In this episode of FoodTech Junkies, we dive into visionary innovations shaping the future of food with Chiara Cecchini, VP of Commercialization at Savor — a company transforming the fats and oils category by eliminating agriculture from the equation. From animal- and plant-free butter to scalable climate solutions, Savor is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

Chiara shares her journey from Italy’s connected food systems to the frontlines of food tech in the U.S., unpacking the tension between artisanal roots and industrial scale. We explore the complexity of integrating radical innovation into traditional infrastructures, the urgency of decarbonization, and the critical need for thoughtful, sustainable scaling.

From the role of chefs as cultural catalysts to the importance of strategic partnerships, Chiara offers sharp insights into where the industry is headed — and what it will take to build a regenerative, resilient, and truly innovative food future.

About Chiara Cecchini: Chiara leads Commercialization at Savor, overseeing go-to-market strategy, sales, marketing, and communications. She previously founded and led Future Food Americas, working with Fortune 500 companies to drive food innovation aligned with the UN SDGs. Chiara sits on the boards of the Future Food Institute and Food for Climate League and has taught sustainable business at San Francisco State University. A former researcher at UC Davis, she was named a Forbes “30 Under 30 Europe” in Social Entrepreneurship. Outside work, she enjoys family, beekeeping, and writing poetry.

About Savor: Savor is reinventing fats and oils by producing them without plants or animals—using carbon, hydrogen, and thermochemistry. Backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, their ingredients provide sustainable, customizable alternatives to butter, palm oil, and other products, aiming to decarbonize and modernize the global fat supply chain.

⏱️ Episode Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

00:37 – Meet Chiara Cecchini

01:48 – From Italy to Innovation: Chiara’s Journey in Food Tech

04:40 – What’s Broken in the Food System? Challenges at Scale

09:04 – Savor’s Vision: Rethinking Fat Without Agriculture

21:52 – Chefs as Cultural Catalysts in Food Innovation

26:53 – Scaling Deep Tech: Commercialization and Partnerships

34:02 – Systems Thinking, Regeneration, and the Future of Food

47:26 – Lightning Round

54:29 – Final Thoughts and Farewell

In this episode of FoodTech Junkies, host Sharon Cittone talks with Zhong Xu, CEO and co-founder of Deliverect, about the role of AI in transforming restaurant operations. From reducing errors and downtime to boosting personalization and tackling fraud with tools like Resolve and Kiosk, Deliverect powers over 65,000 restaurants globally—including major names such as Burger King and KFC.

Zhong shares his journey in restaurant tech, the company’s latest innovations, and what’s next for the industry—from voice recognition to robotics. The episode wraps with insights for entrepreneurs and a rapid-fire lightning round.

About Zhong Xu: As the CEO and co-founder of Deliverect, Zhong is building a global ecosystem of on and off-premise solutions that empowers restaurants and retailers to sell anywhere and deliver everywhere. Deliverect's comprehensive platform integrates technologies spanning kiosks, delivery management, uptime monitoring, real-time analytics, and more. Zhong, who obtained a M.Sc. degree in software engineering in 2009, created the first IPad POS in EMEA in 2012, together with co-founder Jan Hollez. This SaaS company evolved into the company that today is called Lightspeed, which is available in more than 100 countries around the world. Zhong was Global Director of Lightspeed Hospitality until 2018, when he founded Deliverect, thereby continuing to revolutionize the hospitality industry.

About Deliverect:

Deliverect is a global ecosystem of on and off-premise solutions for digital sales. Its API-first software helps enterprises of all sizes to sell anywhere and deliver everywhere across 52+ global markets. Currently, Deliverect powers 50,000+ establishments, including renowned chains like Burger King, Little Caesars, and Pret A Manger. To find out more information, visit deliverect.com.

Timestamps:

00:32 – Meet Zhong Xu

03:47 – The Rise of Deliverect

06:05 – AI’s impact on restaurant ops

14:18 – Personalization & dynamic menus

19:47 – Product deep dive: Kiosk & Resolve

23:13 – Fighting fraud with vision AI

26:40 – Misconceptions about AI

30:03 – What’s next: voice tech & robotics

33:04 – Lightning round

39:17 – Advice for young entrepreneurs

This week on the FoodTech Junkies podcast, we’re joined by Nona Yehia — architect, changemaker, and CEO of Vertical Harvest. From Jackson Hole to Westbrook, Maine, Nona shares how her team is reimagining vertical farming not just as a way to grow food, but as a regenerative business model—one where inclusion, local impact, and profitability go hand in hand.

