The Spoon Podcast

By: The Spoon
  • Summary

  • Join host Michael Wolf and the Spoon editors as they explore the world of food tech, future food, ag tech and more!
    2024 The Spoon All Rights Reserved
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Episodes
  • Building a Smart Kitchen Product With Ome Kitchen's Akshita Iyer
    Oct 14 2024
    This week we are joined by Akshita Iyer, CEO and co-founder of Ome, a smart kitchen startup that’s revolutionizing home safety with its second-generation smart stove knob. Originally launched under the name Inirv, the company’s journey began with a simple idea born from a personal experience—retrofitting stoves to prevent kitchen fires and help those aging in place. From a 3D-printed prototype in 2016 to delivering their first product through Kickstarter, Iyer shares the highs and challenges of bringing a hardware product to life, including turning down a Shark Tank deal and navigating complex safety standards. Here's what we discuss in this week's podcast: Iyer shares how her mother’s experience with Parkinson’s and a kitchen fire inspired her to start the company. The challenges of developing the product, from idea to fully functional smart knob. Iyer's Shark Tank experience, including an offer from Robert Herjavec that they chose to decline. How Ome Smart Knob prevents fires by automatically shutting off burners, with a focus on helping older adults and those with cognitive decline. The UL 858 safety certification and the company’s role in updating industry standards. How insurance companies may someday incentivize the adoption of smart safety devices. How Ome is working with senior living communities to gather data on reducing cooking-related risks. You can find out more at Ome Kitchen (www.omekitchen.com). Join The Spoon this week for a live conversation with two scientists from NotCo on how they are using AI to create new flavors and fragrances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    21 mins
  • Food Scientist Ali Bouzari
    Oct 2 2024
    Ali Bouzari, a culinary scientist and co-founder of Pilot R&D, joins the podcast to discuss the intersection of food and technology. Bouzari shares his insights on the potential and limitations of AI and robotics in the culinary world, emphasizing the importance of approaching these tools with a critical eye. He also highlights the significant impact of climate change on the food industry, specifically citing the challenges facing chocolate production. Bouzari discusses his work at Pilot R&D, where his team assists food entrepreneurs in developing and scaling up new products. He describes their process, which includes ingredient sourcing, extensive trials, and sensory evaluations like the "smellathon." The episode concludes with Bouzari's reflections on the evolving food landscape, emphasizing the need for adaptability and a sense of culinary adventure in the face of global challenges Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • Sam Rose and Why She Loves Building Consumer Products
    Sep 20 2024
    Today's conversation is with Sam Rose, who has spent her entire career unraveling the complexities of bringing consumer products—often kitchen-related—to life. I first met Sam about eight years ago, introduced through our mutual friend, Scott Heimendinger, who was collaborating with Sam on developing a next-generation coffee grinder. But this wasn’t just any coffee grinder. It was a cutting-edge, tech-forward device that could sense the freshness of the beans, use burr grinders to achieve perfect consistency, and more. In other words, it was exactly the kind of innovative kitchen gadget that intrigued me, especially as someone who organized the Smart Kitchen Summit. However, Sam’s journey didn’t begin with coffee grinders. Her first product was much simpler—at least from a technology standpoint—and was inspired by a personal frustration. Disgusted with a cheap silicone spatula, Sam thought, "Why don’t I just make my own?" And that’s exactly what she did. Throughout her entrepreneurial journey, Sam has not only mastered the art of creating and selling her own consumer products to hundreds of thousands of customers but has also developed a comprehensive set of business processes and technologies to help others do the same. To top it off, she’s now investing in companies she believes she can help succeed—focusing on physical consumer products, a category that many investors shy away from. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 mins

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