advertisers, publishers and digital marketing agencies. Today the platform has offerings across digital media types and devices, including the PC, Web, mobile phones, gaming consoles, IPTV and Video-on-demand. Johnson also leads development and marketing of Microsoft’s consumer online services, including Live Search, MSN.com and Windows Live, which collectively drove nearly $2.5 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2007. These compelling experiences attract hundreds of millions of consumers per month, and provide online advertising opportunities to businesses worldwide. Previously, Johnson held a number of leadership positions in sales and marketing at Microsoft, where he worked globally with consumer, small/medium business and enterprise customers. Prior to his current role, Johnson served as group vice president of Microsoft’s worldwide sales, marketing and services, leading an organization of 30,000 employees, including field sales and marketing professionals who delivered $40 billion in revenue during fiscal 2005. Johnson also oversaw corporate operations and IT functions that support the work of Microsoft employees around the world. In his tenure as head of sales, marketing and services, Johnson led a transformation in the field. He organized subsidiary leadership teams in more than 80 countries and regions and orchestrated their efforts to better align with product development and company priorities. His re-engineering of the field operating approach and the sales compensation system contributed to an $11 billion increase in sales from 2002-2005. Johnson also led a cross-company initiative focused on emerging markets, positioning the company as a trusted partner for future growth. Johnson joined Microsoft in 1992, serving in a variety of roles across sales, marketing and services during his career at the company. Before joining Microsoft, Johnson worked in IBM’s systems integration and consulting business unit from 1986 to 1992. He started his career in 1981 as a software developer in the petroleum and financial services industries. Johnson grew up in New Mexico and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from New Mexico State University. He is a founding member of the board of directors of NPower, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help other nonprofits use technology to expand the reach and impact of their work. He is also a member of the Western Region Board of Advisors of Catalyst, a non-profit organization dedicated to women’s career advancement.
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About Starbucks Corporation: Starbucks is an international chain of restaurants that retails handcrafted coffee, tea, and fresh food items.
Gregory Struck
Chief Executive Officer of Noops
Gregory Struck has been described as a mission driven passionate entrepreneur who loves working with people and leading teams. Gregory is the Co-‐Founder of Hungryroot, named one of Inc Magazine’s Most Talked About New Startups of 2015. Formerly he led operations at this venture-‐backed startup offering innovative fresh, and delicious vegetable centric meals. Gregory was named to Business Insiders 2015 class of SILICON ALLEY 100, naming the 100 most influential people in technology. Prior to founding Hungryroot Gregory Co-‐Founded and led operations for Long Island Iced Tea Corp. (OTCQB: LTEA) a growth-‐oriented CPG company focused on the ready-‐to-‐drink (“RTD”) iced tea segment in the beverage industry. He sold his stake in the company to PE Firm Cullen Investments in 2013. Earlier in his career he flourished in operations at Shake Shack (NYSE: SHACK) then he was recruited to lead management operations for The One Group’s (NASDAQ:STKS) flagship multi level hospitality concept STK in NYC. Born in South Africa and raised in the United States Gregory is a graduate of the D’Amore-‐McKim School of Business at Northeastern University where he double majored in Entrepreneurial Studies and Business Management. Post College Gregory was awarded the International Culinary Center Hard Work Scholarship to attend the ICC’s Culinary Entrepreneurship program, which he completed before going to work for Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. In his spare time Gregory gives back to causes he is passionate about. He is a mentor at Food: X, the #1 startup innovation food accelerator in the world. Gregory is also an advocate for animal rights and is an ambassador for The Good Food Institute, a non-‐profit and think tank whose mission focuses on cultivating sustainable and animal free foods to address animal cruelty and feeding a universally growing population. On the subject of food innovation; Gregory has been quoted in The Boston Globe as well as other respected news outlets.
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About Noops: Noops is an omnichannel brand of better for you plant-based snacks
Will Pacio
Co-Founder and CEO of Pared
A veteran in the restaurant industry. Will started as a cook at Per Se in New York and went on to run IT for Thomas Keller’s restaurants. He was founder and CEO of Spice Kit, a popular fast-casual concept. Studied at Stanford. Trained at the French Culinary Institute.
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About Pared: Pared is a market network for hospitality professionals.