We dive into what makes their newest farm the company’s most ambitious yet, how public-private partnerships and tech collaborations are key to scaling, and why designing for community isn’t a side mission—it’s part of the bottom line. From workforce development to grassroots engagement, this episode explores how Vertical Harvest is turning food systems into engines for equity, resilience, and long-term value.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast

00:41 Meet Nona Yehia: Architect Turned Vertical Farming Pioneer

02:10 Nona’s Personal Journey and Inspiration

05:56 Challenges and Innovations in Vertical Farming

09:33 Scaling and Replicating Vertical Harvest

11:49 The Maine Project: A New Chapter

19:39 Technology and People: A Balanced Approach

25:01 Financial Challenges and Innovations

33:41 Community Impact and Future Vision

43:09 Lightning Round and Closing Thoughts

About Nona Yehia

Co-Founder & CEO, Vertical Harvest Farms

Nona Yehia is an architect-turned-entrepreneur who co-founded Vertical Harvest Farms, the first vertical hydroponic greenhouse in North America. Driven by a passion for design, food, and social equity—and inspired by her brother who has developmental disabilities—Nona helped pioneer a business model that pairs sustainable urban farming with inclusive employment.

Under her leadership, Vertical Harvest has become a national example of climate-resilient infrastructure and regenerative enterprise, now expanding with a new flagship farm in Westbrook, Maine. Recognized by CNN’s Champions for Change, Fast Company, and the Tony Hsieh Award, Nona continues to shape the conversation around community-led food systems and equitable innovation.

About Vertical Harvest

Vertical Harvest is an urban farming company turning cities into fertile grounds for growth, using tech-enabled agriculture to reinvent the future of food. They are hell-bent on bringing communities the freshest, healthiest and most flavorful produce – grown hydroponically, all year round. It's why they root their farms within cities, create customized employment for people with disabilities and are farm to fork around the clock. City by city and block by block, they are growing up – working with and within communities to sow the seeds of abundant possibility. They're not just harvesting the freshest food possible – as a social enterprise they're here to make good taste great.

In this episode of the Food Tech Junkies Podcast, host Sharon Cittone speaks with Julia Collins—founder of PlanetFWD and the visionary behind Moonshot Snacks and Zume Pizza—about how we can decarbonize the food industry through data, innovation, and transparency.

Julia shares her journey from food entrepreneur to climate-tech trailblazer, revealing how small brands can drive big change. The conversation explores regenerative agriculture, greenwashing vs. green hushing, data and data-driven storytelling, and the power of community-led food systems. Learn how PlanetFWD is helping companies measure and reduce their environmental impact—and why the future of food must be rooted in truth, not trends.

🌍 She’s not just rethinking what’s on our plates—she’s redefining our path to a cooler planet.

Are you ready? Here we go.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction to Green Gushing

00:38 – Meet Julia Collins: Decarbonizing Industries

01:22 – Julia’s Journey to PlanetFWD

04:53 – The Impact of Food Systems on the Planet

07:07 – The Role of Small Brands in Innovation

10:24 – Challenges in Food Accessibility

14:33 – Regenerative Agriculture and Its Benefits

18:38 – PlanetFWD: Data-Driven Environmental Solutions

32:04 – Alternative Proteins and Consumer Engagement

40:39 – Emerging Trends and Technologies in Food Innovation

42:37 – Lightning Round and Conclusion

About Julia Collins

Julia Collins is a serial entrepreneur, sustainability leader, and champion for equitable innovation.

She is the Founder & CEO of Planet FWD, the leading sustainability and supply chain intelligence platform helping global consumer brands reduce their climate impact. Inspired by her own climate-friendly snack company, Moonshot—which she successfully scaled and sold to Patagonia Provisions—Julia launched Planet FWD to empower brands with the data and tools they need to decarbonize their value chains.

Previously, Julia made history as the first Black woman to co-found a unicorn company with Zume Pizza, which reached a valuation of $2.25 billion. Her career began in hospitality, where she co-founded celebrated restaurants including Mexicue and Murray’s Cheese Bar, and was a founding partner at Harlem Jazz Enterprises, the group behind The Cecil—named one of the Best New Restaurants in America by Esquire magazine.

