Inside a Unicorn Journey: Matthew Wadiak (Founder of Blue Apron)

​This fireside will be led by Ranbir Arora, Co Founder and CEO of Oneday, interviewing Matthew Wadiak on what it really takes to build a company through the messy middle and into unicorn territory.

​Matthew Wadiak is the Founder and former COO of Blue Apron, a business that was valued above $1B and reached roughly $2.2B in private markets before going public (and around $1.89B at IPO).

​He helped shape the operating engine behind the brand, and later stepped down from the COO role to become a senior adviser as the company navigated life post IPO.

​We’ll talk about what it really takes to scale when the fun part wears off and the pressure starts. The conversations behind the metrics, the uncomfortable trade offs between speed, quality, and economics, and the operational chaos that never makes it into the story founders tell publicly. Matthew will share what surprised him most as Blue Apron grew, what he’d do differently if he started again, and what lessons only show up once you’re deep in it and there’s no easy reset button.

​Bring your questions for Matthew Wadiak

​Come ready to ask anything, from early ops decisions and supply chain realities to hiring, scale pains, and staying sane when the stakes get very real.

​A bit more background on Matthew Wadiak

​Before Blue Apron, Matthew trained at the Culinary Institute of America and worked in the Bay Area food scene, including at Oliveto in Oakland. He has been a vocal advocate for sustainable growing practices and building closer alignment between what consumers want and what farmers are actually paid to grow, which influenced how Blue Apron built farm partnerships and positioned its mission early on. 

​This session is part of our new Fireside series with entrepreneurs who have built billion dollar companies, focused on the decisions, trade offs, and operating realities you do not get from highlight reels.