FoodTech Stories
FoodTech Stories features interviews with the leaders pioneering new approaches to technology, collaboration, and storytelling in the FoodTech and AgTech space.
Food and agriculture are changing, and fresh ideas and leadership are needed to sustainably feed the growing global population.
FoodTech Stories is hosted by FoodTech marketing expert Megan Thomas, the founder of Ladder 17, a purpose-driven marketing consulting firm dedicated to helping companies in the FoodTech, AgTech, and Consumer Products space. FoodTech Stories is edited by TJG Media.
Episodes
37 episodes
How NuCicer is Developing New Varieties of High-Protein Chickpeas
Guest CEO & Founder Kathryn Cook joins host Megan Thomas to talk about her startup NuCicer, a crop improvement and design company that's trying to unlock the full potential of the nutrient-dense chickpea. The episode delves into how NuCicer...
How the FoodTech Landscape is Changing with Adam Yee
FoodTech pioneer and podcaster Adam Yee joins host Megan Thomas to talk about how the FoodTech landscape is changing.
How Metafoodx is Reducing Food Waste in Commercial Kitchens
Guest CEO & Co-Founder Fengmin Gong of Metafoodx joins host Megan Thomas to talk about how his startup's platform is helping universities and restaurants to run more efficiently, reducing food waste in the process. The episode delves into t...
How Technology, Art, and a Passion for Healthy Eating Drive Gardyn
Only 1 in 10 American adults get the recommended daily amount of fruits and vegetables each day. What if an in-home gardening system enabled by AI could change that? Gardyn Founder & CEO FX Rouxel joins the podcast to discuss how his compan...
How NETZRO Reduces Food Waste by Upcycling Food Ingredients
Is upcycling about to have its moment? With renewed focus on the global ingredient supply chain, what role can companies like NETZRO play in connecting food processors and brand builders? Sue Marshall, the Founder and CEO of Twin Cities-based N...
How Savor is Creating Sustainable Fats & Oils
Few crops have the climate impact that palm and soybean do today. Kathleen Alexander, Co-Founder & CEO of Savor, a FoodTech startup developing new types of sustainable fats and oils, joins host Megan Thomas in this episode. Hear more about ...
How a Personal Health Challenge Sparked Foodini to Help Restaurants Manage Food Data
Foodini Founder & CEO Dylan McDonnell joins host Megan Thomas to discuss how a celiac disease diagnosis gave him a keen awareness of the challenges of avoiding allergens while eating out. Learn how he combined his personal journey with a ca...
How Leaft Foods is Evolving Plant-Based Protein
Leaft Foods CEO Ross Milne joins host Megan Thomas to talk about Rubisco, an enzyme found in green leaves that is rich in protein. The New Zealand-based firm has developed a product called the Leaft Blade, a portable fuel shot designed for perf...
How Novi Connect is Using Tech to Verify Product Claims in a Digital World
Consumer trust is increasingly connected to verifiable product claims, says Novi Connect Co-Founder & CEO Kimberly Shenk in this episode. Shenk sits down with host Megan Thomas to talk about the key role that data, AI, and GPTs are playing ...
What FoodTech Companies Should Know When Hiring a Team
Food Impact Partners Founder & CEO Noga Golan joins host Megan Thomas to discuss the skills and mindsets that are in demand in today's FoodTech market. Noga shares key watch-outs to look out for when filling senior leadership roles, as well...
Combining Purpose and Technology to Build a Mycelium Protein Company
Maia Farms Co-Founder and CEO Gavin Schneider joins host Megan Thomas to discuss how his firm envisions a world where protein is produced indoors through a distributed system, at scale. The episode goes deep into mycelium and its applications a...
The Role of Regenerative Farming for a Crop-Dependent Brand
Alter Eco CEO Keith Bearden joins host Megan Thomas to talk about how his purpose-driven food company has used its decades-long commitment to regenerative farming practices to build brand loyalty. This episode also delves into how satellite ima...
Using AI to Drive Supply Chain Resilience
Guest Melanie Morrison, Founder & CEO of Canadian startup BetterCart Analytics, joins host Megan Thomas to talk about how her firm is using its AI platform to provide valuable business insights, like retail pricing and supply chain data, to...
Meeting the Demand for Natural Food Dyes
Guest Julia Streuli, Co-Founder & CEO of FUL Foods, joins host Megan Thomas to discuss how her firm is using their unique approach to processing spirulina to meet the emerging demand for natural dyes in food, beverage, and even pharmaceutic...
Using AI to Foresee Ag Disruptions
Francisco Martin-Rayo, Co-Founder and CEO of AgTech startup Helios joins host Megan Thomas to discuss how his firm uses AI and large data sets to predict field, country, and global production of agricultural crops. This episode will break down ...
The Evolution of Performance Nutrition
EAS Co-founder and performance nutrition pioneer Anthony Almada joins host Megan Thomas to discuss how EAS used clinical studies and consumer outreach to build a successful performance nutrition company before its acquisition by Abbott Nutritio...
Managing the Pivot from R&D to Commercial
Helaina Founder & CEO Laura Katz joins host Megan Thomas to discuss how her company is managing its evolution from being an R&D organization to a commercial one, as it brings its first human lactoferrin product to the food and supplemen...
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How AI & Predictive Modeling are Driving Product Innovation in Seaweed
This episode with guest Patrick Griffin, Founder & CEO of Marine Biologics, goes deep into the intersection between emerging technology and biomanufacturing. The conversation with host Megan Thomas talks about the opportunities and challeng...
Building a Center of Excellence for Novel Proteins
Kara Leong, Executive Director of the Integrative Center for Alternative Meat and Protein at UC Davis joins host Megan Thomas to discuss how a college campus is the perfect place to develop and test new novel foods, as well as how UC Davis blen...
Bringing Plant-Based Fish into the North American Market
Chris Bryson, CEO of Canada-based New School Foods talks about the ups and downs of developing plant-based salmon that chefs want to cook with and consumers want to eat. Bryson talks with host Megan Thomas about how he applies his experience fr...
The Connection between Nutrition and Global Food Security
Guest Kelly Bristow, Global Nutrition Lead for Bayer, joins host Megan Thomas to talk about the intersection of nutrition, farming, and food security. Bristow shares how her unique background, from sampling nonfat cheese for a dairy council to ...
Accessing Capital: Opportunities in the Research Triangle Park Region
What does it take to connect investors and startups? Guest Hunter Young, Head of Capital at the Center for Entrepreneurial Development, joins host Megan Thomas to discuss how the Research Triangle Park (RTP) region is answering this question. F...
How to Build a Global FoodTech Hub
This episode digs into how New Zealand, a nation of five million people and the world's largest exporter of dairy products, has taken a "Yes, and..." approach to expanding its food system by embracing emerging FoodTech applications and products...
Headwinds and Tailwinds for Cultivated Meat
Former regulator and cultivated meat pioneer Eric Schulze, PhD, joins FoodTech Stories to discuss the future of cultivated meat and his "hot take" on the future of FoodTech in the U.S. and beyond. He joins host Megan Thomas to break do...
How Alt Protein Startups are Teaming Up with CPG Food Companies
This episode features guests Cornelly Van Der Ven, Director, Protein & Plant Based at Danone, and Alex Worker, Founder & Director of Nutrition from Water. They join host Megan Thomas to break down how the right partnership can benefit s...
