The Feed

Alice Cheng is the Founder & CEO of Culinary Agents, a job marketplace, applicant tracking system, and career resource for the hospitality industry. In this episode, we’ll chat about its latest site for career insights and salary data, how technology can help with career development, and what the industry can do to attract higher talent. Subscribe to the HNGRY newsletter

Missy Bradley is the Chief Revenue Officer and Co-Founder at Caliper Holdings. In this episode, we’ll talk about its water soluble cannabis powder that can be used in foods and beverages, the various legal hurdles in the category, and the new types of cannabinoids that the company is bringing to market. Sign up for the HNGRY newsletter

Nick Wiseman is the Co-Founder & CEO of Little Sesame, a next-generation hummus brand born out of the eponymous Washington DC restaurant. In this episode, we’ll talk about the advantages of leveraging restaurants as a CPG test kitchen, how to build a differentiated brand, and the complexities of scaling and manufacturing. Subscribe to the HNGRY newsletter

Jose Alonso is the Co-Founder & CEO of Caldo, a robotic restaurant assistant helping with kitchen prep. In this episode, we’ll talk about Jose’s culinary background, how restaurants prep today, and the opportunity to improve COGS and labor efficiency with automated portioning. Sign up for the HNGRY newsletter

Drew Arentowitz is the Co-Founder & CEO of 50/50 Foods, the parent company behind the BOTH Burger made with a blend of 50% meat and 50% veggies. In this episode, we talk about how water scarcity could create price shocks in conventional meat, the rise of flexitarians, and the promise of the burgeoning blended meat category as a pragmatic solution to our health and climate needs.

Neil Thompson, Chief Strategy Officer at NextGen Kitchens, a software platform powering on and off premise digital transactions for multi-brand foodservice operators. In this episode, we’ll cover Neil’s 30-year career at brands like Tim Hortons and HMSHost, the complexities of multi-brand food halls, and how his technology is helping landlords and operators create frictionless guest experiences.

John Thorp is the Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Aerflo, a refillable, on-demand CO2 water bottle that aims to become a circular platform for sparkling beverages. In this episode, we’ll talk about the sustainability issues for single-use beverages, Aerflo’s fully circular system, and its potential beyond seltzer water.

Johann Moonesinghe is the Co-Founder & CEO of inKind, a marketplace that provides restaurateurs with non-dilutive financing and unlocks deals for local diners. In this episode, we’ll talk about why restaurant funding is broken, inKind’s unique approach to capital, and its recent venture into restaurant M&A.

Ofek Ron is the Co-Founder & CEO of Oshi, an Israel-based startup creating fish fillets using only plants. In this episode, we’ll talk about the sustainability and health challenges of traditional fish farming, the benefits of Oshi’s clean ingredient label, and its proprietary technology used to recreate layers of whole-cut salmon.

Cristina Berta Jones is the Director of Marketing & Growth at Picnic, an affordable and sustainable online grocer operating in the Netherlands, Germany, and France with over €1.3 billion in capital. In this episode we’ll talk about why profitability in online grocery is so difficult, the unique differentiators in Picnic’s tightly optimized model, and the future of the weekly online grocery sho...

Ville Lehto is the Co-Founder and Head of Product at Huuva, a Helsinki-based ghost kitchen startup that brings together the best local restaurants under one roof into a single order. In this episode, we’ll talk about the success Huuva is seeing in the European delivery market, the unique software it’s built, and analyze some of the larger American players with similar models.

Alex Sambvani is the Co-Founder & CEO of Slang.ai, a startup that helps full-service restaurant operators automate their inbound phone calls using AI. In this episode, we’ll talk about what separates Slang from traditional IVR systems, the myriad of inquiries it can handle for guests, and a litmus test for what makes a valuable AI startup.

Amos Golan is the founder & CEO of Chunk Foods, a startup that makes plant-based, whole cut meat products like steak and brisket. In this episode, we’ll talk about the plant-based predecessors to Chunk, how the startup is leveraging solid-state fermentation to create a clean label, and broader consumer trends within flexitarian and plant-based diets.

