On Thursday, November 16, in the buzzing setting of Night Shift Brewing on Lovejoy Wharf, our Connect and Innovate event convened 110 stakeholders representing the frontiers of our industry. We were joined by startup founders and corporate leaders, investors and experts from across the supply chain. We owe our heartfelt gratitude to our sponsors: Trax Retail, CSC Leasing, Greater Zurich Area, Cambridge Trust, and Foley Hoag. Their support for our community and recognition of the importance of industry innovation made this evening of collaborative exploration and discourse possible.

During the evening, we heard from Jordan Stowe, Director at CSC Leasing, who described their role in financing innovative brands by offering non-dilutive capital for essential equipment. Georgios Tzafis, VP of Sales at Trax Retail, shed light on their ability to leverage data to propel retail sales for mid-cap industry brands. And, Lukas Sieber, Executive Director of North America at Greater Zurich Area, spoke about Zurich’s tech-friendly ecosystem and his role helping US businesses expand and grow in the European market.

Boston is a thriving hub for foodtech innovation, as highlighted by the report we recently co-authored with the Food and Nutrition Innovation Institute at Tufts University. Economic clusters play a significant role in the development of innovative solutions to our greatest challenges by fostering collaborative growth and knowledge dissemination. Branchfood’s ecosystem extends well beyond the confines of foodtech, encompassessing corporate leaders, food and agri-foodtech startup founders, industry experts, research academics, and governmental officials across the globe, all working together to shape the future of food.

Connect and Innovate underscored Branchfood’s deep-rooted connections and partnerships, and our work at the forefront of food innovation. With a community of over 18,000 industry stakeholders, we harness collective expertise and insights from the brightest minds to support company growth milestones, accelerate revenue generation, mitigate innovation risks, and champion sustainability. At the heart of our philosophy lies the understanding that innovation thrives on collaboration. No single person can usher in transformative change. Together we can catalyze change and foster growth, effectively aligning companies with evolving consumer demands and addressing the hurdles that the industry is facing.

By fostering collaborative innovation and uniting industry leaders, our Connect and Innovate event served as a pivotal step towards harnessing collective creativity and expertise, empowering businesses to pioneer transformative solutions addressing the most urgent food system issues, paving the way for a more sustainable and resilient future.

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