Barry Horwitz

What I learned this week…. About eight years ago, I had dinner with one of the ABCD CEOs on a snowy night in Greenwich, Connecticut. I wondered aloud, “Might changing consumer preferences in Food is Health unravel the ABCD franchise permanently?” In that world, farmers would take more control of processing, vertically integrate, and contract more directly with CPGs/grocery. Milling and transportation would need to be a commodity. Crazy, I know. But maybe not when we try to eliminate the $1.9T spent on the healthcare cost of poor nutrition. 1) A startup is forming virtual regenerative Co-Ops and successfully disintermediating ADM, Bunge, Cargill, and Dreyfus (ABCD). It may be ephemeral or the start of a Creative Destruction cycle. I will likely scale 100x before ABCD sees the threat coming. Even at higher costs, it works because it creates new downstream value. 2) We probably need data from at least 1M acres of production farmland to train a data set that illuminates the linkage between crop inputs/practices and variability in nutritional density. (educated guess). 3) Near term, it likely makes more sense to understand the linkage of nutrient density and crops in heritage grains, wheat, barley, and crops other than corn/soy. Improving nutrient density has more marginal value for users of these grains because they are trying to optimize other factors like alcohol production. 4) Can Kraft Heinz's new CEO, a professed health nut, transform his business with Kaft’s core competencies alone? Or will Kraft need to master the supply chain to engineer quality, nutrient-dense, healthy options? I think I know the answer. 5) Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis may be tied to microbiome imbalance. With further linkage to HRV/vagus nerve. Triggered by an infection destabilizing the microbiome. Possible treatment using checkpoint (PD-1) inhibitors. Philip Strandwitz 6) We need to examine Heart Rate Variability (HRV) more as a key biomarker. Especially the link between stress, microbiome, and metabolic health. 7) If seed, spray, and other mechanical/electromagnetic/directed energy weed control improves, will some farmers pursue crop rotations they avoided because those alternatives lack “Roundup Ready” traits? SwarmFarm Robotics 8) Life insurance agents are buying medical tailored meals for their clients. The only institution that really wants you to live forever is life insurance Erin Martin, MASM 9) On week 2 of the Prolon Fast (one week every month), I am down another 7 lbs. I lost fat, not muscle mass. I will have blood work and a DEXA scan after the next fast. Day 5 is hard. 10) I can’t have a meal with friends without the topic turning to diet and health. The latent desire for Food is Health, driven partly by the Ozempic option, is a largely untapped market set to disrupt CPG and ABCD. #foodishealth Ellen Brown Katie Stebbins Brad Fruth Salar Shemirani Carlos Abrams-Rivera

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Wonderful article about Emily Knight and the whole The Engine Accelerator team on the amazing work their doing changing the world with #ToughTech!

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Make America Health Again is a big topic. A new set of policymakers start work in January. Investors are trying to understand the changes. There is a collective intrigue on what innovations will speed better food, better health, and improve the climate. Affordable and scalable. As a venture firm we see 1000s of new technologies and companies over the years. And many entrepreneurs working on these issues. As well as great advisors who have spent a lifetime studying disease, agriculture, and innovation. As part of the Food is Health Revolution, we will are hosting a series of presentations, each bite size, to help connect with entrepreneurs, industry professionals, investors and policy makers focused on Food is Health. Our next session is Friday at 9 central time. 8 presentations, each 15 mins, with 5 mins of Q&A. Register to attend or receive the replay. https://lnkd.in/gC4ApA4M

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Refrigeration and the cold chain play critical roles in our lives, but their climate impact can’t be ignored. 🌡️🌍 Thrilled to see Rebound Technologies Inc. featured in The Boston Globe and leading the charge with innovative solutions to tackle this pressing challenge. Their advancements in thermal energy storage not only save energy but also pave the way for a more sustainable food system. Check out their latest LinkedIn post and the Globe article to learn more! #Cleantech #ClimateSolutions #ColdChainInnovation #EnergyEfficiency #SustainableFuture #SkyviewVentures

