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Tuesday, June 9th, 2026
8:00AM – 4:30PM
Trayes Hall
100 George Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Register now for early bird pricing!
$99 through April 30. Price increases to $195 on May 1.
Just announced: keynote speakers
Founder, President and CEO, BlueNalu
Head of Nestlé Product Technology Center, Nestlé Health Science
Agenda
| 08:00 – 08:55am | Registration, continental breakfast, and networking |
| 09:00 – 09:05am | Conference Opening, Remarks and MC for the day: Sho Islam, Middlesex County |
| 09:05 – 09:15 am | Registration, continental breakfast, and networking |
| 09:15 – 09:25 am | Nolan Lewin introduces: Laura Lawson, Rutgers Jim Oehmke, Rutgers |
| 09:25 – 09:45am | Keynote Value that Wins: Creating Your Company’s Value Proposition and Product-Market Fit Lou Cooperhouse, BlueNalu |
| 09:45 – 10:25am | The Capital Recipe: Investor Insights and Outlook for Food and Ag Tech Industry. Who’s Investing, How, and Why Tom Mastrobuoni, Big Idea Ventures Jay Bhatti, 49 Alpha Robert Grey , Plug and Play Steven Finn, Siddhi Capital Moderator: James Barrood, Innovation+ |
| 10:25 – 10:35am | Morning break |
| 10:35 – 11:15am | Food Safety, Regulation, and Traceability: Building Trust in a Changing Food System Debbie Levin, Ingredion Konstantin Paradizov, Eukodyne Valerie Consaga Bober, Pret A Manger Moderator: Don Schaffner, Rutgers |
| 11:15 – 11:55am | What Makes or Breaks a New Product Launch: Retailer and Distributors’ Perspectives on Velocity, Promotions, and Consumer Engagement John Lawson, Whole Foods Mark Eggerding, US Foods; Moderator |
| 11:55 – 12:05pm | Powering New Jersey’s Innovation Economy: Resources that Help Food & Beverage Companies Grow |
| 12:05 – 12:50pm | Lunch and networking |
| 12:50 – 01:10pm | Keynote Strategic Partnerships to Accelerate Nutrition Innovation: Translating Science into Market Opportunities and Regulatory Success for Startups and Innovators Eugenia Oton, Nestle Product Technology Center, Nestle Health Science |
| 01:10 – 01:50pm | Nutrition for a New Era: Forward-looking Insights on How Food Technology and Innovation Will Influence Nutrition, Wellness, and Global Systems, Including Alternative Ingredients Dillon Friday, PhD, Symrise David Benzaquen, Mission Plant Moderator: Kalindi Bakshi, PhD, Middlesex County |
| 01:50 – 02:30pm | Clicks to Forks: How Brands Are Using Social Media Trends, AI Marketing tools, Immersive Experiences, and Analytics to Connect with Consumers Kun Yang, Pricklee Gonca Esendemir, Thumbread Joseph Chen, Joey Seed Crisps Moderator: Brian Choi, The Food Institute |
| 02:30 – 02: 40pm | Afternoon break |
| 02:40 – 03:30pm | Round table Breakout Sessions led by Joseph Liberato, Middlesex County Session 1: Natural Food Dye Trends and Insights by PHYTOLON Session 2: NJEDA Grants and Incentives for Food and Beverage Industry |
| 03:30 – 03:35pm | Closing Remarks Nolan Lewin, Executive Director, Rutgers FIC |
| 03:35 – 05:00pm | Networking reception |