Maya Sapir-Mir is the Co-Founder & CEO of PoLoPo, a Israel-based startup pioneering a new method of molecular farming to grow egg proteins in potatoes. In this episode, we’ll talk about how Polopo leverages CRISPR to express proteins within potatoes, how molecular farming works, and the end-to-end supply chain that helps it compete against traditional agriculture.

Matt Smolin is the Co-Founder & CEO of Hang, an interactive omnichannel loyalty platform used by brands like Roam Burgers, Boba Guys, and Budweiser. In this episode we’ll talk about the lack of personalization in today’s loyalty ecosystem, how Hang is leveraging minigames to unlock 50% greater spend for its restaurants, and the importance of omnichannel loyalty.

Phil Mikhaylov is the Co-Founder & CEO of Unicorn, a modern auction platform for spirits and wine enthusiasts. In this episode, we’ll talk about the market for liquid collectibles, how the platform offers custodial services for buyers and sellers, and the data it is uncovering within the alcohol industry.

Abhinav Kapur is the Co-Founder & CEO of Bikky, a customer data analytics platform that helps multi-unit restaurants understand the frequency and lifetime value of their guests. In this episode, we’ll talk about how Bikky is threading the needle between various data silos, how it helps operators understand guest retention, and the future of personalized loyalty.

Nathan Myhrvold is the author of The Modernist Cuisine, an esteemed cookbook series that examines the art and science of cooking for highly curious chefs and enthusiasts. In this episode we’ll chat about Nathan’s transition from CTO at Microsoft to French culinary school, how he thinks about food science, and the cutting edge of bread making.

Sami Inkinen is the Co-Founder & CEO of Virta Health, a digital clinic that reverses type 2 diabetes through nutrition. In this episode, we’ll talk about the broken incentives of the American healthcare system, the efficacy of Virta’s program for treating diabetes and promoting weight loss, and the future of healthy eating.

John Rabiner and Mike Sanuti are the co-founders of Prime Site, an end-to-end construction and advisory firm that leverages data and insights for retailers. In this episode we’ll analyze real estate strategies of fast-growing salad and beverage concepts, talk about omnichannel fulfillment, and analyze grocery retail expansion across dollar, convenience, and smaller-footprint formats.

Francisco Martin-Rayo is the Co-Founder & CEO of Helios, an AI platform that aggregates billions of data points to predict the climate, economic, and political risks facing global commodities. In this episode, we’ll chat about how some of the largest food players and commodity traders are leveraging Helios’ platform, the various tradeoffs we need to be considering in agribusiness, and technolo...

Ali Wing is the CEO of Oobli, a biotech startup that manufactures “sweet proteins” that reduce the amount of added sugar in foods and beverages by 75-90%. In this episode we’ll talk about the science behind these trickster sugars, Oobli’s two-pronged go-to-market strategy, and the metabolic health crisis in America.

Matt Wampler is the Co-Founder & CEO of ClearCOGS, an AI-based demand forecasting platform that helps restaurants move beyond guesswork. In this episode, we’ll talk about how the platform helps drive profitability for customers like Goop Kitchen, how it builds its predictive models on back-of-house and POS data, and the potential for AI across the entire restaurant customer journey.

Matt Tucker is the SVP and Head of Tock, a comprehensive restaurant reservation platform focused on revenue management through offerings like events, experiences, off-premise, and more. In this episode, we’ll talk about what sets Tock apart from the competition, how it has evolved beyond fine dining, and the future P&L of restaurants.

Christine Schindler is the Co-Founder & CEO of PathSpot, a health & safety operating system for restaurants and food manufacturers. In this episode, we talk about PathSpot’s proprietary handwashing compliance hardware, how it serves as the system of record for standard operating procedures, and the power of its data to help prevent foodborne illness before it happens.