Join us as we explore the food products industry and engage with incredible entrepreneurs! From forming a dynamic team and safeguarding your ideas with IP to navigating regulatory landscapes and securing investment, we’ll cover every aspect of bringing a culinary creation to life. Gain insights into packaging, labeling, cultivated foods, the rise of plant-based proteins, and fundamental food science principles from industry experts. Join us and network with fellow entrepreneurs, innovators and inventors and learn the ins and outs of how to propel food ventures towards success!

Presented by the Entrepreneurial Strategy Series and Gearhart Law.

WHEN: Thursday, March 25, 2024 | 11:30 – 1:15 pm EDT

REGISTER HERE: https://bit.ly/flavorsofinnovation

AGENDA:

  • Networking (11:30 am – 12 pm EDT)
  • Presentation (12 pm – 1:15 pm EDT)


OUR SPEAKERS:

Peter Kalkowsky, co-founder & CEO of Shocken Foods: Peter is an award-winning plant based meat manufacturer, based in the UK. The company produces gourmet deli slices, pates & pizza toppings inspired by 3 star Michelin training & methods. Peter is overseeing scientific collaborations with alternative protein partners & transition from the Consumer Packaged Goods company to a fully-fledged vertically integrated plant based giant. Before the pandemic, Peter built a successful food startup, securing contracts with blue chips like Google, Amazon, Meta, Airbnb, Chanel & Expedia. Prior to this, Peter has been a senior manager in a global corporation with responsibility over 300 employees. Under his leadership, Shocken Foods has won a slew of awards in the UK from Food Startup of the Year 2023, Best New Business to the most prestigious, Great British Entrepreneur Award, which provides all winners to meet the British prime minister at no 10 Downing Street.

Shocken Foods has a robust growth roadmap for 2024, including a new range of hybrid products with cell cultivated fat and a stealth project with the most sustainable alternative protein on the planet. In his free time, Peter indulges in freezing cold baths, learning French & experimenting with AI. Read more at: https://www.shockenfoods.com/

Emma Bowe, co-founder & COO of Shocken Foods: Emma is the creative force behind the food development, sales partnerships & co-manufacturing at Shocken Foods. She has extensive experience (25 years) across B2B, B2C & D2C. International foodservice veteran, worked in Mandarin Oriental (named best restaurant in the world) 3* Michelin alongside Heston Blumenthal & Helen Darozze in the Connaught (named best female chef in the world). She has worked in many other top restaurants from the San Pellegrino list & ran teams at the biggest UK events including BAFTA awards. Emma also catered for the British Prime Minister & the Royal Family. She is an expert at developing new flavour combinations, while staying true to Clean Label, using only natural ingredients.

Emma won the most prestigious retail & foodservice award: The Great Taste Star 2023, alongside many other accolades. She won the Equity Backed Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 with Great British Entrepreneur Awards, securing her a meeting with the British prime minister at no 10 Downing Street.

Dr. Vanessa Small, founder and CEO of Alcheme Bio: Alchem Bio is a pioneering biotechnology startup revolutionizing the optimization of flavor and nutrition in cultured products. With a rich background in the biotech industry, Vanessa served as Head of Biologics at Cue Health, where she played a pivotal role in the company’s journey to its IPO in 2021. Her extensive experience includes key scientific roles and senior management positions at esteemed companies such as Pfizer and Alere Health (now Abbott). Over her illustrious 20-year career, Vanessa has emerged as a respected thought leader and technical expert in bioengineering and product development. Her leadership has been instrumental in driving cross-functional teams towards success.

Vanessa holds a Ph.D. in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology from UC Riverside, complemented by an MBA in Healthcare Management. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Beyond her role at Alcheme Bio, Vanessa extends her expertise by advising multiple VC groups and serving on multiple private boards, providing strategic guidance to early-mid stage startups and nonprofits alike. Read more at: https://alchemebio.com/

Juan Ignacio, Head of Operations & Impact at microTERRA: Juan Ignacio is a cross-disciplinary futurist, strategist, and design engineer with 10+ years of experience developing regenerative innovations and launching new products at the intersection of science, business, and design. His passion lies in preparing for a more sustainable future by using a collaborative and creative focus on innovation. Juan Ignacio is an expert in looking wide and long-term to help startups and large businesses identify growth strategies, new business models, and early-stage product development opportunities. By understanding how their current consumer demand landscape will evolve, he has helped them align portfolio and innovation strategies with the size and shape of that demand – anticipating future markets, segments, and needs.

At microTERRA, Juan Ignacio is in charge of directing the company’s communication strategy, overseeing HR activities, and developing new B2B business development strategies. He also leads impact, setting the company’s long-term impact strategy to ensure the positive impact created can scale and make sure microTERRA continues to produce more ingredients sustainably while cleaning water. Read more at: https://www.microterra.com/

Before joining microTERRA, Juan Ignacio co-founded another climate tech startup called Carbon Cell. A carbon-negative, non-toxic, fully biodegradable replacement for polystyrene and other polymer-based foams. Using biochar, a carbon-negative material sourced from biomass that would otherwise be burned or decomposed, we have created a high-performance expandable foam. Before that, Juan Ignacio also directed the launch of Kantar’s Sustainable Transformation Practice in North America to help clients develop sustainable innovations and strategies that anticipate market and consumer trends, redefine their purpose, and adapt performance metrics to measure sustainability efforts.

David Postolski, Esq is our event moderator. Please email him with questions at: david@gearhartlaw.com

This event is sponsored by Gearhart Law, a full service Intellectual Property firm specializing in Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law domestically and globally. We serve inventors, entrepreneurs, and established businesses. We can help you strategize and build your IP portfolio based on your business needs. Call us for a free consultation at 908-273-0700 or contact us through: https://www.gearhartlaw.com