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Have a story to tell... Use Narratize AI Co-Authoring platform to tell your stories in an impactful manner. Katie Trauth Taylor, PhD and the entire team is committed to helping you in becoming amazing storytellers. Check out their impressive work at https://lnkd.in/gnNYHSSX Start telling your stories with Narratize AI as your co-author. #generativeai #storytelling #innovation #aicoauthoring #innovators #researchers #impactstories #startups #problemsolvers #AI #AIStartup

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Lexington Books managed to release my book Disagreeing despite the Data before the election. It argues the belief segregation underway in the US may be irreversible. Today's battles over climate change, disease mitigation, and election results run deep -- they're cognitive, not just strategic. Here's the gist of it. 20th-century revolutions in the philosophy of mind, meaning, and matter uncover three surprising requirements for widespread factual agreement. Critical thinking and community building have the potential to reverse two of them -- the growing refusal to test assumptions and individual isolation. Factual agreement between groups is impossible without the third one, though -- shared projects or other meaningful interaction. And a large part of American society has insulated itself from the rest. Without shared projects, communities gradually lose the ability to tell whether they agree or not regardless of the words they use. Belief segregation with similar roots has led several developing countries to the brink of failure. We'd better watch out. The attached flyer gives a discount code that makes the book -- priced in this initial run for academic libraries -- a little more affordable. Please feel free to forward it and, if you're connected to any libraries or book stores, pass it on!

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Ready to play big? Unlock the billionaire playbook: Start with an Aged Shelf Corporation and master the art of influence WITHOUT ownership. 🏦✨ If you want to learn more. Click here to sign up for my next free webinar ⬇️

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First Starbucks, now Nike. Large retailers are struggling as consumer behavior changes. Caught in between different eras, these companies struggle with how to proceed. However, a new wave of companies is coming. These companies are able to master both physical and digital commerce. Like Madison Reed (founded by University of Connecticut Alum Amy Errett - Go Huskies!), partnering with UConn Basketball stars to promote Madison Reed's omnichannel Hair Color product. Like Shopify, which is focusing on the full commerce stack by expanding into wholesale. Like Blue Onion, which helps companies reconcile where the payments in their bank account came from. All of this breakdown, and more, in this week's edition of "Retail Is Not Dead?". What future of commerce companies are you excited about? https://lnkd.in/gE5p4Pku

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This is epic: Culture, embracing challenges, conflict of interest, negotiating with Amazon, Psychedelics, deep breathe, and LOVE. John Mackey, the visionary founder of Whole Foods Market, inspires conscious capitalism. $13 billion later, and after stepping down from Whole Foods, this podcast was riveting to me. Full of nuggets from the master. #Leadership #ConsciousCapitalism #Entrepreneurship #JohnMackey #WholeFoods

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Startup founders, you don't have to do it alone! Apply now to join the Techstars Boston Accelerator and gain access to our extensive network! We are looking to select 12 high-growth startups to participate in our 13-week Techstars Boston accelerator program kicking off in September -- apply now or tag a founder below who you think might be a good fit!  https://lnkd.in/gbi3hAGi #startups #founders #entrepreneurs #boston 

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In the article at the link below, Spencer Stuart reports on how much time board members spent on board service and how they spent their time on those boards. (This is for all boards, but 60% of respondents sat on public company boards.) A few takeaways: 1)       What is the time commitment? Private company directors spend ~3 hours per week per board, and public company directors spend ~5 hours per week. This is not minor, but then again public boards, at least, pay well for board service, so it is compensated fairly, if not well. 2)       How is board time allocated? Board members wanted proportionally more time spent debating strategy/performance, succession, talent, and AI. The largest changes in what they want to spend more time on include #AI, new technologies, and #cybersecurity (i.e., all things tech-related). Do members of your board have expertise in these critical areas? Directors want less time spent in meetings on ESG and DEI topics. 3)       Are the agendas the right agendas? Directors want #boardchairs, CEOs, and management teams to be even more purposeful and strategic about setting the agenda. Here’s an excerpt: “Several respondents noted how management presentations take up huge portions of [board] time. Even those intended to be 'information-only' can consume more time than expected as board members ask questions and precious time is spent on topics that don’t necessarily need board attention. One respondent suggested sharing more management presentations several days before the meeting. 'The executive team needs to think more carefully about the board agenda and not overloading it with topics that require lengthy discussions.'" 4) What about executive sessions? Respondents noted that a best practice was to hold #executivesessions at the beginning AND end of meetings. In the initial executive session, the board can also improve the agenda and prioritize for the meeting ahead. This is an interesting best practice. I have yet to be in a board meeting with two executive sessions. Have any of you? I don’t think I would have done this with boards I was on because attention spans were too short for two executive sessions. I have been on boards where CEOs hosted a dinner with board members and key staff. Staff presented and we all debated a key corporate topic, which worked very well. #governance #boardofdirectors

