Diversifying the Future of Food ft. Jennifer Stojkovic

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In this episode,  Amanda Hsieh talks with Jennifer Stojkovic, a General Partner at Joyful Ventures, an early-stage VC fund focused on sustainable protein. She is also the founder of Vegan Women Summit (VWS), a platform of over 50,000 women professionals in the future of food. In 2022, Jennifer published her debut award-winning book, The Future of Food Is Female: Reinventing the Food System to Save the Planet. Before her career in food technology, Jennifer built her career in Silicon Valley and worked with the world’s largest tech companies, including Google, Meta, and Microsoft.

The global population continues to increase exponentially. It’s predicted that we will reach 8 billion humans this year. The United Nation’s (UN) projections suggest that the world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050. Eliminating food insecurity and ensuring that everyone has consistent access to nutritious meals is sustainable development  priority that intersects with environmental issues (climate, pollution, water, land use, water), ethical concerns (animal welfare, worker safety), and economic development.

Listen as Amanda and Jennifer discuss the need for food innovation, including plant-based diets and cultivated meats to meet the demand to feed our world’s population. Jennifer also shares how this industry has a unique opportunity to have a great representation of leaders who are women and people of color, even though they face significant funding challenges. This episode shares exciting perspectives related to the future of food and the related DEI wins that can be garnered from an industry that has the potential to be led by women and minority business owners. And you do not have to be vegan to benefit! 

The 2023 Vegan Women Summit® (VWS) will be held May 18 -20, 2023, in New York City and will include topics regarding funding gaps for women and BIPOC, how to diversify venture capital, and exciting trends in the future of food. ESG Decoded listeners will receive 15% off Vegan Women Summit registration with DISCOUNT CODE: ESGDECODED.

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Episode Resource Links

The Future of Food Is Female: Reinventing the Food System to Save the Planet: https://www.amazon.com/Future-Food-Female-Reinventing-System/dp/B09WQBJQ74

Highlights from 2022 Industry Report: The State of Women in the Future of Food. https://www.veganwomensummit.com/2022-founder-report