2024 Conference Speakers

We will be joined by a breadth of founders, investors, industry experts, and advocates who will share their experiences of navigating and building in today’s food ecosystem.

Keynote Fireside Chat

Jody Macedonio

Former CFO at Meati & Chobani

PepsiCo, Independent Board Director Nutrabolt (C4 brand), Organic Valley & Advantage Solutions

Jody is a senior financial executive who brings leadership and innovative problem-solving to Fortune 500 global enterprises and privately held companies that thrive on collaboration and thoughtful change. As of 2024, Jody has entered a new chapter of her career focusing on her portfolio of board of director roles. Previously, Jody held CFO positions at Meati, Chobani, and Dean Foods and senior financial roles at Henkel, AG. Jody rose through the ranks at PepsiCo spending 13 years across multiple financial functions.

Jody is a Colorado native and holds an MBA from the University of Colorado, and BS in Finance from Colorado State University. Governance experience as a qualified financial expert includes: Board Director Nutrabolt, member of Audit and Nominating and Governance Committees, Board Director Advantage Solutions, member of Audit Committee, Board Advisor to Harper Wilde (founded by Wharton Alumni) and previously Board Director Organic Valley Fresh. Jody is a Board Director for 4word, a national non-profit organization for professional women.

Witold Henisz - Moderator

Vice Dean and Faculty Director of ESG Initiative at The Wharton School, Deloitte & Touche Professor of Management

Witold J. Henisz is the Vice Dean and Faculty Director, ESG Initiative and the Deloitte & Touche Professor of Management in Honor of Russell E. Palmer, former Managing Partner at The Wharton School, The University of Pennsylvania. His research examines the impact of political hazards as well as environmental, social and governance factors more broadly on the strategy and valuation of global corporations. He has won multiple teaching awards and teaches extensively in executive education programs. He is currently a principal in the consultancy PRIMA LLC whose clients span multinational firms, asset managers, intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations.

Panel 1: Sustainable Food Systems

What are the economic and social benefits of transitioning towards a sustainable food system? How can stakeholders across the food & ag value chain effectively partner to build a more sustainable supply chain? How can companies effectively engage with communities to educate and encourage consumers to adopt more sustainable food choices?

Anna Hammond (Matriark, CEO & Founder)

Anna Hammond is the founder of Matriark Foods, a circular economy food business that uses supply chain innovation to solve the dire effects of wasted food on the environment by systematically eliminating inefficiencies in the produce sector. Matriark Foods is a social impact business to scale access to healthy food for the benefit of people and the environment. Anna has spent 25 years as a nonprofit leader scaling programs and teams into dynamic, and stable organizations. Most recently, she was Executive Director for The Sylvia Center and collaborated with farmers, institutions, funders, and foundations committed to solving food insecurity through education and reimagined food systems.

Julia Kurnik (World Wildlife Fund, Senior Director of Innovation Start-Ups)

As Senior Director, Innovation Start-Ups, WWF, Julia identifies innovative trends and evolving global market issues and develops entrepreneurial solutions to major sustainability concerns. Julia founded her own urban, soilless farm, advised numerous start-ups, and served as the Director of Research and Policy at the National Women’s Business Council. Julia holds degrees from MIT (SB), Wharton (MBA), and the Harvard Kennedy School (MPA).

Lauren Sweeney (DeliverZero, CEO & Co-Founder)

As the Co-founder and CEO of DeliverZero, Lauren Sweeney is dedicated to normalizing reusable packaging. Frustrated by the environmental costs of convenience culture, Lauren co-founded DeliverZero to offer customers a sustainable alternative with returnable reusable packaging. Through strategic partnerships with DoorDash, Toast, Uber, GrubHub, ChowNow, Otter, Itsacheckmate, Whole Foods, and others, DeliverZero, under Lauren's leadership, has made reuse more accessible than ever. The scalable technology developed by DeliverZero extends the impact beyond foodservice, reaching various consumer-facing businesses.

Paul Bergman (Advancing Eco Agriculture, Executive Chairman) - Moderator

Paul is Executive Chair at Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA), a leader in regenerative agriculture plant nutrition. Previously he held leadership roles with plant nutrition company Fertilaqua/ICL and Aqua Capital, a South American ag-focused PE fund. Paul began his career at Bunge working across Asia and Latin America. He later founded The Freshary, China's first certified organic plant-based ice creamery and bakery. Paul studied at Penn, where he holds a BSE and MBA from Wharton, a BA in International Studies, and an MA from The Lauder Institute.

