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.

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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.

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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.

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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 restaurants.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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