What we’re about
The food, beverage and restaurants landscape is being reshaped profoundly recently. Food Innovation Circle hopes to connect the "foodies + techies" in the community who believes in the power of innovation in redefining the food ecosystem. We also want to explore the innovation at the intersection of food, technology, design, behavior, culture, and business models.
Our mission:
• Foster meaningful connections among food innovation enthusiasts
• Support food start-ups by offering insightful events led by leading thought leaders and food innovators
The topics may include but not limited to:
• The Innovation within food companies: How the food companies are transforming their portfolio to adapt to the changing consumer preferences?
• Restaurant technology: What new technologies are helping restaurants better manage the day-to-day operation?
• Food entrepreneurship and investing: What are the key areas and trends of food investment?
• Food sustainability: How are food companies, governments and NGOs working to reduce the food waste and make our planet cleaner?
Feel free to contribute and share your ideas on events and guest speaker. Let's build a community for food innovation enthusiasts together!
Upcoming events
1
Venture Capital Panel: 2025 in Review, What to Expect in 2026!
5 Palo Alto Square, 3000 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA, USThis event is organized in collaboration with many groups.
This is an in-person event.
There is a cover charge for this event.
A "YES" RSVP on our meetup site does not confirm your reservation.
In order to attend, please register and pay here:
Venture Capital Panel: 2025 in Review, What to Expect in 2026! Tickets, Tue, Dec 9, 2025 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite
Take advantage of early responder pricing!
Hurry! Slots are limited!
Venue:
Snell and Wilmer
5 Palo Alto Square
(Ground Floor Event Center)
3000 El Camino Real
Palo Alto, CA 94306
A panel of distinguished venture capitalists will review 2025 and discuss what to expect in 2026 in the Silicon Valley startup ecosystem.
Please come with your questions and comments.
(This is not a pitch event. Startups will not be pitching to the panel.)
Dinner will be provided.
Agenda
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm Check In, Food, Networking, Demo Tables
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm Program
8:30 pm to 9:00 pm Networking
After Party
Panelists:
(More panelists TBA.)
Keshia Theobald-van Gent, Partner, Bdev Ventures
Alex Marquez, Senior Vice President & Global, Experian Ventures
Jim DiSanto, Founder and Managing Director, Motus Ventures
Jordan Wahbeh, Managing Partner, SV Venture Group
Arthur Mrozowski, Managing Partner, Silicon Hill Ventures
Paul Russo, Chairman & CEO, K2X Technology & Life Science
Moderator:
Roger Rappoport, Partner, Snell and Wilmer
If you would like a startup demo table or sponsor marketing table, send an email message to:
pitchanddemo@gmail.com
Put this in the subject header:
T 12/9/25 Tabler
Organizational Sponsors:
Insperity
HR-Solutions
Insperity champions the power of startups as a driving force behind America’s economic vitality.
Launching and scaling a successful business demands courage, resilience, and a relentless focus on building an exceptional workplace culture.
But it also requires getting the fundamentals right, from payroll and HR policies to employee benefits and regulatory compliance. That’s where Insperity comes in.
As a leader in outsourced human capital management, we deliver innovative HR solutions that help startups accelerate growth, reduce risk, and stay focused on what matters most: achieving their long-term vision.
Contact:
Lisa Fields
Business Performance Advisor
insperity.com/lisa.fields
Schedule a call
Lisa.Fields@insperity.com
Chordify, Inc
Helping Startups Grow
Need software development help for your startup?
Chordify provides Idea to MVP and fractional CTO services to ensure timely launches.
To learn how Chordify helps start-ups grow through offshore development and staff augmentation services, contact Ken Morris at:
LinkedIN: www.linkedin.com/in/kenmorris
www.chordify.com
GreenEventKit.com
Make Your Event Sustainable – Reusable Cups, Plates, Silverware & More!
Hosting an event?
We can help you reduce waste with our reusable dishware service.
We provide:
- Reusable cups and water dispensers
- Plates, forks, knives, and spoons
- Cloth napkins
Our service includes delivery, setup support, and post-event pickup with full washing. No hassle for you.
Perfect for private events with up to 125 guests.
Affordable. Efficient. Zero waste made easy.(Pricing negotiable)
Try our reusable plates, cups, and silverware at upcoming Idea to IPO events—and come chat with us about zero-waste catering for your own event.
Cut back on disposables. Fight climate change. Let’s make sustainability the standard.
Visit:
https://greeneventkit.com/
Crewz - shared rides better than Uber/Lyft at the price of public transit!
Crewz is a new type of shared rides app that helps riders and drivers to easily save 50%+ of their time, money, and emissions, while meeting new friends and business contacts through curated carpools.
We do this through a unique combination of traditional carpooling and shared Uber/Lyft/taxi rides, and we're focused on partnering with event organizers.
Anyone with a car can sign up and offer a ride in seconds and make up to $20 or more by picking up a fellow attendee.
How it works for users
1. click on the specific Crewz carpool link for your event
2. sign up as a driver, and/or rider and/or Uber/Lyft/Taxi rideshare
3. see others going to the same events or with similar trips (first name, last initial, other info optional)
4. see others' LinkedIn (if connected), and see a fair price for sharing fuel/etc. calculated based on distance
5. message others, if necessary
6. choose who to invite/accept
7. share rides, save money, and make new friends!
Event organizers, employers, universities, or investors, please contact:
Paul Breslow, PhD, CEO/Founder
paul@crewz.cowww.crewz.co
linkedin.com/in/paulbreslow
Calendar: crewz.co/mtg2 attendees
Past events
55
