This week's guest is Dan Gertsacov, CEO of Big Green Egg, who shares his journey of transitioning from leading digital strategies at global giants like Google and McDonald's to steering an iconic, community-driven cooking brand. Dan talks about his approach to taking over a brand that's only had two CEOs before him (and working with the company's founder, Ed Fisher), and how he envisions taking the company into the future (hint: it doesn't include AI-powered grills).

If you haven't checked out our growing family of podcasts, head over to The Spoon's podcast page and check them out and give them a listen!

https://thespoon.tech/podcasts/

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In this episode of The Spoon Podcast, Mike sits down with Eric Schulze, scientist, former regulator, startup veteran, and now the host of Food Truths, a new show on The Spoon Podcast Network. Eric and Mike discuss the vision behind Food Truths and Eric's mission to cut through the misinformation swirling around food, nutrition, and policy.

They also dive into the current turbulence in the U.S. food system, the shifting political landscape around food additives and cultivated meat, and the regulatory headwinds facing food innovation. With his experience spanning government, academia, and industry, Eric brings a unique and pragmatic perspective to complex issues, aiming to make science accessible without the usual hype or partisanship.

During the pod, Eric also reflects on his journey—from working at the FDA to joining Upside Foods as one of its first senior hires—and how he honed his ability to communicate science clearly.

Whether you’re a food industry professional, a science enthusiast, or just someone who wants to know which banana to buy, this episode is packed with insight, candid conversation, and a glimpse into the kind of deep-dive discussions Food Truths will bring to the table.

You can subscribe to Food Truths on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Visit the show page here for more info: https://thespoon.tech/food-truths/

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Bill Oakley, a writer and producer for shows like The Simpsons, discusses his unexpected career shift into becoming a food influencer and reviewer. He recounts his childhood fascination with fast food, which led to a lifelong fascination with the latest offerings at the drive-thru and grocery store. Mike and Bill discuss trends in the fast-food industry, Bill's shift towards reviewing a broader range of American foods and packaged goods, and his excitement for innovative condiments. They also talk about Bill's move into hosting ticketed dinners featuring regional cuisine, and how he beat Disney to the punch in trademarking the name "Steamed Hams" (his membership club is the Steamed Ham Society), a long-time Internet meme that originated from a script he wrote for the Simpsons.

You can find more about Bill at his website, billoakley.com and on Instagram at ThatBillOakley.

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In this week's episode, Mike is joined by Eric Dawson of the Yellow Farmhouse and Rich Shih, author of "Koji Alchemy". They discuss their online event, Kojicon, and the rich history and global use of koji and fermentation.

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This is an episode of The Reimagining Restaurants Podcast, a podcast focused on the future of restaurants by The Spoon Podcast's Michael Wolf. You can find out where to subscribe here.

Episode Summary: In this episode of Reimagining Restaurants, host Michael Wolf sits down with Kevin Jeung, Chef of Research and Production at the legendary restaurant Noma. Kevin shares his journey from washing dishes in Toronto to helping innovate at what many consider the world’s greatest restaurant. They discuss his early culinary experiences, his time in San Sebastian, his role in Noma’s evolution, and the restaurant’s transition towards product development and global pop-ups.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Resources & Links:

Subscribe & Follow: Love this episode? Make sure to subscribe to Reimagining Restaurants on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. And if you enjoyed it, leave a review—it really helps!

Join the Conversation: Join our Spoon Slack to let us know what you think about this episode and get early peaks at other episodes.

Thanks for listening—stay tuned for more conversations with industry pioneers shaping the future of restaurants!

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In this episode, Mike welcomes Adam Yee to discuss his journey in food tech, his extensive experience as a podcaster, and his evolving role in the industry. The conversation covers Adam’s first-time experience at CES, the origins of his My Food Job Rocks podcast, and how podcasting has shaped his career—from networking opportunities to job offers. Adam shares insights from his time as a food scientist, his role in various startups, and the founding of Sobo Foods, a company focused on innovative dumplings.

Show Outline:

• Mike and Ada catch up on CES experience

• Best way to connect: LinkedIn

Here is the story of The Spoon Podcast Network. Find Adam's podcast and more great shows at The Spoon Podcast Network page.

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In this episode, Mike Wolf (The Spoon) sits down with Tim Bucher, CEO of Agtonomy, to discuss the intersection of agriculture, AI, and automation. Bucher shares his unique journey from growing up on a dairy farm to working at Silicon Valley giants like Apple, Next, WebTV, and Dell, before merging his two passions—farming and technology—to start Agtonomy.

The conversation explores:

We also just launched The Spoon Podcast Network! You can read about the reason behind our new network and see links to the shows here. (https://thespoon.tech/meet-the-spoon-podcast-network/)

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In this episode, Mike sits down with Raj Singh, a seasoned entrepreneur and product developer, to discuss the latest trends in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies showcased at CES. Raj shares his firsthand observations from the event, offering insights into how AI, robotics, and smart devices are shaping the future.

The Podcast Breakdown:

Whether you went to CES or not, you won't want to miss this episode to hear how AI showed up at the big tech show and to hear Raj's insights on what it all means and where he sees AI going.

Where to Find Raj Singh: LinkedIn, Linktree, and @mobileRaj on Threads, BlueSky, and Twitter.

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In this episode of The Spoon Podcast, we sit down with Sam Calisch, founder and CEO of Copper, to explore how his company is trying to upend and catalyze the induction stove market by building an appliance with built-in batteries. Sam shares his journey from climate tech lobbyist and ecosystem builder to launching Copper, the challenges of breaking into the appliance industry, and how Copper’s products could eliminate the need for costly rewiring while also delivering a better cooking experience. We also dive into the future of energy-efficient homes, smart appliances, and the role of batteries in transforming our kitchens—and our power grids.

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This week we are joined by Akshita Iyer, CEO and co-founder of Ome, a smart kitchen startup that’s revolutionizing home safety with its second-generation smart stove knob. Originally launched under the name Inirv, the company’s journey began with a simple idea born from a personal experience—retrofitting stoves to prevent kitchen fires and help those aging in place. From a 3D-printed prototype in 2016 to delivering their first product through Kickstarter, Iyer shares the highs and challenges of bringing a hardware product to life, including turning down a Shark Tank deal and navigating complex safety standards.

Here's what we discuss in this week's podcast:

You can find out more at Ome Kitchen (www.omekitchen.com).

Join The Spoon this week for a live conversation with two scientists from NotCo on how they are using AI to create new flavors and fragrances.

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