Book Talk: The Future of Food Is Female: Reinventing the Food System to Save the Planet with Jennifer Stojkovic

General Partner of Joyful Ventures, Founder of Vegan Women Summit (VWS), and Author of The Future of Food is Female.

In 2020, Jennifer Stojkovic (external link, opens in new window)  founded Vegan Women Summit (VWS), a global media and events platform focused on empowering women to build a kinder, more sustainable world. VWS produces The Vegan Women Summit flagship conference, VWS Pathfinder, the world’s only pitch competition for women founders in the plant-based and animal-free industry, and VWS Connect, the industry’s food-tech job networking series. Since inception, VWS Pathfinder has reached over 1,000 women founders across 31 countries, while VWS Connect has connected over 2,000 jobseekers with major employers in the industry including Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, and Miyoko’s. The VWS community reaches over 40,000 women professionals across six continents, including founders, investors, executives, and industry advocates. 

In addition to VWS, Jennifer is an investor, advisor, and board member of numerous startups, including Lighter and MeliBio. As a strategic leader in the industry, she has led and advised on numerous projects including Hollywood films, presidential fundraisers, and PR campaigns. Most recently, she was an advisor on Richard Branson’s 2021 film, Eating Our Way to Extinction. 

Prior to entering the food tech industry, Jennifer built her career under prolific Silicon Valley investor, Ron Conway, Founder of SV Angel. Jennifer has worked closely with the world’s largest technology firms, such as Google, Microsoft, and Facebook, and with the CEOs of high-growth startups like WeWork, Cruise, and Postmates.

Jennifer has spoken at notable conferences, like Dreamforce and the World Knowledge Forum, as well as leading educational institutions including Harvard University, Berkeley University, and Duke University. She is a contributor to Rolling Stone and board member or advisor to several nonprofits, including Mercy for Animals, The Better Food Foundation, and Charlie’s Acres. 

After years of empowering and supporting women leaders, Jennifer now shares these inspiring insights and learnings in The Future of Food is Female — the industry’s first book to elevate women working in alternative protein and food technology. Featuring original interviews from industry titans, such as Heather Mills, Miyoko Schinner, and Pinky Cole, Jennifer’s work has received early praise from notable founders and CEOs, including Kyle Vogt, Uma Valeti, and Josh Tetrick. She hopes this book empowers future generations to reevaluate and change how we collectively approach food.

CEO and Cofounder, FreshSpoke

Marcia Woods launched one of the first digital design & marketing agencies in the GTA in 1997. She has since gone on to found two more start-ups but it is her passion for food and technology that continues to be the driving force behind FreshSpoke (external link, opens in new window) . Marcia was also a professor in the School of Business at Georgian College and sat on the advisory board for Georgian College’s School of Business. She was awarded the 2021 Shift Disturber Award by the City of Barrie and led FreshSpoke to win the 2020 Chamber of Commerce Growth Award and the 2017 Ontario Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation.