#ChiVentureSummit Future-of-Food, Meet Luisa Castellanos

Meet the innovators and leaders of #FoodInnovation here in #Chicago. We’re introducing you to the founders and investors participating in the Chicago Venture Summit Future-of-Food. This week - we introduce you to Luisa Castellanos, Co-Founder of Science On Call. #WhyChicago? #FoodInnovation.?

Q. How did you find yourself interested in the Food & Agriculture space?

A. I am a huge foodie. Whenever I travel I'm always looking for the best, most popular local cafes and restaurants. It's not just the food, but the experience of eating at a restaurant that drew me in. When my Co-Founders Andy, Ken and I started Science On Call we set out to make these owners and operators lives easier.

Q. How does your technology solve a problem in Food & Agriculture?

A. The restaurant tech stack has become increasingly complex. Restaurant staff are unprepared and often lack expertise to deal with technology problems. As we now know, restaurants can no longer survive without technology. Science takes tech off their plate so they can focus on their food and their guests.

Q. How does operating from Chicago positively impact your business?

A. Chicago is the food capital of the world. It's home to some of the most famous chefs and restaurateurs. Many of these restaurants are the first to innovate, and we witness those changes first-hand. We have also found ourselves incredibly supported by the food & ag tech startup ecosystem here in Chicago.

Q. What is a trend you currently see in the Food & Agriculture market?

A. With the labor market being so difficult right now, restaurants are looking for ways to cut one of their biggest costs - labor. We're seeing many restaurants investing in tools that will reduce staffing needs. This could be as simple as a QR code menu, to table-side order and pay, to robot fry-cooks!?

Q. Do you have any advice for up-and-coming entrepreneurs in the Food & Agriculture space?

A. Know your customers and understand if you are really solving a problem for them. We see so many softwares and tools built for restaurants that are actually making their lives more complicated rather than addressing a real issue. It can be as simple as interviewing potential customers or going out there and putting yourself in their shoes for a day.

Explore the work the team is leading at Science on Call here.?

Learn more about the Chicago Venture Summit here.

#WhyChicago #ChiVentureSummit