When her son Liam was diagnosed with multiple food allergies, Angie Nelson suddenly found herself navigating a world where every meal felt risky. Instead of accepting fear as the new normal, she created a better option. In 2019, Angie launched Safer Plate, now rebranded as Liam’s, a line of frozen entrées free from the top nine allergens, crafted in a dedicated kitchen so families can eat with confidence.

What started as a local Minnesota meal kit has grown into a nationally available brand, showing up everywhere from grocery aisles to school cafeterias. Angie’s mission is simple and heartfelt: make safe food taste amazing, bring joy back to mealtime, and remind families that they don’t have to choose between safety and flavor.

Brian is the Co-Founder of Get Saucy, redefining food innovation with allergy-friendly, globally inspired sauces and seasonings. The mission: bold, inclusive flavors for all restricted diets - bringing more people to the table and fueling a movement of mealtime inclusivity.

Before entering the food industry, Brian built a career at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation, achieving four acquisitions across fintech, healthcare payments and pet tech.

As CTO and Co-Founder of FinDox, he developed solutions enhancing data security and transparency for private credit markets, leading strategy and security until its 2022 acquisition by Reorg.

Earlier, Brian spent 15 years at InstaMed, joining as the first hire after the founders while still at Harvey Mudd College. He built the healthcare payment platform from the ground up, becoming VP of Innovation and Architecture and helping drive its vision until the 2019 acquisition by JPMorgan Chase.

Brit Williams, founder of P&TY Granola, lives in Minnesota with her husband, two kids and their trusty dog. Her granola bar journey began in 2015,when she set out to create a bar that was delicious, nutrient-dense and free from unnecessary additives after noticing the lack of nutrition in the bars her husband was eating. For years, she made them for family and shared them at events she managed. In 2019, at a nationwide natural food store event, everything changed when staff encouraged her to sell them.

While building the brand, a moment teaching her young son about manners sparked P&TY’s mission: pair wholesome, gluten-free, dairy-free bars with a reminder to be kind. Wrapped in eco-friendly packaging, each bar carries that message - manners mean respect, even when we disagree. Brit hopes P&TY Granola bars become a daily delight and a gentle nudge toward a kinder world.

Matt Adelmann is the Co-Founder of Switchback Foods, fruit & veggie smoothie mixes that are changing how consumers meet their daily dietary needs.

Molly Blakeley started her cookie company from her last $150 in rural Alaska as a single mom. To just 3 years later becoming a national brand! She lives what she does and strives to spread joy everyday. Molly Bz cookies are now in thousands of stores across the nation and growing everyday. 

B-SIDES Founder & CEO Yousuf Ahmed has built a career at the intersection of finance, music, and food innovation. With degrees in Finance and Music Business from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon, Yousuf’s early
career spanned the music industry before he transitioned to finance at Goldman Sachs. His passion for sustainability and food innovation led him to launch B-SIDES, leveraging his expertise to combat food waste by creating delicious, upcycled snacks.