The Food Industry Needs to Adapt to a New Reality: Problem-Solving for The Future of Food

“If you want to get a billion people to change, that small barrier becomes a massive task, which no one has really cracked on how to do at scale really well.” – Andre Menezes.

Andres Menezes started his first business at 12 years old and looked at life, processes, and products with a simple question: Is there a better way?

Years later, this question led him from engineering to co-founding TiNDLE, which raised $130 million in capital, setting the record for the largest “Series A” ever raised by a plant-based meat company.

So, what was the recipe for success that took TiNDLE from starting from scratch during a global pandemic to becoming a world record breaker for funding? And what’s next for Andres?

• How can the lessons learned from this venture help businesses move forward?
• What is the future of the meat industry in the face of plant-based alternatives?
• How can businesses tackle the challenges of changing consumer habits?

In this episode, we dive into his incredible journey—from overcoming the challenges of starting a business from scratch to his strategies for success, his predictions for the future of the food industry, and the emerging trends in consumer behaviour.

If you’d like to skip along to key moments that work best for you – here you go:

• 00:00 Tech vs. Food Challenges
• 00:47 Guest Intro: Andre Menezes
• 03:49 Starting the Plant-Based Protein Venture
• 06:23 Teamwork in Business Challenges
• 09:07 Flaws in Animal Food Production
• 13:12 Changing Views on Meat Consumption
• 16:08 Insights on Future Food Leadership
• 19:45 Navigating Startup Uncertainty
• 23:00 Success in Rapid Growth
• 28:11 Expanding Business Internationally
• 34:18 Trends in Consumer Health
• 43:36 Defining Leadership in Business

About The Forward Podcast: In a world where technology intertwines with every aspect of our lives, how do industry experts and leaders plan to navigate forward? Explore bold moves and strategies for success amid constant disruption. Learn the ideas, behaviours, tools, and trends they’ll leave behind, and those they’ll carry forward to shape the future of work, life, and leadership.