Tech Bites Heritage Radio Network

Mushrooms are suddenly everywhere. Products ranging from functional beverages to mood-changing supplements have popped up in media, online, and in-market. What’s the difference between functional mushrooms and adaptogens? Do they really work? On this episode of Tech Bites, host Jennifer Leuzzi talks with Charlotte Cruze, Co-Founder and COO of Alice Mushrooms, a functional mushroom chocolate, and Ben LeVine, Co-Founder and Chief Herbalist of Rasa, an adaptogen coffee alternative, about how mushrooms work and what consuming them can do. Interested in the mushroom trend? Listen to Tech Bites Episode 286 with Meati Foods, the mycelium mushroom root steaks.

Mushrooms are suddenly everywhere. Products ranging from functional beverages to mood-changing supplements have popped up in media, online, and in-market. On this episode of Tech Bites, host Jennifer Leuzzi talks with Tyler Huggins, CEO and Co-Founder of Meati Foods, about their debut product line of cutlets and steaks made from mycelium mushroom root. The whole-food protein meat is cultivated using a modernized version of ancient and natural processes, with thew intention of helped preserve Earth's ecosystems. Interested in the mushroom trend? Listen to Tech Bites Episode 287 with Alice Mushrooms and Rasa Coffee-Alternative.

Are you a content creator looking to impact change and support Black owned businesses? There’s an app for that. Spicy Green Book. On this episode of Tech Bites, host Jennifer Leuzzi talks with returning guest Danilo Batson, about the success and growth of Spicy Green Book, a directory of Black-owned food and hospitality businesses. The non-profit organization uses volunteers, like photographers and designers, to work with business to create the content and listings. Currently Spicy Green Book is in more than 35 states, with an app for both the Apple App and Google Play stores.

It has been said on this podcast that we are in an unprecedented time of investment in the food tech space. Companies that get funding today make the products you will see in stores tomorrow. On this episode of Tech Bites, host Jennifer Leuzzi talk with Fazeela Abdul Rashid of Revolution Growth about how she evaluates companies for investments. Revolution Growth, a venture capital fund investing in growth-stage companies around the country that are leading disruption within their industry including Meati, the Boulder-based alternative whole-food proteins company, and Curbio, a proptech platform for pre-sale home renovation. Fazeela sits on the board for each company.

We care deeply about where our food comes from, scrutinizing how it’s grown to who prepares it and the values of the companies along the supply chain. Do we care about the person who takes it the last mile, delivering it to your door? In 2020 delivery workers in NYC created Los Deliveristas Unidos demanding five essential rights: a living wage, essential protection from theft, violence, wage theft, and safety hazards. They are still essential and unprotected. On this episode, host Jenifer Leuzzi talks with Ligia Guallpa, executive director of the Worker’s Justice Project (WJP), and Josh Wood, delivery driver and leader of Los Deliveristas Unidos (LDU) about how the current ecosystem of delivery apps de-humanizes workers, and the real world costs of convenience.

Meet the Forbes 30 Under 30 Food & Drink class of 2023. The annual list identifies and applauds young innovators and entrepreneurs who are redefining the way we eat, drink, and think about food. On this episode of Tech Bites, host Jennifer Leuzzi talks with Forbes Under 30 editors Chloe Sorvino and Kristin Stoller about the trends and companies on this year's list. One of this year’s winners, Téa Ivanovic, talks about her company Immigrant Food, gastroadvocacy, and the impact of being on the list.