Prady Tewarie
CEO of AZOTH LLC
Tewarie Enterprises, PRT Holding Group, AZOTH LLC, Ohner
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About AZOTH LLC, Human Performance Science, The Tewarie Group LLC.: Nootropic Vitamins/Supplements
Ashwin Cheriyan
CEO of Thistle
Ashwin Cheriyan is a Co-Founder at Thistle.
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About Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, Thistle: Thistle is a food and juice company that delivers fully-prepared, plant-forward meals to the doorsteps of its customers.
Andrea Xu
Founder & CEO of Umamicart
Andrea Xu is the Founder and CEO of Umamicart.
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About Umamicart: Umamicart is an online grocery store that focuses on delivering Asian products and groceries.
Esther Park
Founder and CEO of Nara Organics
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About Nara Organics: Nara Organics manufactures organic infant formula delivered directly to the consumers.
Andrew Chau
Co-Founder & CEO of Boba Guys
Andrew Chau is a co-founder at Boba Guys.
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About Boba Guys: Boba Guys operates cafes that offer boba milk beverages.
Lauren Picasso
CEO & Founder of Cure Hydration
Lauren Picasso is the Founder & CEO of Cure Hydration, an all-natural hydration drink mix launching in 2019. Prior to Cure, she was an early employee at Jet.com, an e-commerce company that raised $570M in funding and was acquired by Walmart for $3.3B in 2016. As Director of Marketing at Jet, Lauren worked across a variety of online and offline marketing channels helping to scale the company to over 10 million customers. She was also an early employee of Rent the Runway and has worked for Google, Bloomingdale’s and Ralph Lauren. Lauren has spoken at dozens of major industry conferences including MAU, TAP, eTail West, IRCE, Acceleration & more. Lauren received her MBA from Harvard Business School and B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.
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About Cure Hydration: Cure Hydration offers all-natural, science-backed functional beverages.
Taylor Katzman
Founder & CEO of Provi
Taylor Katzman is the Founder and CEO of Provi.
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About Provi: Provi is a communication platform that simplifies the operations for bars, restaurants, and retailers in ordering booze.
Rip Pruisken
CEO & Co-founder of Rip van Wafels
CEO & Co-Founder of Rip Van.
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About Rip van Wafels: Rip van Wafels aims to revolutionize the way Americans enjoy their daily coffee.
Pat Vihtelic
Founder and CEO of Home Chef
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About Home Chef: Home Chef is a provider of subscription-based meal kit delivery services to help people to save time while enjoying home cooking.
Keith Belling
Founder & CEO of Right Rice
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About popchips, Right Rice: RightRice provides a tasty rice grain that’s made from vegetables.
Carlos Brito
CEO of Anheuser-Busch InBev
Carlos Brito is our Chief Executive Officer. Born in 1960, he is a Brazilian citizen and received a Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and an MBA from Stanford University. He held positions at Shell Oil and Daimler Benz prior to joining Ambev in 1989. At Ambev he had roles in Finance, Operations, and Sales, before being appointed Chief Executive Officer in January 2004. He was appointed Zone President North America at InBev in January 2005 and Chief Executive Officer in December 2005. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Ambev and Grupo Modelo.
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About Anheuser-Busch InBev: Anheuser-Busch InBev is a brewer and provider of consumer products that has a strong, balanced portfolio.
Brandon Alexander
Co-Founder & CEO of Iron Ox
Brandon Alexander is the CEO and cofounder of Iron Ox, a company building robotic greenhouses to make premium produce accessible to everyone. Inspired by his family farm and his career in robotics, Brandon sought to find a sustainable approach to feeding the world’s growing population in an industry that’s challenged with a declining labor force and extreme weather conditions. With his cofounder Jon Binney, he traveled all across California to talk with local farmers about the challenges facing the industry and how robotics can provide modern solutions. Brandon has a track record of laying the groundwork for successful robotic deployment. He previously played a key role in Google[x]’s drone delivery program, Project Wing, where he developed the flight mission control software. He has also worked at the robotics think tank Willow Garage.
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About Iron Ox: Iron Ox operates autonomous robotic greenhouses that grow every plant at its best from seed to harvest.
Angela Sutherland
CEO/ Co- Founder of Yumi
Angela Sutherland, Yumi CEO and Co-Founder, was previously a director at Sierra Constellation Partners, a private equity firm and formerly an investment banker at Goldman Sachs. Evelyn Rusli, President and Co-Founder, has spent more than a decade as a journalist, previously on staff at the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times covering startups and innovation.
