Tomorrow's Bites with Andrés and Sjacco

Wendy Luong, known as Wendy The Food Scientist, is a dynamic food scientist and content creator with over 500K followers. In this discussion, she reveals how merging food science and creativity helped her build a loyal community. Wendy discusses the importance of personal branding, transitioning from baking mixes to impactful content creation, and her journey through burnout to authenticity. She shares the viral success of her unique tofu recipe, emphasizing growth strategies and the significance of building trust in today's food landscape.

What if you could follow a startup’s evolution, not through press releases, but in real time, as it happens?Welcome to Build in Public, a new series from Tomorrow’s Bites where we sit down every month with Andres Jara, co-founder of Favamole, to document what it really takes to grow a food startup from the inside out.In this first episode, Andres joins Sjacco and Andres to reflect on Favamole’s latest wins and setbacks: getting listed with major wholesalers, refining their messaging, and navigating the long road of scaling a regenerative food business.We unpack:The highs and lows of Favamole’s last monthWhy being present, and telling your story, is key to growthThe messy reality of B2B food sales and product positioningHow a strong mission attracts the right partners (and patience tests your limits)The founder mindset needed to ride the wave instead of chasing itListen now to follow Favamole’s journey as it unfolds, month by month, challenge by challenge, and discover what it really means to build a meaningful food startup in public.

What if the next big climate solution didn’t come from a lab or a boardroom, but from a student space farming challenge?That’s exactly what happened to Morgan and Feodor, two students from Wageningen University who joined forces with others to rethink food for astronauts, and ended up creating a breakthrough that could change farming here on Earth.Their idea, AstroGel, is a biodegradable, seaweed-based hydrogel designed to replace peat, the world’s most widely used plant substrate, responsible for massive CO₂ emissions and soon to be banned in the EU. What started as a concept for Mars missions could now help greenhouses transition to more sustainable practices.In this special episode in collaboration with WUR, we explore:How a space challenge led to a carbon-negative farming innovationWhy peat is both essential and destructive in today’s food systemThe scrappy student journey from whiteboard sketches to industry testsWhat they learned about failure, prototypes, and pitching under pressureWhy curiosity and bold ideas might be the missing ingredient in climate solutions🙏 LEAVE A REVIEW If you like our podcast please leave us a review on your favourite platform – even one sentence helps! Thank you for your support; it helps the show a lot and it helps others to discover the show! 👋 GET IN TOUCH WITH US👥 ⁠Linkedin⁠📸 ⁠Instagram⁠🌎 ⁠⁠Website⁠😊 The Startup: The HABLook into WUR Student Challenges & Rethink Food Challenges

What if your first idea... isn't the right one?That’s exactly what happened to Tälist, the alt-protein recruitment company co-founded by Pia Voltz.After dozens of interviews with founders and ecosystem players, Pia and her team realized the real bottleneck in food innovation wasn’t product development—it was people.Tälist first launched as a boutique executive search firm.But it quickly hit a wall: the service wasn’t scalable or affordable for the very companies they wanted to serve.So they pivoted.In this short, Pia shares how they shifted from 1:1 recruitment to building a matchmaking platform—complete with AI tools, a job board, and a curated talent pool—to support startups at scale.She also opens up about what most hiring platforms get wrong, and how Tälist is rethinking recruitment to make it faster, more inclusive, and better for the planet.In 9 minutes, you’ll learn the power of listening, letting go, and designing for real needs.

What if the innovations designed to feed astronauts on Mars could solve food security challenges here on Earth?In this special Tomorrow’s Bites episode, we sit down with Bart van Meurs, director of Division Q, and Charlotte Pouwels, analog astronaut and space mission leader, who both served as jury members for Wageningen University’s Student Challenges. Together, they reveal how the technologies tested for farming in space, like hydroponics, vertical farming, and AI-driven monitoring, are already shaping the future of horticulture and sustainable food systems on Earth.We explore:Why resource scarcity in space mirrors the challenges of urban food systemsHow vertical farming and hydroponics born from space research are revolutionizing citiesThe surprising psychological role plants play for astronauts, and what it means for usWhy water recycling in space could redefine how we handle wastewater on EarthThe startups that caught their attention with game-changing solutions🙏 LEAVE A REVIEW If you like our podcast please leave us a review on your favourite platform – even one sentence helps! Thank you for your support; it helps the show a lot and it helps others to discover the show! 👋 GET IN TOUCH WITH US👥 ⁠Linkedin⁠📸 ⁠Instagram⁠🌎 ⁠⁠Website⁠😊 The Guests: Look into WUR Student Challenges

