The Feed

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, Co-Founder & CEO of inKind, shares innovative insights on restaurant funding. He discusses the flaws in traditional financing models and presents inKind’s non-dilutive approach to empower restaurateurs. The conversation dives into the value of restaurant incubation, the challenges independent eateries face, and the effectiveness of subscription-based apps. Johann also reflects on the importance of quality dining experiences and tech engagement while emphasizing the future need for personal interaction in an increasingly automated industry.

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 shop.

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.