What I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Food Business 

Panel Moderator Terry Frishman of Creative Marketing Workshops specializes in helping launch food products through consulting, workshops and teaching business classes at three Manhattan culinary schools. She most recently has been Director of Sales for Sarabeth’s® award-winning products, and assists many clients with strategic planning, branding and helping to take their businesses to the next level. She is on the board of the New York Women’s Culinary Alliance. After graduating from Columbia Business School, where Terry was President of both the Marketing and Wine Clubs, Terry worked at Kraft General Foods, where she won many team awards and ran brainstorming sessions for new products.

Luke Holden left a finance career 3.5 years ago to bring a taste of his Maine hometown to Manhattan, with his first Luke’s Lobster restaurant, famous for Lobster Rolls and its sustainable fishing practices. Today, he runs 9 locations in NY, MD and DC, including the seasonal Nauti Mobile, named #1 food truck by Zagat. Two more locations are scheduled to open this Spring.

Laena McCarthy, cookbook author and 2009 Founder of anarchy in a jar – makes 16 varieties of all natural condiments using mostly local ingredients. Her jams, jellies, marmalades, chutneys and pickled fruits have been featured in The New York Times, Saveur, The Martha Steward Show, Elle magazine Japan, Tasting Table, Serious Eats, Time Out New York and Edible Brooklyn and Manhattan.  Available wholesale, retail and online, accounts include Whole Foods, Smorgasburg, gourmet and cheese shops.

Preeminent ice cream consultant and cookbook author Malcolm Stogo is now CEO of DF Mavens, a new company that just launched 3 all natural lines of hand-crafted, dairy-free ice creams made with soy, coconut or no sugar added. As CEO of Fal Foods Worldwide, Malcolm has a larger plan to produce natural food and dessert products and services, including Brazilia Café, Brazilia Coffee, Desserts that Matter, and DF Mavens, to both retail and industrial channels. He also invented the chocolate dipped waffle cone now being produced and sold all over the world!

Sandra Vu and Beatriz Mieses of Hot Bread Kitchen will hold an informational session following the panel discussion for attendees interested in learning more about how a kitchen incubator can jump start their business.