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About Yumi: Yumi offers a science-based early childhood meal delivery program.
Ali Sabeti
CEO of ZeroCater
As Chief Executive Officer, Ali is responsible for scaling and expanding ZeroCater nationally to achieve the company’s vision of becoming the #1 food company serving the workforce. He is focused on building and enabling a world class executive team to lead the company to the next stage of growth and profitability. ZeroCater has a unique opportunity to disrupt a $202B+ industry, and Ali is excited to lead the company’s operational and financial health in capitalizing on that opportunity. Over his career Ali has held a variety of roles and led functions across operations, sales, marketing, product, and finance. He has built and led global teams across companies of all stages from startups to the Fortune 500. Ali is a California native and graduated from the University of California Irvine with a degree in Economics and Accounting.
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About ZeroCater: ZeroCater is a provider of office meals and snacks, bringing employees together to build culture and foster community.
Uma Valeti
CEO & Co-founder of Memphis Meats
Uma is laser focused on advancing the commercial viability of real meat farmed directly from animal cells (sometimes called clean or cultured meat). A cardiologist by training, he believes that meat should not only be safe and sustainable but also good for the body and the soul. He has extensive experience in entrepreneurship and business and has invested in a variety of food, medical and tech companies. Uma is an advisory board member at The Good Food Institute, a former Board member of New Harvest and is a leader in the clean meat movement. In addition to his many contributions in the health sciences, he wants his biggest contribution to be leading the development of a profitable and a world positive future food system. Fun fact: Uma has rescued several people in cardiac arrest.
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About Memphis Meats: UPSIDE Foods produces meat directly from animal cells without the need to raise and slaughter animals.
Jonathan McIntyre
Chief Executive Officer of Motif
Jonathan McIntyre, Ph.D., serves as Chief Executive Officer of Motif Ingredients. Previously, Dr. McIntyre was the Head of Research and Development at Indigo Agriculture, Inc. and served in various roles at PepsiCo, most recently as Senior Vice President, Research and Development. Earlier in his career, he was a science director at both E.I. du pont de Nemours and Company and Monsanto Company.Dr. McIntyre holds a B.S. in chemistry from Grove City College and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, where he also completed postdoctoral training.
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About Motif: Motif makes ingredients for the next generation of plant-based and healthy foods.
Sabah Ashraf
Founder & CEO of Kajaana
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About Kajaana: Kajaana is a modern food brand inspired by beloved Indian classics. Women-led, premium, plant-based, convenient and delicious.
Joshua Stern
Co-founder, CEO of Wine n Dine
Joshua Stern is co-founder and CEO of Wine n Dine. Prior to Wine n Dine, Joshua founded I Know The Chef, the first restaurant concierge app.
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About Wine n Dine: Wine n Dine is a Visual Menu company that helps restaurants create & distribute menus online with our many in house tech solutions – SaaS
Ken Chong
Co-founder & CEO of All Day Technologies Inc.
Ken Chong is a co-founder and CEO at Virtual Kitchen.
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About All Day Technologies Inc.: Virtual Kitchen operates as a food tech and logistics company that focuses on building delivery-optimized kitchens.
Louis DeMenthon
Founder & CEO of Eat This Much
I started the diet generator in 2011 as a learn-to-program project under the name Swole.me. The original meals were almost totally random, resembling the college “bodybuilding” diets I followed (dinner = 2 cans of tuna, stick of celery). I kept improving it whenever I had free time, and the meals got better as I got better at programming. When they started to look like something a normal, well-adjusted person might eat, I renamed it to Eat This Much and teamed up with my friends Patrick and Mike to build something that everyone can use to effortlessly control their diet.
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About Eat This Much: Eat This Much is an online tool that automatically creates meal plans to meet users’ diet goals.
Matias Muchnick
Founder & CEO of NotCo
Matias Muchnick is the CEO and Founder at NotCo.
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About NotCo: NotCo is a food technology company that produces plant-based meat and dairy substitutes.
Phaedra Anestassia Randolph
Founder & CEO of Spero Foods
Phaedra Anestassia Randolph founded Spero Foods with the mission to recreate dairy & eggs from plants, making products that are nutritious, scalable, and delicious.
