Welcome to the Founder’s Table

Is Better Food Better for Business? An Industry Report Card

With food industry thought leader, Hank Cardello

Hank Cardello is a renowned authority on the food and beverage industry and a regular contributor to Forbes, covering consumer health, sustainability and societal issues. His career spans decades of senior leadership at global food and beverage companies, including Cadbury-Schweppes, Coca-Cola USA, Anheuser-Busch and General Mills. His perspectives have appeared across numerous national media outlets, from Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and TIME magazine to CNN, NPR, Good Morning America and CNBC. He holds a B.S. degree from Lehigh University and an MBA from Wharton Graduate School, University of Pennsylvania.

Who’s Responsible for Making Food Better?

With journalist and investor, Charles Shepard

Charles “Charlie” Shepard is an author and Pulitzer Prize-Winning former journalist who spent two decades reporting for the Charlotte (NC) Observer and the Washington Post. His in-depth investigations at the Observer led to federal convictions and prison terms for executives at the United Way and the PTL television ministry. He later authored Jim Bakker’s biography, Forgiven: The Rise and Fall of Jim Bakker and the PTL Ministry. He is a graduate of Harvard University and holds an MBA from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.

Food Safety and Making Food Better - Science vs Sentiment

With food toxicologist, David Bechtel

David Bechtel is a recognized international authority in toxicology, with an emphasis on food and nutrient safety, chemical carcinogenesis and risk assessment. A board-certified toxicologist, he worked for decades in food science and regulation for big food companies and consultancies, including General Foods and Best Foods, and has authored countless scientific articles, internal reports and assessments. He holds a PhD in Industrial Health (Toxicology) from the University of Michigan and currently serves on the Board of Directors and as Treasurer of The Toxicology Forum.