Julia holds degrees from Harvard University and Stanford Graduate School of Business. She serves on the boards of the Climate Collaborative and the Town School for Boys, and is deeply committed to building a more regenerative and inclusive future across food, technology, and climate.

She lives in San Francisco, CA with her partner and two boys.

What if honey could be made without bees—and still taste just like the real thing? In this episode of FoodTech Junkies Sharon Cittone speaks with Darko Mandich, CEO and co-founder of MeliBio, about disrupting a $10B industry with science, sustainability, and storytelling.

This isn’t just a conversation about alternative ingredients—it’s about rethinking how we produce food in a way that works better for the planet, for pollinators, and for people. From navigating skeptics to building partnerships that scale impact, Darko shares what it takes to launch a biotech startup that’s breaking conventions and opening minds. Whether you’re into food tech, sustainability, or just love a good founder story—this one’s for you.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Food Systems Complexity

00:13 Meet the Host and Guest

00:31 Reinventing Honey Without Bees

01:08 Darko’s Journey and Company Vision

02:12 The Science Behind Bee-Free Honey

06:56 Challenges and Market Perception

07:58 Engaging with Skeptics and Traditionalists

17:32 The Reality of Fake Honey

23:38 Personal Journeys and Food System Dependencies

30:59 Building a Food Tech Company on a Budget

37:21 Partnerships and Market Expansion

41:52 Future Vision and Final Thoughts

About Darko Mandich

Darko started his career in the European food industry in 2012 and worked on managing and growing honey companies in more than 5 countries. By pursuing his dream to reinvent the honey industry and make it sustainable, Darko immigrated from Serbia to the United States in 2019 to launch MeliBio.

Darko is now an impact entrepreneur on a mission to sustainably feed 10B+ people with delicious and nutritious foods while saving Planet's keystone species - wild and native bees.

Darko is passionate about the future of food and ways to advance science to make the food system sustainable, scalable and animal-free.

In this episode of FoodTech Junkies, host Sharon Cittone sits down with Miriam Ueberall, a seasoned leader with 24 years of experience in the food industry, for a compelling conversation on the systemic changes needed to future-proof our food systems. Miriam shares her insights on the challenges of innovation, the importance of DEI, and the urgent need for consumer-centric sustainability.

Together, they explore how corporates and startups can forge stronger collaborations, why digitalization is a game-changer, and how leadership and company culture play pivotal roles in driving transformation. From balancing taste and nutrition with sustainability to preparing the next generation of food leaders, this episode is packed with inspiration, real talk, and forward-looking ideas.

______________________________________________________

About Miriam: Miriam is a seasoned Food Tech Expert and Senior R&D Leader with over 24 years of experience in advancing the food industry through innovation and technology. She has worked in leadership roles across various multinational FMCG companies, ranging from Unilever to Kraft Heinz to Flora Food group. A visionary at heart, Miriam combines a deep understandingof food science, technology, and consumer and market trends to craft forward-thinking strategies that address today’s most complex globalchallenges. With a strong belief that human-centric leadership is key to drive sustainable growth, Miriam brings a track record of delivering market growth via innovation and renovation, pipeline building, organizational transformation, and driving portfolio efficiencies. A staunch advocate for honest and trusted multi-party partnerships, Miriam is convinced that true breakthroughs in food tech can only occur when diverse stakeholders and players across the value chain collaborate transparently, bringing their unique expertise and perspectives to the table, and commit to aligned objectives.

As a passionate champion of female empowerment and allyship, Miriam actively works to create inclusive, supportive environments where women can thrive and unleash theirbest self.

Episode Timestamps

• 00:00 – Introduction to the Podcast

• 00:32 – Meet Miriam Ueberall: A Powerhouse in Food Innovation

• 01:06 – Miriam’s Journey in the Food Industry

• 03:07 – Challenges and Systemic Transformation in the Food Industry

• 07:24 – The Role of Leadership and Partnerships

• 18:10 – Innovation in R&D and Addressing Consumer Needs

• 24:46 – Consumer Education and Building Trust

• 28:47 – Defining Sustainability in the Food Industry

• 29:59 – Practical Steps for Integrating Sustainability

• 34:06 – The Role of Government and Policy in Driving Change

• 36:39 – Leadership and Company Culture in the Food Business

• 41:55 – Grooming the Next Generation of Food Leaders

• 44:54 – The Future of Female Leadership and Inclusivity

• 49:29 – Future Trends and Technologies in Food

• 52:08 – Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In this episode of the FoodTech Junkies Podcast, Sharon Cittone sits down with Marc Coloma, CEO and co-founder of Heura, to explore the intersection of activism, innovation, and food system transformation. From his early roots in social justice to building one of Europe’s fastest-growing plant-based food companies, Marc shares the driving forces behind Heura’s mission to fix what he calls “the most broken industry in the world.” They unpack the inefficiencies of traditional animal agriculture, the power of tech-enabled alternatives, and the urgent need for policy reform. Marc also addresses the consumer myths still surrounding plant-based foods and how Heura is working to shift both perception and policy.

