Welcome to the fifth episode of Season 2 of the NJFPA Stradley Ronon Food Forum Podcast. In this episode, Craig Peck, Senior Manager of Business Development at Rutgers Food Innovation Center, speaks with Jessica Schwabach, co-founder and CEO of Sundial Foods. They talk about cutting-edge technology, plant-based foods, and unexpected entrepreneurship.

Guest Bio:

Jessica Schwabach is the CEO of Sundial Foods. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. She combines her love of scientific exploration and her desire to help food systems sustainably meet protein demands to create healthy, innovative meat alternatives.

Listeners will hear: 

• How a chance meeting and class project turned into cutting-edge technology and a new business.
• The strength of academic incubators in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
• Technology and food innovation are exciting, but the foundation of a strong company is people.
• How Sundial is building their company and culture of innovation.
• The surprise of coming from the California biotech world to the practicalities of food safety at Rutgers FIC. 
• Advice she would give a new entrepreneur and where Jessica gets the latest news on plant-based food industry news.

Download the Edited Interview Transcript