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About Spero Foods: Spero Foods specializes in the fields of big data, food tech, plant-based products, and predictive modeling.
Ted Tieken
Founder and CEO of Keto and Co
Ted is the Founder and CEO of Keto and Co / Sated. Formerly cofounder and CTO of SittingAround.com
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About Keto and Co, SittingAround: Keto and Co makes a growing line of ultra-low carb, ketogenic foods.
Gustavo Abelenda
EVP and CEO LATAM of Mondelez International
Gustavo Abelenda is , EVP and CEO LATA for Mondelēz International. Abelenda joined the company in 1984 in Argentina as a Cost Analyst and gained extensive international experience in senior Finance, M&A, Strategy, Manufacturing, R&D, Sales, Marketing and general management roles. In 1997, he was appointed General Manager of the Brazilian Beverages and Sugar confectionery business. One year later, he became Food Vice President for the Mercosur area. Between 2000 and 2003, Abelenda was Vice President and Managing Director Brazil, where he played a key role in the integration of Nabisco and Kraft Foods. Abelenda earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Morón University in Argentina.
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About Mondelez International: Mondelez International is a branded food and beverage company that specializes in snack foods such as biscuits, chocolate, gum, and candies.
Ben Lewis
Co-Founder + CEO of Little Spoon
A serial entrepreneur, Ben Lewis’ experience lies at the intersection of brands, technology and food. He has worked extensively in the organic food industry, honing a well-rounded understanding of consumer facing brands and what it takes to build them. Ben has helped pioneer trends like cold-pressed juice and cold-brew coffee, taking them from obscure, emerging concepts to household buzzwords. Ben’s first foray into business was in high school when he founded a charitable bottled water company out of the back of his car. As a student at Wharton, he co-founded The Epic Seed, a Greek yogurt brand with a national footprint and a cult-like following. Most recently, Ben built a national distribution company which acted as an incubator to up-and-coming food and beverage brands. Over the course of four years, Ben grew the company from zero to $25 million in revenue and a team of 75 people, building a nimble just-in-time supply chain spanning eight regions. Ben’s accomplishments are a direct result of his willingness to innovate and use unorthodox solutions to transform businesses. Through his many experiences, Ben has developed a deep understanding of the obstacles and demands unique to modern consumer products marketed to a younger generation—especially those related to food. Today, Ben is the co-founder and CEO of the direct-to-consumer startup Little Spoon, the first company to offer fresh, nutritionally optimized meal plans suited to the evolving needs of growing babies. Ben is passionate about design, healthy living, food of all types, and creating processes that run smoothly.
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About Kairos, Little Spoon: Little Spoon designs products for a child’s most formative years, starting with a baby’s first bites.
Forrest Collier
CEO of eMeals.com
Forrest Collier is an Internet entrepreneur who serves as CEO of eMeals.com, the leading provider of digital meal plans that are integrated with the grocery delivery and pickup services of Walmart, Amazon, Kroger, Shipt and Instacart. eMeals publishes 15 weekly food style plans such as Clean Eating, Paleo, and Low Carb and has helped over a million families eat healthy home cooked meals. Prior to eMeals.com, Forrest was CEO of InternetSafety.com, maker of the Safe Eyes family safety software, which was acquired by McAfee, Inc. Before InternetSafety.com, Forrest was COO and a founding member of the management team of Highland Capital Holding Corporation.
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About eMeals.com: eMeals is the leading digital meal planning platform with integrated grocery pickup and delivery services.
Max Crowley
Co-Founder and CEO of Bandit
Max currently resides in New York and is a startup advisor, investor, and builder. Previously, Max had joined Uber in August 2011 as employee #25. During that time he launched and built two large businesses for Uber (Chicago and Uber for Business), spending a total of seven years at the company.
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About Bandit: Bandit is a new retail coffee brand for the next generation of consumers.
Devaraj Southworth
Co-Founder and CEO of Thirstie
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About The Second Chance Foundation, Thirstie, Yureekah: E-commerce solutions for beverage alcohol brands.
Scott Owens
Founder / CEO of DoStuff Media
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About DoStuff Media: DoStuff Media is a network of local media properties for people looking to do awesome stuff.