What happens when your startup grows faster than your mission?For Rodrigo García, co-founder of Notpla, the answer is not as simple as “scale faster.”When you’re trying to replace plastic with seaweed-based packaging, ambition isn’t enough.You need to reinvent entire systems, change how people think about waste, and balance speed with integrity.In this short episode, we explore the tension that every mission-led startup eventually faces:How do you stay true to your values while scaling impact?Rodrigo shares what they’ve learned along the way.From navigating investor expectations to redefining product success.In 8 minutes, we dive into the messy middle of building something that matters.Listen to the whole conversation with Rodrigo ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.👋 GET IN TOUCH WITH US👥 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🌎⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

To revolutionize farming we need a solution that will change the life of farmers.That’s exactly what Daniel Reisman set out to do. After leaving behind a career in sales and a plan to start his own farm, Daniel co-founded Collie, a startup that’s rethinking livestock management with virtual fencing technology. By replacing physical fences with sound and vibration signals, Collie helps farmers move cows with an app—saving hours of labor, improving soil health, and making regenerative practices more practical.In this episode of Tomorrow’s Bites, Daniel shares the story of Collie’s beginnings, from scrappy prototypes strapped to cows’ necks to convincing skeptical farmers that the system really works.We explore:Why Daniel traded his dream of farming for food system innovationHow virtual fencing saves farmers time and unlocks regenerative grazingThe biggest lessons (and mistakes) from building agri-tech hardwareWhy trust is the biggest barrier for farm adoptionHow Collie plans to expand from the Netherlands to farms across EuropeAnd much more...🙏 LEAVE A REVIEW If you like our podcast please leave us a review on your favourite platform – even one sentence helps! Thank you for your support; it helps the show a lot and it helps others to discover the show! 👋 GET IN TOUCH WITH US👥 ⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠📸 ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠🌎 ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠😊 The Guest: Daniel Reisman✅ Their Work: Collie

How do you validate a startup idea without spending a cent on tech?By being scrappy, fast, and obsessed with solving a real problem.In this 8-minute episode, we hear how Tessa Clarke and her co-founder tested Olio with just a WhatsApp group—and how a simple food share (a bag of shallots!) unlocked their conviction to go all in.Instead of raising capital for a perfect product, they built an MVP that was only slightly better than WhatsApp. But that was enough.What followed was a surprising twist: people loved the idea so much, they had no food to share.So they launched the Food Waste Heroes program. And now, 135,000+ trained volunteers are redistributing food across communities.From idea to impact, this is the mindset every founder should hear.In 8 minutes, you’ll see how the best startups begin. With simplicity, speed, and strangers.Listen to the whole conversation with Tessa ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.👋 GET IN TOUCH WITH US👥 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🌎⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What if the future of farming wasn’t measured in harvests, but in centuries?In this episode of Tomorrow’s Bites, we sit down with Peter Michel Heilmann, a lifelong change-maker who has helped launch global sustainability movements and is now focused on one bold mission: building a 1000 Year Vision movement to secure the future of family farms.Peter believes farmers are the stewards of our land, yet they are trapped in broken financial systems that leave them asset-rich but cash-poor. His solution blends regenerative agriculture, innovative financing, and long-term trusts to protect farmland, empower farmers, and keep value in rural communities for generations to come.We explore:Why traditional finance fails farmers,and how to fix it.Why cash flow, not land, is the biggest risk for farmers.How debt, banks, and sale, leaseback deals trap farmers in poverty.Why short-term profit thinking is destroying food systems.The role of trusts and foundations in protecting farmland for the future.How regenerative farming must also be about regenerating culture and community.and much more...🙏 LEAVE A REVIEW If you like our podcast please leave us a review on your favourite platform – even one sentence helps! Thank you for your support; it helps the show a lot and it helps others to discover the show! 👋 GET IN TOUCH WITH US👥 ⁠Linkedin⁠📸 ⁠Instagram⁠🌎 ⁠⁠Website⁠😊 The Guest: Peter Michel Heilmann

What if the biggest barrier for food entrepreneurs isn’t funding, branding, or even product-market fit?It’s access.Access to kitchens. To community. To systems that work.In this short episode, Sami Simreen, co-founder of Kico Kitchen, shares how his team turned a failed zero-waste restaurant plan into a thriving co-working kitchen for food entrepreneurs in The Hague.He unpacks the invisible struggles of early-stage founders and why sustainability becomes a privilege if support systems aren’t in place.We talk about what most founders get wrong, why no idea is ever truly original, and how to build something people genuinely need, not just something that sounds good on paper.In 10 minutes, we explore how Kico Kitchen is reshaping the food startup landscape from the ground up.Listen to the whole conversation with Sami ⁠here⁠⁠⁠👋 GET IN TOUCH WITH US👥 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🌎⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