SWORL Pre-Event featuring John Rivers!

TechStars Startup Weekend Orlando 2021 (startupWeekendOrlando.com) is coming! Building up to that, we are privileged to have John Rivers (CEO of 4Rivers Smokehouse), talking to you about his journey along the entrepreneurship road.

Learn more about how transformative SWORL can be and RSVP NOW to join us at StarterStudio for food, drinks, networking, and some fun prizes! :)

Meet the Speaker- JOHN RIVERS

Following a 20-year career in healthcare, John Rivers retired as President of a $1.5 billion company to pursue a lifelong dream of opening a restaurant. In 2009, John created his first concept, 4 Rivers Smokehouse, which quickly became one of the fastest-growing restaurants in the Southeast. The business grew to 22 locations to include John’s other concepts, the Southern-inspired COOP, the Mexican themed Cantina at Disney Springs, and the farm-to-table 4Roots Café. 4 Rivers garnered national recognition being named “The South’s Best BBQ” by Southern Living, and the “#1 BBQ Restaurant Chain” by MSN.

Born out of John’s garage, the “barbeque ministry” remains at the heart of the company’s mission to lift up those in need and help build better communities. The culmination of the 4R Foundation’s work, the Orlando based 4Roots Farm will serve as a community campus to inspire revolutionary change in Florida’s food system through education on sustainable and regenerative farming, advancements in agriculture technology, and research in culinary medicine via the launch of the Culinary Health Institute.

Author of The Southern Cowboy Cookbook and graduate of Florida State University College of Business, where he served on the Board of Governors, John has been named one of the Restaurant Industry’s Power 20 Leaders by Restaurant Business & News, Restauranteur of the Year by Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, and Orlando Magazine’s “50 Most Powerful, 15 to Watch”. John had the honor of cooking at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City and was twice named a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

John serves on the FDACS Food Security Advisory Council and the Department of Agriculture Innovation Committee for the State of Florida and is a member of the Florida Governor’s Council of 100. John lives in Winter Park with his wife and two children and serves on the boards of numerous schools, churches, and local charitable organizations.

Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to hear from Mr. Rivers, learn about Startup Weekend and great networking. RSVP now!