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2025 Conference Speakers

We will be joined by a breadth of founders, investors, industry experts, and advocates who will share their experiences of navigating and building in today’s food ecosystem.

Keynote Fireside Chat

Rachel Drori

Founder, Executive Chair, & Former CEO at Daily Harvest

Rachel Drori is the founder, Executive Chair, and former CEO of Daily Harvest, a platform making it easy for modern consumers to enjoy sustainably grown fruits and vegetables. Rachel launched Daily Harvest in 2016 as a direct-to-consumer company to address the challenge of balancing a busy lifestyle with eating nutritious food. What began with Rachel personally delivering meals across New York City has evolved into a trailblazing company redefining the frozen food industry. With a focus on sustainability, customer-centricity, and innovation, Daily Harvest has expanded its reach and has partnered with major retailers like Kroger, Target, and Costco. The company’s mission is clear: to care for food so it can care for us, creating a healthier and more sustainable future.

Before founding Daily Harvest, Rachel honed her expertise as a customer-focused marketing executive, leading teams at Gilt Groupe, American Express, and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Christina Roberto - Moderator 

Mitchell J. Blutt and Margo Krody Blutt Presidential Associate Professor of Health Policy at Perelman School of Medicine
Director, Psychology of Eating and Consumer Health (PEACH) Lab

Christina A. Roberto, PhD, is the Mitchell J. Blutt and Margo Krody Blutt Presidential Associate Professor of Health Policy at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also the Founding Director of the Penn Center for Food and Nutrition Policy. The Center studies policies to promote healthy eating and create more equitable food systems. Dr. Roberto holds a Psychology degree from Princeton and a joint-PhD from Yale in clinical psychology and chronic disease epidemiology. A National Academy of Medicine Emerging Leader Fellow, she completed her clinical internship at Yale and was a Robert Wood Johnson Scholar at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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Panel 1: Empowering Local Communities

How can local food systems better balance sustainability, accessibility, and equity? What are the most significant barriers to empowering local communities, and how can organizations work to overcome them? How can local food systems serve as a model for addressing global food security challenges? 

Panel 2: Building Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems

How to educate consumers about the benefits of responsible sourcing? Many believe sustainability is expensive or exclusive - how to make products or solutions accessible while maintaining commitment to sustainability? Are there any emerging trends that are particularly exciting – food, consumer, tech or otherwise?

Happy Hour

Ila Byrne

Co-Founder, Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer at Parch

Ila Byrne is a celebrated spirits marketer and beverage innovator, currently serving as Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer at Parch, where she drives sustainable and holistic beverage innovation. Named by Forbes as one of the “Women Running the Spirits World,” Ila is renowned for creating multi-million-dollar breakthroughs that transformed iconic brands, including Ketel One, Crown Royal, Baileys, and Don Julio. She led the development of Ketel One Botanical Vodka and Crown Royal Canned Cocktails while architecting Diageo’s global “low & no” strategy, delivering measurable business growth. With 15+ years of experience and a passion for the future of holistic drinking, Ila continues shaping purpose-driven, sustainable beverages.

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Featured Brands

We will be joined by local food and food tech founders during our lunch session who will be sharing samples of their products.

Food Innovation Lab Cohort Brands

Annabel Buckfire, Rachel Goldman (Ambrosi)

Natural coffee syrups

Daniel Albert, Alexandre Kern, & Jose Rivero (International Beverage Company)

Globally inspired beverages

Dhruti Shah & Arjun Setty (Pataka)

Vegetarian paneer patties: a modern twist on a classic Indian dish

 

Sneha Mokkala (Pop Tofu)

Tofu nuggets

Veronica Rivera (SABE)

Individual dressing packets with ingredients you know and quality you can taste

Feifei Yu (Brand name TBD)

Mooncakes

©2025 by Wharton Agribusiness, Food and Beverage Club

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