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Love these high-level takeaways from my due diligence discussion with Cherub today! So many actionable insights for both founders and investors.

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I love commencement addresses (or at least a lot of them). Roger Federer gave one at Dartmouth a few days ago -- if you have time, I recommend it (https://lnkd.in/eUw9VvNj). But here's what resonated the most to me -- "In tennis, perfection is impossible. In the 1,526 singles matches I played in my career, I won almost 80% of those matches (it was actually 82%; Roger is self-deprecating). Now, I have a question for all of you... what percentage of the POINTS do you think I won in those matches? Only 54%. In other words, even top-ranked tennis players win barely more than half of the points they play. When you lose every second point, on average, you learn not to dwell on every shot." He goes on to say that as important as each shot is, once it's done, it's over. This allows you the freedom to concentrate on the next, and focus, and give it your best -- whether that's the next shot, the next day, the next presentation, the next product. Combine that with Ted Lasso's 10 second memory goldfish -- and you just might conquer the world. #federer #perfectionisimpossible #goldfish #tedlasso

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As Climate Week NYC wraps up today, The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health published a summary roundup, with the link provided below. The US election and geopolitical tension have pushed #climatechange down the news ladder, but this is a useful reminder that it remains an existential threat, and very smart people continue to work on ways to address it. https://lnkd.in/esBvArSF

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Techstars Boston Accelerator Demo Day was AMAZING on Tuesday - it’s been a minute since I’ve been involved with the program (I was a founder from 2015 Cohort!!). But w my role Palm Venture Studios I spend a (small) portion of my time on deal flow, diligence etc. It’s SO SO inspiring to meet entrepreneurs who are working to bring something new & innovative into the world. Side note - I gotta get better at thinking about pics - only one I took was of Sean Grundy / Bevi as talking about how influential TS was… __________________ A few observations from the day: ✅ those founders were so much better prepared than I was 10 yrs ago. The companies seemed further along, the pitches were so concise, with big news / traction, and well-delivered. [full disclosure: I was part of the selection committee for part of this - so a little biased… but I REALLY thought they all did well]. Special shoutout to the handful of companies I’ve been a (teeny tiny) ad-hoc mentor to: ▶️ Phare Labs - creating next generation fire / smoke alarm to help multi-family property owners save $ and better asset protection. ▶️ GRAVL unlocking IP from universities allowing commercialization & monetization of incredible research being done in labs. ▶️ Ada IQ speeding & improving prod design & development w AI - augmenting what humans can ▶️ Citera helping commercial prop owners save $ by reducing their carbon footprint. So many other companies - but I already wrote too much… ❌ wish there were more former TS founders at the event. The venue was great though small (it’s amazing how much the area has transformed), but man getting there is a bit of a pain… "Techstars for life" means you benefit and hopefully contribute to the community forever - I know TS Corp has been in turmoil a bit - but seems like things are changing. (H/T Kerty Levy and new Boston MD Jennifer Davis). Quite literally I’m not sure I would’ve survived my first journey without my CEO support group… _________________ Last minute, I decided to host a few startup peeps at PVS Somerville - thinking Demo Day was in Cambridge 🤷‍♂️. Fortunately, a few folks took me up on it - even though inconvenient and last minute… Was great seeing Irina Gerry, Harry Schechter, Joe Lemay, Pritesh Gandhi stop by PVS with me & Jamal Wilson - bc they’re amazing startup operators… and didn’t know one another. Nothing better than seeing smart people chat and make instant connections. In true startup fashion, this deserves another test… so I think we may do more of these… maybe tied to TS Monthly Meetups or some other startup networking thing. Selfishly, this would be a reason for me to come into Boston / Somerville - bc otherwise I’m heads down building Woodstock Products :). _______________ So hit me up if you’re in the Boston Startup Community and wanna participate. These will def be craft / small-batch initially. And hopefully a few of my old TS founders will come too :).