Panel 2: Food as Medicine

What role does food play in our overall health and well-being? How can specific dietary patterns contribute to the prevention and management of chronic diseases? In what ways can personalized nutrition be utilized to address individual health needs? How can healthcare professionals effectively integrate nutritional counseling into patient care? What are the challenges and opportunities in promoting food as medicine on a societal level?

Michel Nischan (Wholesome Wave, CEO & Founder)

Michel Nischan is a four-time James Beard Award winning chef with over 35 years of leadership advocating for a more healthful, sustainable food system. He is Founder and President of Wholesome Crave, a food company selling responsibly sourced, plant-forward soups to large-scale dining facilities, and now available direct-to-consumer. A portion of the gross sales from Wholesome Crave products benefit Wholesome Wave, the non-profit food equity organization for which Michel serves as Co-Founder and Executive Chairman. He is also Co-Founder of the James Beard Foundation’s Chefs Boot Camps for Policy and Change, as well as Founder and Partner with the late actor Paul Newman in the former Dressing Room Restaurant.

Sue Daugherty, RD, LDN (MANNA, CEO)

Sue Daugherty, RDN, LDN joined MANNA in 1999 as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN and held several positions prior to being appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2012. Sue is an Advisory Board member of the national Food Is Medicine Coalition and served as co-vice-chair from 2019-2022. She has also testified in front of the United States Congress.

William Duffy, MD (Penn Medicine, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine)

Dr. William Duffy is a practicing internal medicine clinician for over 25 years. Over that time he has assisted thousands of patients to live healthy lives through tenets of lifestyle modification incorporated into his everyday practice as well as by creating educational efforts (e.g. Food As Medicine Philadelphia) for the public. He has also worked to educate future and current physicians alike through his work in the Penn Culinary Medicine program.

Taylor Leet-Otley (The Good Food Institute, Consumer Research Lead) - Moderator

Taylor is the Consumer Research Lead for the Good Food Institute, a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals. His research focuses on people's attitudes and behaviors toward the food they eat, and identifying ways to drive adoption of more sustainable foods and proteins.

Featured Brands

We will be joined by local food and food tech founders during our lunch session who will be sharing samples of their products.

Food Innovation Cohort Brands

Chelsea Cheng and Annabel Chang (ʸeast)

ʸeast makes bagels with fillings and toppings inspired by East Asian flavors

Emily Chin (Emmos)

Guilt-free, high-protein date cookies, crafted with nourishing ingredients and no added sugar, butter, or eggs for a wholesome treat.

Idris Gettani (Gusto Foods)

Flavorful macronutrient conscious foods that are low in calorie and high in protein, allowing you to stay in a calorie deficit (lose weight) while enjoying delicious foods.

Lillian Xue (mahu mashu)

Designed for function, optimized for taste, mahu mashu makes treats that improve upon traditional Chinese beauty dessert recipes. The Black sesame soup is a warming drink that's made with black sesame seeds, walnuts, black soy, goji, jujube, and honey – packed with flavor and ingredients that promote hair health and digestion.

Megan Burton (Brainfood)

A tasty sparkling water with psychiatry-backed nutrients and brain-bite tips to support focus, stress resilience, and brain health.

Mack Radin (Oatmail)

Oatmail is breakfast without compromise: a convenient, tasty, protein-packed overnight oats mix, made to order online at Oatmail.co.

Nate White (Brudders Ice Cream)

Brudders is the first grass-fed dairy ice cream only sweetened with honey.

Riddhima Kapoor (Veggie Vice)

Veggie Vice is the clean vegetable chip designed for health-conscious snackers, simply made with a sliced vegetable and powerful flavors.

Sabrina Chin (MamCham)

MamCham brings the nostalgic, bold flavors of Southeast Asia to your kitchen, offering versatile, authentic sauces that transform everyday meals into an exciting culinary adventure.

Thomas Startz (Amber Meadows)

Amber Meadows introduces a protein-rich, cold breakfast muesli cereal, offering nutrient-dense energy content for a wholesome and satisfying start to your day.

Victoria Liu (Project Yolk)

Food is a gift: artisan pastries meant for significant others.

Wendy Li (Ohty)

Elevate your tea experience with Ohty, where tradition meets contemporary lifestyle in every sip. Our ready-to-drink matcha latte combines the richness of ceremonial-grade matcha from Uji, Japan, with the convenience of a canned beverage.