Storytelling: Through the Fire

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At Farmigo (http://www.farmigo.com/), we believe that one of the first steps towards transforming the food industry is to change the way we think about food, technology, and community - disrupting the current status quo to make way for something fantastic and new.

With that goal in mind, we'll be hosting a series of talks and events throughout the year. Our kick-off event will spotlight four, local entrepreneurs, as they share their stories and experiences about working in the New York City food world.

The question of the night - How have you been burned in the past, and what did it teach you? We've all been hurt, personally or professionally, literally or metaphorically; the real story is in how we adapt to and learn from the moment.

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• Benzi Ronen (Moderator); Founder and CEO of Farmigo (http://www.farmigo.com/) - After spending a decade working in the technology industry, Benzi decided to focus his next venture on using technology to transform the suburban food system, which had become efficient, yet unsustainable and impersonal. As founder and CEO of Farmigo, he's working to make local, farm-to-table food easily available, by bringing people together in neighborhoods across America.

• Erin Fairbanks (Speaker); Executive Director at Heritage Radio Networks (http://www.heritageradionetwork.org/) - Erin got started in the food industry as a line cook at the renowned Manhattan restaurant, Gramercy Tavern. From there, she went on to become Director of the Farm Camp at the Flying Pigs Farm in Upstate NY. Now, she's the Executive Director at Heritage Radio Networks, committed to archiving, protecting, and advancing America's food culture.

• Josh Hix (Speaker); Co-Founder of Plated (https://www.plated.com/) - Plated delivers everything you need to start cooking chef-designed recipes straight to your door, with a new menu every week featuring fresh, ready-to-cook foods. From co-founding ZeeWise, a software tool for retail businesses to co-founding PlusScrn, a media ad building platform for mobile, he's an old hand in the tech industry.

• Brian Leventhal (Speaker); Co-Founder and CEO of Brooklyn Winery (http://bkwinery.com/) - Brian's varied background - raising capital, managing event businesses, helping tech startups, and more - left him well provisioned to found his urban winery, turning out locally crafted wines in the heart of Williamsburg. His favorite? The Babs Chardonnay (named after his mother!).

• Alison Cayne (Speaker); Founder and Owner of Haven's Kitchen (http://havenskitchen.com/) - Alison dreamt of a food community where people could learn about, prepare, and share delicious food that sustains people, our environment, and our local economy...so she built just that, right in the heart of New York City, where her haven for sustainable eating has flourished.

...and more to come!*

Come early and enjoy yourself in our airy Gowanus offices, right on the canal with drinks and snacks. Then settle in to listen, think, get inspired.

*If you're interested in participating as a speaker, please e-mail andrea@farmigo.com