Innovation is a collaborative undertaking best fostered by a strong company culture and a growth-nurturing environment. It is a combined team effort that is heavily influenced by founder values but is continuously challenged by limited resources, high levels of uncertainty, and rapid changes that startups experience. Everyone has skin in the game, which is why founders and CEOs ought to create a culture early on that stimulates idea generation, creative thinking, employee morale, and one that empowers team members to broaden their skillset, take leadership, and thrive.
What is a mission-driven culture? What are the factors that shape it? And how do companies recruit, unite, and continuously engage their employees?
In this session, successful entrepreneurs and leaders share their successes and failures in creating a strong, positive company culture reflective of their core values and engaging their team members around the company’s mission and purpose. We will touch upon recruiting the right team members, strategies for creating great culture, and employee retention, as well as ways to evaluate culture and make sure it's on the right track as the company grows.
Speakers:
Lauren Abda, Co-Founder of Branch Venture Group
Alex Gould, Director of Business Development, Protis Global
Ayeshah Abuelhiga, Founder & CEO, Mason Dixie Foods
Michael Selden, Co-Founder & CEO, Finless Foods
The session is free to attend. Register to secure your spot! The recording will be shared with registered attendees.
About the speakers
Lauren Abda is the Founder and CEO of Branchfood and Co-founder at Branch Venture Group, an angel network for investment in early-stage food startups. Prior to Branchfood, Lauren consulted for foodtech businesses in Boston and San Francisco, worked as an analyst for Salt Venture Partners LLC, a venture capital firm, focused on food startups, targeting content, commerce, and technology, and wrote reports on international food safety development initiatives on behalf of the Agriculture and Commodities division at the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland.
Alex Gould spent over 20 years working in hospitality. From bussing tables in the Bronx to owning a multi-conceptual restaurant group in Southern California. Throughout this journey, he has focused his time on bettering the food system by use of advancing technology and sustainable practices. Today he is excited to work alongside some of the most influential and mission-driven companies in the world as they collectively work towards a more viable future.
Ayeshah Abuelhiga is the Founder & CEO of the fastest growing frozen baked goods brand in America. Prior to founding Mason Dixie Foods, Ayeshah held executive positions at Fortune 500 companies, where she learned about leadership and acquired the skills needed to run a successful business. Wanting to offer better quality comfort food, she teamed up with her business partner Ross Perkins in 2014 and launched the only, clean-label, ready-to-bake line of frozen biscuits. Product have since expanded to include sweet rolls and scones, which can be found in freezers at over 5,000 retail grocery stores across the country.
Michael Selden is the CEO and Co-Founder of Finless Foods. His background in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has played a big role in him dedicating his life to climate justice and science advocacy. His research has spanned many fields - from solving food crises in Africa, to marine conservation in Southeast Asia. In 2017, Michael’s company Finless Foods created the first fish meat grown outside of a living fish to ever be consumed by a person. Eventually, Michael’s relentless passion and innovative vision attracted $3.5 million in seed funding, providing the building blocks to begin scaling the unprecedented, cell-cultured product. In the next year, Finless is set to bring its plant-based tuna to market, rounding out Finless's portfolio of alternative seafood primed to contribute to a thriving, healthy ocean.
Nico Enriquez (Forbes 30u30) was going to be a synthetic neurobiologist. Then he met a goat farmer named Willie and tried his glorious ginger & lemon homebrew. In 2016 they started selling willie's SUPERBREW at local farmers markets. Nico (CEO) has helped scale their company to 20+ people, 11 states of distribution, and the distinction of making the most award-winning hard seltzer in the world (21 medals). Their success is the result of staying true to grassroots start- squeezing 1 lb of real fruit in every pack, always striving to live to company values- No B.S, Foster Growth, Have a Soul, Be Curious & Innovate, Live Responsibly.
---
About Protis Global
Protis Global, from bespoke, tailor-made executive and professional search to capacity-driven contract staffing that enables you to scale — all underpinned by data — Protis Global has a track record of delivering top talent for some the world’s best-known and burgeoning consumer brands across food, beverage, cannabis, and more
