Drew Peterson (MSB’25) moderated the Tastemakers in Food and Beverage panel at Georgetown’s 2024 Venture in the Capital Conference. Panelists were Ron Shaich, founder and former CEO of Panera Bread and chairman of Cava; Seth Goldman, co-founder of Honest Tea and Eat the Change and chair of Beyond Meat; Peter McGuinness, CEO of Impossible Foods; and Solomon Choi, founder of 16 Handles.
Shaich called himself “an overnight success in 45 years” and described transforming his company four times, and why going public is a starting point rather than an end. Goldman shared how he launched Honest Tea after finding nothing he wanted to drink. Choi explained how he bootstrapped 16 Handles during the Great Recession and used technology and supply chain control to compete. McGuinness and Goldman discussed the slowdown in plant-based meat and why they still see the category growing. Shaich also described writing an annual premortem to reflect on what matters in life and work.