Whether you’re a foodtech founder, policymaker, or just curious about the future of protein, this episode offers insight, clarity, and inspiration.

Timestamps

[00:27] Marc shares his journey from grassroots activism to entrepreneurship, and how that path led to founding a mission-driven food tech company.

[04:02] They unpack the true cost of our current food system and how Heura is working to address those inefficiencies.

[07:58] Marc speaks candidly about the challenges facing the plant-based industry, from consumer misconceptions to navigating media narratives.

[15:33] He offers a look into the innovations driving Heura’s product development and where he sees the category heading next.

[26:52] The conversation turns to the policy landscape and why structural change is just as critical as product innovation.

[33:04] They also explore how technology—from fermentation to AI—is accelerating the protein transition.

[45:33] In a quick-fire lightning round, Marc shares his hot takes on the most promising trends in food tech.

[48:55] The episode wraps with final thoughts and how listeners can stay connected.

From challenging Big Meat to advocating for a fairer food system, Marc Coloma brings bold thinking and sharp insights to the mic.

About Marc Coloma

CEO, Co-founder and food activist at Heura Foods

Marc Coloma is food activist and CEO at Heura. Born in Barcelona in 1991, Marc has been involved in social activism since he was just 16 years old. In 2015 he decided to take part in an entrepreneurship program to create solutions to the problems in the current food system. His aim was, and is still to bring attractive solutions, and thus make livestock obsolete. In 2017, after extensive research, Heura was created and launched into the Spanish Market, with the mission to contribute to the construction of a net positive and healthier food system.

To date, Heura has positioned itself as the fastest-growing plant-based meat company in Europe and the market leader in Spain, with a 26% market share. Heura also leads in consumer acquisition, not only being the brand with the highest penetration but also with the highest repeat rate (50%).

In the last seven years Heura has not only stood out for the development of vegetable meat products but also for being a technological leader, with 25% of its workforce (out of a total of 100) dedicated to R&D. This has led to the creation of the Good Rebel Tech technology platform in order to develop technologies aimed at solving current technological limitations and increasing the nutritional value, naturalness, taste and sustainability of all the company's products.

The work in this field has culminated in the development of the first patent in April 2023, which has obtained a positive opinion report from the European Patent Office.

Marc Coloma's contribution to transforming the food model has been recognized by several organizations. In 2018, he received the CVC Young Innovator Award. In 2019, Forbes recognised him as the best entrepreneur of the year, and the magazine Emprendedores and AIJEC named him the best entrepreneur of the year. In 2021, Marc and Bernat were named to Forbes' “100 other fortunes” for their positive impact on the world.

Who's on Stage at Future FoodTech SF? Join host Sharon Cittone as she sits down with Bill Aimutus, a leading food innovation pioneer shaping the future of food. With a career in companies like Land O’Lakes, Kerry Ingredients, and Cargill, to now NC State’s Food Innovation Lab and the Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein, Bill shares insights into alternative proteins, food security, labor challenges, and policy alignment. In this episode, we explore the pressing challenges and opportunities in the food system, from biomanufacturing and workforce development to the role of policy in driving food innovation. Bill highlights the importance of collaboration between traditional agriculture and emerging food technologies to create sustainable, cost-effective, and consumer-friendly food solutions. Don’t miss this in-depth discussion on the future of food, technological advancements in production, and the strategies needed to scale sustainable alternatives.

🎧 Listen on your favorite podcast platform

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview

00:46 Meet Bill Aimutus: A Journey in Food Science

03:54 Pressing Challenges in the Food System

06:33 North Carolina Food Innovation Lab

11:50 Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein

15:35 Collaboration and Workforce Development

29:27 Future Trends and Policy in Food Tech

37:11 Technological Innovations in Food Production

40:16 Final Thoughts and Future Aspirations

44:10 Conclusion and Call to Action