Josh Tetrick
Co-Founder & CEO of Eat Just
Josh is the CEO & Co-Founder of Eat Just, Inc., a San Francisco-based company on a mission to bring delicious, accessible, healthier and more sustainable food to everyone, everywhere. Prior to founding the company, Tetrick led a United Nations business initiative in Kenya and worked for both former President Clinton and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. As Fulbright Scholar, Tetrick taught schoolchildren in Nigeria and South Africa and is a graduate of Cornell University and the University of Michigan Law School. Tetrick has been named one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business,” Inc.’s “35 Under 35” and Fortune’s “40 Under 40.”
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About 33needs, Eat Just: Eat Just offers a plant-based egg substitute intended to provide healthy and nutritional food alternatives.
Benjamin McKean
Founder & CEO of Hungryroot
Ben McKean is a Founder and CEO of Hungryroot. Prior to Hungryroot, Ben was a Vice President and General Manager at Groupon, overseeing their food and beverage business. Ben came to Groupon through the acquisition of Savored, which he founded in 2009. Savored was the nation’s leading provider of yield management technology to the restaurant industry servicing over 2,000 leading restaurants nationwide. Prior to Savored, Ben worked in Merrill Lynch’s technology investment banking group. Ben is graduate of Georgetown University and currently lives in New York City.
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About Groupon, Hungryroot: Hungryroot is a provider of an artificial intelligence-powered personalized grocery service.
David Kanbar
Founder & CEO of Brand House Wines & Spirits
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About Brand House Wines & Spirits: Brand House Wines & Spirits is a business incubator that focuses on alcoholic beverage brands.
Sarah Hoffman
Co-Founder & CEO of Maker Wine
Sarah Hoffman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Maker Wine.
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About Maker Wine: Maker Wine connects wine lovers to premium canned wines from best-in-class independent producers.
Alan Hahn
CEO of MycoTechnology
Alan Hahn is the VP of Worldwide Sales and a Co-founder at [Scale](/organization/scale-computing). He has been in general management and sales leadership roles for over 20 years with consistent success and brings strategic and tactical planning from building and managing teams ranging in size from 25 to almost 1,300. Alan’s industry experience ranges from telecommunications to enterprise software solutions focused on the Fortune 1000. Alan’s leadership experience encompasses start-up companies to major corporations. He has successfully grown a start-up from zero revenue to $200M per year, delivering a $1.1B return on a $40M investment. Alan has been a senior officer of a large $1.5B company. As SVP/GM of the largest telecommunications distributor in North America, he had revenue responsibility of $450M. Alan is focused on team building and achieving success through the “Lens and Ram†leadership development program that he developed.
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About MycoTechnology: MycoTechnology utilizes fungi-based food-processing platforms to transform the flavor and value of agricultural products.
Are Traasdahl
Founder & CEO of Crisp
Are Traasdahl is a technology entrepreneur and investor. He is currently founder and CEO at Crisp, a programmatic commerce company aimed at optimizing the food and beverage supply chain through AI, automation and analytics. Crisp believes we can greatly reduce food waste, improve access to food and cut costs from the supply chain with the smart use of technology. Traasdahl is a contributor on technology topics for outlets such as CNBC and Bloomberg News, and has been featured in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, Ad Age and other major news outlets. Traasdahl holds several board positions at technology start-ups and heads Spring Capital, an investment holding company. Prior to Crisp and Tapad, he founded Thumbplay, a mobile technology service that he grew to more than $100 MM in less than 3 years before he exited the company (the company, later acquired by Clear Channel, is now called iHeartRadio).
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About Crisp: Crisp leverages the cloud to connect and analyze retail data sources in real-time, providing actionable insights to businesses.
Seth Goldman
Co-Founder and CEO Emeritus of Honest Tea
Seth Goldma is the Chief Change Agent at Eat the Change, Co-Founder at PLNT Burger, Chair of the Board at Beyond Meat
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About Bethesda Green, Eat the Change, Honest Tea: Honest Tea seeks to create and promote great-tasting, organic beverages.
