It's not easy being a food innovator. There's no road map for reinventing an industry.

Thats why weve teamed up with ForceBrands to celebrate failure in all its glory at Fail Friday (on a Thursday). Join us to hear stories of failure & lessons learned from top food entrepreneurs.

We will also have food from emerging brands Mademeals, Partake Foods, Brooklyn Delhi, Yumi, NY Shuk & more as well as festive cocktails from Pomp & Whimsy.

SCHEDULE:6:30 - 7:30: Networking, Snacks & Drinks7:30 - 8:30: Failure Stories & Q&A8:30 - 9:30: More Networking

SPEAKERS:Erin Patinkin, Co-Founder, Ovenly; Executive Producer & Co-Host, Start to SaleErin Patinkin is CEO & Co-Founder Ovenly, one of New Yorks most beloved bakery chains, & co-host & executive producer of Start to Sale on Vox. Over the past decade, Erin has become a leading voice of ethical entrepreneurship, dedicating her work to radical responsibility & to the creation of a more empathetic economy for everyone. Erin speaks about her work at conferences & events nationally, writes about food & business, & has appeared in print & TV internationally.

Ben Conniff, Co-founder, Lukes LobsterBen Conniff is co-founder of Lukes Lobster, a Maine-bred lobster shack with over 30 locations across 9 US cities & internationally in Japan & Taiwan. Lukes controls their catch all the way from the docks to the plate, meticulously preparing & handling every claw, knuckle, & tail to make the worlds best-tasting lobster roll. Ben is also the author of Real Maine Food, & has written for Saveur, GQ, Tasting Table, & more. He was named to the & Zagat 30 Under 30 lists & serves as an advisor to restaurant, fishery, & agriculture businesses. He splits his time between Brooklyn, NY, & Portland, ME.

Chitra Agrawal, Co-founder, Brooklyn DelhiStarting in Brooklyn, Chitra has been cooking, teaching & writing about food inspired by her familys recipes from India for ten years. She co-founded Brooklyn Delhi with her husband Ben Garthus in 2014 to bring the flavors she was creating to a wider audience. Chitra is the author of Vibrant India: Fresh Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Brooklyn (Penguin, 2017). Prior to Brooklyn Delhi, Chitra held marketing roles at American Express & DDB & completed her MBA at NYU Stern. Brooklyn Delhi's award-winning condiments can be found in Whole Foods nationwide & in Blue Apron meal kits & have been featured by food critics at the NY Times, Saveur, Food & Wine & more.

Nicola Nice, Founder & CEO, Pomp & WhimsyTrained sociologist & brand strategist-turned distiller, Dr. Nicola Nice, has made a career advising Fortune 500 companies on international branding & consumer insights. Over the past 15 years, in a career spanning academic research, management consultancy & global strategy with THINK Conservatory, Nicola watched as major spirits producers systematically ignored or misrepresented their female audiences. A two-year journey led Nicola to perfect the formula for a uniquely distinct botanical gin liqueur. Now in 2018, with double gold & gold medals in hand from her first four international spirits competitions, Nicola set out to revolutionize the spirits industry for female consumers with the official launch of Pomp & Whimsy.

PARTNERS:ForceBrands is the leading specialized recruiting firm for the consumer products industry we build the teams that build the brands. Our industry-specific divisions BevForce, FoodForce, BeautyForce, & HerbForce offer executive search services, board of director assembly, & a digital job board to connect directly to qualified candidates.

We are people for a hire purpose & strive to transform the way consumer product professionals of all levels identify employment opportunities & employers are connected to world-class talent. Go HIRE with ForceBrands.

Thanks to our event partners, Kickstarter & the Brooklyn Brewery.