Startup Grind Beijing is back! In order to celebrate the return of Startup Grind in Beijing, we thought it would be good to dive straight into a great topic, namely FOOD and we will talk about the “Future of Food” with two experts in this area.

A good event without awesome food and drinks is usually just an average one, that is also why we have decided to pair up with the Hatchery, to offer our audience not just great insights about food and food in tech, but also an outstanding gourmet experience. So join us for great food, great topics and of course, great people.

About Stew Johnson & Hatchery
Stew Johnson is co-founder of the Hatchery, not just a unique restaurant, but also a platform dedicated to supporting and growing China’s next generation of food entrepreneurs and concepts. As China’s first incubator dedicated to food and beverage, the Hatchery provides a platform for entrepreneurs to connect with consumers, investors, mentors, chefs and food experts — supporting new brands through the critical early stage of launching, testing and validating a business.

Stew founded his first company in education with Chinese partners and team in early 2012 (Alpha Partners Education) and second in food and beverage with a Kiwi partner and mixed team in 2015 (Hatchery), both in Beijing. He currently balances executive and co-founder roles at both companies, focused mainly on product, strategy and business development. He also has a keen interest in new web technologies, with existing and planned applications in both companies.

Having grown up in Singapore and earned Chinese, law and business degrees in the UK and China, he has been fortunate to build both a strong international network and a solid understanding of the business, political and cultural landscape in China.

About Leandro Rolon & Defacto
Leandro Rolon is the founder and CEO of DeFacto, a 3D Printing design and innovation company, headquartered in Beijing and one of China’s up and coming 3D Printing design brands. During his studies at the Southern California Institute of Architecture, Leandro began 3D Printing and quickly emerged as an influential voice in the rapidly growing additive manufacturing industry. Today, Leandro and his partners are using 3D technologies to transform company’s product offerings and continuously exploring new methods to produce cutting edge designs.

Founded in 2015 by American Architect Leandro Rolon and Austrian Designer David Doepel, DeFacto(design factory) is a Beijing-based international 3D Printing Innovation Company that provides custom tailored design and fabrication services to well establish brands and startups around China. Aside from 3D design services, the company focuses heavily on 3D Printing R&D and has produced several innovations in the fields of Food, Fashion and Architecture. Recently the company was awarded the Guinness World Record for the largest 3D Printed structure in the world and has showcased various edible sculptures around Beijing including the Venetian Winged Lion Sculpture at the Italian Embassy.

Future Food with DeFacto
DeFacto is obsessed with 3D technology and Food. During the company’s founding the partners developed a chocolate 3D Printer and began experimenting with methods to transform food. Today DeFacto has worked alongside various F&B brands around China and continues pushing the limits of food design. During this half-hour talk, Leandro Rolon, founder and CEO of DeFacto, will share some of the company’s latest projects and showcase some of the industry’s latest trends in Food 3D printing.

Event Info
English for the interview, Chinese & English for networking
Time: November 30 (Wednesday), 2016, 6:00PM-9:30PM
Location: 北京市东城区东四九条88号 (88 Dongsi 9th Alley) - a two minute walk from the Zhangzizhonglu subway station

Agenda
6:00 pm: Sign-in, Welcome Drink & Hatchery Surprise
6:30 pm: Insights by Leandro about DeFacto's latest projects and showcase some of the industry's latest trends in Food 3D printing
7:30pm: Fireside Chat and Q&A with Stew Johnson about the future of food
8:30pm: Drinks, Food & Networking
*CHEERS are kindly offering a free flow of wines during the event to help get those creative minds flowing.

Admission
If you are a founder from a startup in Beijing, you can apply for a free ticket to join. Only 2 free tickets for every event, please send an email to Jelte@startupgrind.com and explain to us why you should be invited to our event. We also offer free tickets for media, please contact us via email.
Regular: RMB 100
At-the-door: RMB 150
*If you are having trouble RSVPing at this page, please email: jelte@startupgrind.com or write him on WeChat: JelteW

About Startup Grind
Startup Grind is the largest independent startup community, actively educating, inspiring, and connecting 400,000 founders in over 200 cities. We nurture startup ecosystems in 85 countries through events, media, and partnerships with organizations like Google for Entrepreneurs. The cornerstone of our global community are monthly events featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Founded in Silicon Valley, Startup Grind has now hosted 2,000 fireside chats since its founding in 2010. To date, Startup Grind has helped millions of entrepreneurs find mentorship, connect to partners and employees, pursue funding, and reach new users.

Our Values
We believe in making friends, not contacts. We believe in giving, not taking. We believe in helping others before helping yourself. We are truly passionate about helping founders, entrepreneurs and startups succeed. We intend to make their startup journey less lonely, more connected and more memorable.