Clay Alexander
Founder and CEO of Ember Technologies
Clay Alexander is an American inventor and serial entrepreneur who holds more than 100 patents worldwide and is the Founder and CEO of Ember, a global consumer electronics brand and maker of the World’s First Temperature Control Mug. As a lifelong entrepreneur, Alexander started his first company, Radiance Lightworks, in 1999 at the age of 23. It has become one of the top lighting design firms in the country, boasting an extensive client list which includes Universal Studios, Mattel and 20th Century Fox. He then launched his second company, Journée Lighting, in 2005 and created the world’s first LED track light. He scaled it to be one of the most respected brands in LED lighting and it was during this time that Alexander also invented General Electric’s LED light bulb, the GE Infusion™. With decades of experience building and scaling successful companies, Alexander combined both his business savvy and talent as a world-class inventor to launch Ember.
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About Ember Technologies, Radiance Lightworks: Ember Technologies is a design-led temperature control brand that produces a patented temperature adjustable dishware and drinkware.
Andrew Sauer
Chief Executive Officer of Hilo Nutrition
Andy Sauer continues a recent conversation trend; entrepreneurs who identify problems and work-round-the-clock to solve them through innovation. There was a lack of convenience and clarity in performance nutrition and Andy isn’t stopping until it is fixed. Through experience and a bit of trial and error, he and his team at Hilo Nutrition have developed a gummy product to meet the needs of all athletes. Our conversation focuses on the line entrepreneurs must toe between wanting to get your idea to market, and taking the time to make sure it’s perfect. He shares the journey as they evolve from e-commerce to brick-and-mortar and he shares great advice for upcoming graduates too. He points out: learn as much as you can at each stop in your career, and continue to rely on the mentors you meet along the way.
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About Hilo CBD Gummies, Hilo Nutrition: Hilo Nutrition is changing the sports nutrition game one gummy at a time.
Matt Czarnecki
Founder and CEO of Verb Energy
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About Verb Energy: Verb Energy makes healthy and delicious energy products for every day. Our flagship product is the Verb Caffeinated Energy Bar.
Pabel Delgado
President and CEO of Asterism Healthcare
Biopharma professional with a foundation in life sciences research and venture start-up. he’s extensively trained in R&D- and regulation-intensive US biotech and Japan Pharma companies. he’s familiar with pharma creation and commercialization, as well as managing research innovation and deal making.
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About Asterism Healthcare: Asterism Healthcare is an innovation-driven healthcare nutrition company.
Roni Gloger
CEO & Founder of Altalena Wholesale
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About Altalena Wholesale, OMG! Food Company, Primal Food: Altalena Wholesale is a privately held company that offers organic, non-GMO, kosher, and conventional raw materials.
Chris Clifford
Founder & CEO of Day One Beverages
CPG founder and investor
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About Building Blocks Ventures, Day One Beverages, HED Skincare, Transcend Digital: Anything is possible on Day One. There’s no baggage or expectations and no limits on your imagination. Every day can be Day One if you want it to be. We created a simple, refreshing and effective beverage formula for balance and clarity. Sparkling Water + Cannabinoids
Kirk Ruoff
Founder & CEO of The Turning Point
Kirk Ruoff’s restaurant experience started in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where he was trained by Michael Hurst, past President of the National Restaurant Association and Professor with the Hospitality Management School at Florida International University, at his award winning 15th Street Fisheries Restaurant. Kirk Ruoff received a football scholarship to Boston College where he played for Tom Coughlin. He graduated from Boston College with a business degree in entrepreneurial studies in 1992. After completing college, Kirk Ruoff spent a brief time away from the restaurant industry where his focus was dealer consultant for Toyota Motor Sales. Kirk Ruoff returned to his passion following Toyota and received multi-unit restaurant management experience with Brinker International’s Chili’s Bar and Grill in Holmdel, NJ. While in Holmdel, he led the restaurant to achieve the highest unit level performance in the Chili’s system. After two years, he left to attain his personal goal of creating an upscale breakfast and lunch restaurant. In 1998 Kirk Ruoff purchased a failing lunch and dinner restaurant in Little Silver, NJ and the “Turning Point” concept was born.
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About The Turning Point: Turning Point Restaurants provides breakfast brunch, lunch and fresh food items.
James Rogers
Founder & CEO of Apeel Sciences
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About Apeel Sciences, The World Economic Forum: Apeel Sciences develops plant-derived shelf life extension technology for fresh produce that improves quality and reduces food waste.
Adam Behrens
CEO of Mori
Adam Behrens is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Cambridge Crops.
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About Mori: Mori is a developer of a protective silk coating product that extends the shelf life of perishable foods.
