Food IT 2015: Macro to Micro

The FOOD IT Conference focused in on the MICRO steps being taken TODAY through information technology and Silicon Valley-type innovation to RE-DO food and agriculture to meet tomorrow's MACRO challenges.In conjunction with Stanford’s FEED Collaborative, we organized our second annual Food IT conference at Stanford to bring together Food/Ag-focused start-ups, venture capitalists, IT innovators, and small/mid/large food and agricultural sector players. The daylong event was held at the Arrillaga Alumni Center at Stanford University on Wednesday June 24th, 2015. Check out the videos from FOOD IT here. Agenda & Speakers7:45a Appetizer Round of The Blender! See the video.

13 start-ups pitched our VC judges! Top 4 proceeded to the finals after lunch.  Selected Companies:

Barn2Door

City Blooms

Dine Market

Food Origins

HATPonics

Intelleflex

Juicebot

Manage My Co-op

Mavrx

Sereneti Kitchen

The Not Company

Well Intel

Appetizer Round Judges:

Geoff Eisenberg, Ecosystem Integrity FundMark Kahn, Omnivore PartnersJonathan Mi, BrightPath CapitalScott Robertson, DuPont PioneerDrew Taylor, Taylor Farms VenturesSamantha Wai, Innovation Endeavors (Farm 2050)

9a- Setting the Table See the video. And another one.Matt Rothe, FEED Collaborative & Rob Trice, The Mixing Bowl Hub

9:30a- RE-DO GROWING: IN THE FIELD See the video.How is IT enabling more precise and agile growing?Blake Alexandre, Alexandre Family EcoDairy FarmsLarry DeMaria, William Blair & CompanyJackson Dohlman, Saratoga PartnershipsHenri Hekman, Dutch SproutsAG Kawamura, former CA Secretary of AgricultureMike Macrie, Land O’LakesDarwin Melnyk, TrimbleSteven Saunders, Plus Group Horticulture (New Zealand) 10:30a- RE-DO GROWING: BEYOND THE FIELD See the video.How will indoor food and alternative protein producers scale up, and can technology protect wild fish as a protein source?Kees Aarts, Protix BiosystemsRyan Cox, HATponicsNick Halmos, CitybloomsNicola Kerslake, Newbean CapitalDara Olmsted Silverstein, Stanford DiningRobert Terry, SmartCatch

11:30a- RE-DO“LOCAL” LOGISTICS See the video.How is IT enabling new models of food transportation and processing and connection between “local” producers and retailers?Chris Charlesworth, SF/LA SpecialtySam Klepfish, Innovative Food HoldingsSam Lippman, AirbnbDavid McIntyre, AirbnbBill Reed, Estancia BeefHeather Shaffer, FreshRealmNaomi Starkman, Civil EatsEd Treacy, Produce Marketing Association (PMA)

12:30p- Buffet Lunch1:30p- Food Geeks Travel Virtually: Innovation hub fast pitch session See the video.Angus Brown, New Zealand Food Innovation NetworkAlessio D’Antino, Future Food Institute (Italy)Dennis Donohue, Steinbeck Innovation CenterNabil Kassam, Owner, Coastside FarmWendy Millet, Peninsula Food Innovation Group & TomKat RanchHarold Schmitz, Chief Science Officer, Mars Inc.

Roger Van Hoesel, Food Valley of the Netherlands

1:45p- The Blender! Main Course Finals See the video.

Top 4 start-up finalists pitch VCs for the Golden Blender Award

Main Course Finals Judges: 

Adam Anders, Anterra CapitalJohn Hamer, Monsanto Growth VenturesNicola Kerslake, Newbean CapitalGilad Novik, Horizon VenturesGeoff Smith, Mars VenturesAndy Wheeler, Google VenturesAndy Ziolkowski, Cultivian Ventures

2:30p- RE-DO NUTRITION See the video.How is IT informing our knowledge of nutrition and helping us to deliver nutrition to all?Jesse Cool, Flea Street Restaurant & Cool CafeElliott Grant, ShopwellMeiert Grootes, AgroFood Innovation Park, SwitzerlandHoward Shapiro, Chief Agriculture Officer of MARSJustin B. Siegel, Innovation Institute for Food & Health, UC Davis

3:30p- RE-DO CONSUMER/PRODUCER See the video.Are new approaches enabling smaller food producers to scale more easily, and how are large food companies reacting to consumers' food-related communication influencing food trends?Michel Algazi, FoodcentricityBarbara Brueckner, Mattson & Co.Timothy Childs, Treasure8 BrandsMaisie Ganzler, Bon Appétit Management CompanyDouglas Gayeton, Lexicon of SustainabilityJeremiah Owyang, Crowd Companies

5pm- Happy Hour and Networking

 Photos by: Jonathan Fong