Food waste is a $25 billion problem for American supermarkets, but Josh Domingues has an app for that.

Josh is the founder and executive chairman of Flashfood, a simple but elegant application that directly connects consumers with local grocery stores to buy food nearing expiration at a huge discount. This approach is a win-win-win for all parties: grocers get paid for food they would throw out, customers get a massive discount, and less food waste ends up in pollutive landfills.

Josh spent his early career in finance and management, but a complaint from his sister, a chef, about how much food is thrown away after events set him on a new path to turn trash into treasure.

Hear how Josh turned a simple idea into a game-changing startup, why the grocery industry is moving towards sustainable innovation, and what’s next on Flashfood’s plate.

Episode Highlights 

00:00 Josh on the moment he realized Flashfood would work

00:52 Conor Gaughan introduces Josh Domingues and Flashfood

05:09 Growing up in Toronto, hockey, and entrepreneurial influences

12:02 Career in finance, management consulting, and path to founding

15:38 How a catering event led to the launch of Flashfood

23:05 Entering the marketplace, building a product, and pitching the idea

31:12 How FlashFood works today for consumers and businesses

37:48 Breaking into the industry and US vs Canadian grocers

41:57 Prioritizing sustainability, food security, and positive impact

48:46 Finding optimism

51:15 Where to learn more and end credits

If you liked this episode, listen next to Nick Whitman of Divert on Food Waste, Renewable Energy, and Impact Technology

More on Flashfood and Josh:

flashfood.com

linkedin.com/company/flashfoodinc

linkedin.com/in/joshdomingues

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at CiC@consensus-digital.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really makes a difference!

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two founders of 1953 Tequila, Lindsey Davis Stover and Shivam Mallick Shah, join Conor for a special in-person conversation to share how their ultra-premium, additive-free tequila is prioritizing sustainability, elevating women in the spirits industry, and also offering an awesome drinking experience.

Lindsey, Shivam, and the rest of the 1953 founding team met through Congressional campaigns for Virginia’s 10th district, and the idea for a women-led, luxury tequila company followed soon after. True to their mission, the founders secured a deal to source from an agave farmer who was passing his farm on to his daughters. Named after the year women in Mexico gained the right to vote, 1953 Tequila has shaken up the male-dominated spirits industry from day one, and it was recently named the Best Additive-Free Tequila by Men’s Journal.

As you’ll hear, Shivam Mallick Shah and Lindsey Davis Stover have big dreams for tequila and beyond.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Lindsey on pitching her crazy idea for a tequila company

00:48 Conor Gaughan introduces Lindsey, Shivam, and 1953 Tequila

02:00 Bureaucratic backgrounds and running for Congress

13:00 The idea to launch, women in spirits, and meeting agave farmers

20:32 Branding, the origin of the name, and making it additive free

28:10 Building in a new industry, getting to market, and finding distribution

33:09 Challenges as a women-led brand in a male-dominated industry

36:37 Social impact opportunity, sustainability, and doing good

41:35 Building for the future, remaining optimistic, and sources of inspiration

48:28 Where to learn more… or find a bottle!

50:00 Outro and end credits

The book Lindsey mentioned: What Do You Do With An Idea? by Kobi Yamada

Shivam meant to mention she is reading: Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens by her husband, Rajiv Shah.

If you liked this episode, listen next to John Little of Smooth Ambler Spirits Co. on Craft Distilling, Sustainable Growth, and Disrupting the Bourbon Industry

More on 1953 Tequila, Lindsey, and Shivam:

1953tequila.com and instagram.com/1953tequila

linkedin.com/in/lindsey-davis-stover-1b65707

linkedin.com/in/shivam-mallick-shah-54a953135

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at CiC@consensus-digital.com

As Conor mentioned in the show, we're taking a break for his birthday and we'll be back the first week of May with more great conversations!

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really makes a difference!

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manik Suri is implementing smart technology into cooling, ushering in the era of Cold Chain 2.0. Before founding GlacierGrid in 2020, Manik finished top of his class at Harvard, went to Cambridge for a masters in international relations, returned to Harvard for a law degree, co-founded the Governance Lab, with stops at storied institutions like DE Shaw and the White House Economic Council along the way.

Cooling technology has lagged behind other industries in the clean energy transition, but GlacierGrid’s all-in-one management platform is using smart technology to bridge that gap and build a more sustainable, advanced, and efficient cold chain.

Hear Manik share how he’s pursuing dual passions for entrepreneurship and positive impact, why cooling technology is vital for the modern world, and how smart technology can decarbonize an entire industry.

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Manik Suri on the planet’s cooling crisis

00:57 Conor Gaughan introduces Manik and GlacierGrid

07:00 Academic upbringing, Harvard, and international internships

16:03 Law school, The White House, and path to entrepreneurship

23:25 GlacierGrid’s rebrand, the hidden economy, and the cold chain

33:34 Pitching investors, aligning profits with impact, and future scale

40:09 Exciting innovations, long-term thinking, and staying positive

48:07 Where to learn more

49:03 Conclusion and end credits

If you liked this episode, listen next to Nick Whitman of Divert on Food Waste, Renewable Energy, and Impact Technology

More on GlacierGrid and Manik Suri:

glaciergrid.com

linkedin.com/company/glaciergrid

linkedin.com/in/maniksuri

Connect with Conor Gaughan on linkedin.com/in/ckgone and threads.net/@ckgone

Have questions, or a great idea for a potential guest? Email us at CiC@consensus-digital.com

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify – it really makes a difference!

Consensus in Conversation is a podcast by Consensus Digital Media produced in association with Reasonable Volume.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.