Startup Cafe: How I Went From Tech To Film To Food (And What I Learned Along The Way)
☕️Startup Cafe: How I Went From Tech To Film To Food (And What I Learned Along The Way)
Agenda
8:45 - 9:30 am • Coffee and Socialize
9:30- 11:00 am • Talk and Presentation
March 18th, 2026
Jacob Pechenik
Jacob Pechenik is a serial entrepreneur and operator driven by curiosity, reinvention, and a deep desire to challenge industry norms. With a BS in Chemical Engineering from MIT, Jacob began his career building early technology platforms — from TechTrader, a B2B supply chain marketplace, to YellowJacket Software, a peer-to-peer derivatives trading platform serving energy, weather, and agricultural markets.
Unbound by a single sector, he next explored creative storytelling as founder of Venture Forth, a film finance and production company focused on high-quality, impact-driven work. Along the way, he discovered that the same principles that drive innovation — humility, curiosity, and willingness to start from scratch — could reshape how we think about fundamental systems like food.
In 2017, Jacob co-founded The Farm Project, a Public Benefit Corporation dedicated to transforming the food system, and Lettuce Grow, a consumer platform empowering people to grow healthy food at home.
His work today sits at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and everyday life — helping families reconnect with food, improve health, and reimagine what a resilient food future can look like.
Oliver English is a Filmmaker, Chef & Food Advocate. Oliver is the CEO & CO-Founder of Common Table Creative, a compact-driven production company focused on the future of food. He Co-directed and produced the company's flagship award-winning documentary, Feeding Tomorrow.
Growing up in his family’s restaurants, he has been intimately involved in the world of food ever since. For the past several years, he led the company’s international development, opening restaurants throughout North America, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. He has learned first-hand the positive and negative effects of globalization and climate change on the world's food system, which have instilled a fierce desire to highlight these issues and inspire real change in the world through visual and experiential storytelling.
Oliver is a graduate of Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration and a member of the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL).@Oliver_English
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