If vibes can play a big role in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Elections, shouldn't we examine their role in food choices? This episode discusses why the plant-based food industry's focus on branding plant-based meat by emphasizing environmental and health benefits has failed to resonate with a consumers. A more effective branding strategy for alternative protein involves focusing on the "vibes"—the emotional and cultural context associated with food—rather than just facts and figures, aiming...

This episode features Liron Nimrodi, the Co-Founder and CEO of Zero Egg. Animal friendly, sustainable, and a healthier alternative, Zero Egg is the plant-based egg for everyone. Zero Egg’s products are 100% plant-based, gluten-free, non-GMO, low in calories and fat, have zero cholesterol and are cleaner in terms of ingredient list (compared to other existing plant-based egg products) making them suitable for a range of dietary needs. Founded in 2018, the company believes the plant-based egg...

The episode explores Nudge Theory, a behavioral economics concept used to guide better decisions through minor environmental changes. Plantega, a company making plant-based food accessible via a unique plant-based-deli-in-store model in New York City bodegas, employs Nudge Theory through strategic locations, appealing signage, choice architecture, simplification, sampling events, social proof, and incentives. By incorporating these tactics, Plantega has successfully launched across the city,...

This episode discusses the plant-based food industry's evolution and future prospects, following the Gartner Hype Cycle. Despite a disillusionment phase, consumer demand remains strong, with plant-based food sales growing in 2022. To ensure continued growth, we need to focus on three pillars: Innovation (addressing nutritional concerns and offering global flavors), Accessibility (emphasizing foodservice and prepared frozen meals), and Sustainability (commitment to sustainable sourcing and...

Elena Devis is on a mission to make Deliveroo the go-to delivery platform for plant-based food. As the Head of the Vegan Category, she works cross functionally with the Commercial, Marketing, Product and Sustainability teams to make it easier for consumers to find, and confidently order, plant-based food anytime, anywhere. Elena follows a plant-based diet and is really passionate about all things human and planetary health. Outside Deliveroo, she teaches meditation and hosts a Podcast in...

Samuel Dennigan is Founder and CEO of Strong Roots, a leading plant-based brand committed to planet-friendly food. Launched in 2015, Strong Roots are on a mission to provide tasty and environmentally responsible food for busy lives. Since its beginnings Strong Roots has become a firm favorite of consumers globally listing its Cauliflower Hash Browns, Sweet Potato Fries, Kale-and-Quinoa Burgers and other innovative products in over 10,000 stores worldwide including major retailers in the U.S.,...

Wildtype is a cultivated seafood brand on a mission to create the most sustainable seafood on earth, starting with their highly anticipated sushi-grade salmon. Aryé Elfenbein, a cardiologist, and Justin Kolbeck, a former U.S. diplomat, set out to protect our planet’s wilderness, and to reverse trends of global food insecurity. Using cellular agriculture techniques, Wildtype will provide consumers with a new option for real seafood that provides the same nutritional benefits as the most...

Alexis Gauthier is a multi-award-winning French chef and successful London restaurateur. In 2016 he became vegan, and in 2021 he removed all animal products from his restaurant menus entirely. From Avignon, in the south of France, Alexis began his career in the grand hotels of Nice and Monaco, under the eye of Chef Alain Ducasse. It was there he first began to form his fundamental cooking style, a light and uncomplicated celebration of the best seasonal produce, often led by fruits and...

Chad Rosen is the Founder & CEO of Victory Hemp Foods, a business-to-business primary food ingredient processing company that develops innovative technology to manufacture hemp grain into premier proteins and healthy fats for applications in food and beverage, skincare and cosmetics, and nutritional supplements. Victory Hemp Foods won the 2020 Hemp Innovation Challenge at the World Ag Expo® in Tulare, CA for the development of two proprietary ingredients, V-70 Hemp Heart Protein and...

This episode is co-hosted by Ben Davis, Content Chair​ and Strategic Advisor of Plant Based World Expo and was produced in collaboration with Plant Based World Expo. Palak Patel is a classically trained chef, Host, Atlanta restaurant owner, and two time food network champion winner of Food Network’s famed shows Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay. Her new cookbook INVITED: Recipes for Joy and Connection debuts (Spring 24) with Harper Collins. She was a finalist on Food Network Star season 14. Most...

Serial social entrepreneur & trends forecaster Sonalie Figueiras is the founder & editor-in-chief of Green Queen, an award-winning impact media platform advocating for social & environmental change through inspiring & empowering original content and one of the world's leading outlets for alternative protein news. Green Queen is APAC's largest sustainability media as counted by website views. She is also the founder & CEO of Ekowarehouse, the global sourcing platform for...

Kobi Regev is a passionate New Yorker who happens to be vegan. Over the past 5 years he has become an expert in the development and production of plant based cheese. Together with his wife Abev, they switched to a plant-based diet in 2014, and the one thing we missed more than anything else was grabbing a slice of pizza from their favorite restaurants.  As New Yorkers, they couldn't find any cheese alternatives able to replicate the authentic New York pizza experience. So, they decided to do...

Le’Spencer Walker is Director of the Merchandising Vendor Development (MVD) team and lends his skills and leads in many areas at Target. Currently leading a team that identifies, develops and on-boards women and minority owned brands aligned to Target strategies. Over his 12 years at Target, he made and continues to make a conscientious effort to align his work with his passions through education with storytelling, creating authentic products, leveraging research to amplify strategy, building...

This episode features Vincent "Buddy" Gillespie, Director of Culinary at JBH Advisory Group. Buddy has thirty years of experience in restaurants and hospitality markets with past projects that include fast casual restaurant development, kitchen design, creation of operational policies and procedures, financial assessment, menu and recipe development, operational assessment, manager recruitment and manager training. He was previously the Vice President of Culinary Operations for Dean &...

This episode features Rodd Willis, Director of Natural & Specialty at Dot Foods. His 25-year career at Dot Foods has included positions in sales, management, supply chain, and business development. He is based out of St. Louis, MO. He holds an MBA from the University of Missouri.  Dot Foods, Inc. carries 125,000 products from 1,020 food industry manufacturers making it the largest food industry redistributor in North America. Through Dot Transportation, Inc., an affiliate of Dot Foods,...

This episode features Kelly Coffin, the Founder and CEO of WayFare Foods, a company that takes the finest whole, plant-based ingredients in the world, and turns them into products that are truly Simple, Delicious, and Amazing. You’ll find WayFare’s food foundations are always based on whole ingredients, and nothing else. WayFare’s mission is to bless our world by creating incredible products – all from plants. WayFare is sold in retail locations across the country and direct to consumer via...

This episode features Julie Emmett, Sr. Director, Marketplace Development at Plant Based Foods Association and Sabina Vyas, Sr. Director, Impact Strategies at Plant Based Foods Association and is co-hosted by Ben Davis, VP of Content at Plant Based World Expo. Topics Covered Overview of partnership between Plant Based World Expo and Plant Based Foods Association and how it has benefited plant-based food companies Current priorities of retail buyers - questions they are asking and...

Anna Hammond is the Founder and CEO of Matriark Foods, a social and environmental impact food business that upcycles farm surplus and fresh-cut remnants into healthy, shelf-stable vegetable products for institutional foodservice. Matriark is building a circular food future, creating products that solve for inefficiencies in the supply chain while combating climate change and providing greater access to healthy food—at scale. Show Page: https://eftp.co/matriark-foods Newsletter signup:...

Karana is a Singapore and US based company that makes meat from whole plants. Show Page: https://eftp.co/karana Newsletter signup: https://eftp.co/newsletter Follow us on Instagram Follow Nil Zacharias on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Garrett Broad is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University. His research and teaching focus on contemporary social movements, digital media technologies, and the food system. He is the author of More Than Just Food: Food Justice and Community Change, as well as a variety of articles on food's relationship to environmental sustainability, economic equity, and the health of humans and nonhuman animals. An engaged scholar,...

Max Elder is the co-founder and CEO of Nowadays, a venture-backed foodtech startup making plant-based meats with only a few simple ingredients and unparalleled nutritional profiles. Show Page: https://eftp.co/nowadays Newsletter signup: https://eftp.co/newsletter Follow us on Instagram Follow Nil Zacharias on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elysabeth Alfano is the Co-Founder and CEO of VegTech™ Invest, an investment management company that advises the thematic ETF, VegTech™ Plant-based Innovation & Climate ETF, ticker: EATV. EATV invests in companies that are actively innovating with plants and plant-derived ingredients and that produce primary products that are animal-free. We believe these companies positively impact climate change, planetary health and sustainability, human health, and animal health. We also believe that...

Rachel Dreskin is the CEO of the Plant Based Foods Association, the first and only trade association representing the nation’s leading plant-based food companies, as well as the Plant Based Foods Institute, PBFA’s sister nonprofit dedicated to driving transformation to a plant-based food system. Show Page: https://eftp.co/rachel-dreskin Newsletter signup: https://eftp.co/newsletter Follow us on Instagram Follow Nil Zacharias on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

David Yeung is the Co-founder & CEO of Green Monday Group, a multi-faceted social venture with the mission to take on the world’s most pressing crises of climate change, food insecurity and public health. With the global sustainability movement initiated by Green Monday Foundation, the revolutionary food technology innovation in OmniFoods and OmniPork, the market-transforming plant-based retail, dining and distribution network in Green Common, and the impact investment arm in Green Monday...