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🍷 Big shoutout to Archer Roose Wines, one of our SoGal Ventures portfolio companies, for their groundbreaking collab with Cornell University! They released a research with the Food Science Department on sulfite formation in canned wines and is getting serious attention in the media! 🥂 🔬 This is more than just a win for Archer Roose—it’s a huge moment for the whole canned wine industry. As Co-Founder & CEO Marian Leitner-Waldman puts it, “This study isn’t just about showing how Archer Roose ensures premium quality, it’s about pushing the entire industry forward. We’re breaking old perceptions and driving innovation.” This is how change happens—raising standards, sharing knowledge, and inspiring a whole category to evolve. 🍇🎉 Check out the research here: https://shorturl.re/7frkq #innovation #cannedwine  #foodscience #womeninbusiness #industrydisruption

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There are not many founders who would prefer being out of business. Or so I thought. Meet Eve McDavid, who is on a mission to end Cervical Cancer by transforming gynecological care. At a recent Cornell University Women’s Health panel, she and entrepreneurs Carolyn Witte, founder of Tia Women’s Clinics, and J’Vanay Santos-Fabian, MBA, founder of MyLÚA Health Health, a virtual maternal care platform, inspired me and other Cornell alumni. Together these women are trying to (in Carolyn’s words) - MOVE WOMEN’S HEALTH FROM BODY PARTS TO WHOLE PEOPLE. 💡 Here are some key insights: 1️⃣ Time to Take Care of the Chief Doctor - Women are at the medical helm in almost every household. They control > 80% of healthcare purchase decisions. 2️⃣ It Makes Economic Sense - $1 invested in women’s healthcare returns $26 to the world economy 3️⃣ Don’t Overlook Mental Health – It’s time to reduce the $14 B in avoidable costs over 5 years due to missed and delayed diagnosis of mental health issues related to maternal care. 4️⃣ Create Medical Devices By & For Women – Too many medical devices and procedures used to treat women’s issues are not designed for the women they serve. For the budding entrepreneurs in Women’s Health, here’s their advice: 🚺 Tap into other founders, not only in Women’s Health. Create a balance of those at a similar development stage with those who are a step ahead for advice on how to survive and build your mission. 👩‍⚕️ Look for 3 types of people. You need all of them. Sponsors talk about you in rooms that you can’t get into yet. Mentors help mitigate risk and address challenges. Coaches support you every step of the way. 💲 Understand payment models. Consider doing a tour of duty at a health plan to understand how best to drive change. 📍 Design your solution for the whole person with a solution customized to their individual needs.

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Join me in welcoming Vasil Yakov and Edward Louth, the minds behind Distillery, as they join the Antler portfolio! Distillery is building the automated data stack for early-stage companies. They provide on-demand product and marketing insights from across data sources, without any of the data maintenance. Today, to get customer insights, companies need to hire a data team to build and maintain a data stack. And even with all that time and money spent, product and marketing managers end up wasting hours, days, and often weeks, getting customer insights to inform key decisions. Distillery gives product and marketing teams instant insights from customer data without the need to build or maintain data infrastructure. With their proprietary ML model, Distillery builds an understanding of your data and maintains it as your data changes and grows. 🔥Big impact: Within just a couple of months, Distillery are revenue-generating and saving their customers hours every week on analysis and thousands of $$ on data maintenance work! 👉 Meet the founders: Vasil Yakov (CEO) has 7+ years experience extracting data insights as a PM and has built AI and applied AI solutions. He’s lost days every month wrangling SaaS tools, databases and spreadsheets to get a clear view of his customers at companies like Builder AI and BlackRock. Edward Louth (CTO) has 8+ years experience building software and data systems at startups. After building the data team and helping Geomiq raise Series A, he co-founded Grai (YC S22) to radically improve how data teams build data pipelines. Welcome to the Antler portfolio, Distillery! #DataStack #CustomerInsights #MachineLearning

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