Birgit Dekkers

Hannah Prins 

İnan Şahin

Bas Erlings

Jan Hendrik van Gilst

Lotte Sluiter

Prof. dr. Kerensa Broersen

Lisa Stel

Wendy Luong

Plant FWD in the Valley 2025

Bringing together start-ups, brands, retailers, foodservice professionals, investors, academics, policy makers, future talents and other change-makers from around Europe to accelerate the protein shift.Let's Build a Plant Forward Future Together.

Plant FWD

Plant FWD in the Valley is the event for innovative food companies that are ready to scale their business!

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Plant FWD in the Valley is the event for innovative food companies that are ready to scale their business! For the second year in a row we are returning to Ede, at the heart of the Foodvalley Region – where perspective and innovation meet.In one afternoon you'll have the opportunity to meet leading entrepreneurs, investors, partners and experts who can help you grow. Don't miss this opportunity to expand your network and learn from the entrepreneurs and innovators who are helping to shape the future of the protein transition!

<h4> Why you should absolutely attend Tast Growth</h4>You can expect an impactful afternoon filled with:<ul><li>Over 100 change makers from retailers, food service, start-ups, corporates, investors, policy makers, innovators, researchers, future talents and more.</li></ul><ul><li>Inspiring keynote and break-out sessions from over 10+ industry leaders.</li></ul><ul><li>Networking &amp; matchmaking for 1-on-1 industry meetings.</li></ul><ul><li>Outrageously good plant-based F&amp;B by fermentation master Christian Weij </li></ul>

<h4> Bringing you another packed program</h4>During this second edition of Plant FWD in the Valley, we'll explore the challenges and opportunities facing scale-ups in plant-based and alternative proteins today. Together with Plan FWD's own Lotte Sluiter as our moderator, you can count on an inspiring and interactive program packed with valuable insights from leading entrepreneurs and experts like:<ul><li>Dodging The Valley of Death together with Birgit Dekkers - founder &amp; CEO at Rival Foods</li><li>Mastering the Populist Play with Bas Erlings - Former Campaign Strategist</li><li>Success stories at de Efteling with Inan Shahin - Culinairy Innovation Specialist</li><li>Justice, Hope, Future together with Hannah Prins - Climate Activist &amp; Lawyer</li></ul>And more speakers to be confirmed! <h4>Plant FWD 💚 Foodvalley Region</h4>Plant FWD deliberately chooses Ede as the location for this event because of its strong connection to sustainable food innovation. The Foodvalley Region is a pioneering hub where entrepreneurship, scaling, knowledge, production and innovation converge to shape the future of our food system. In a time when sustainability faces growing challenges, this region offers perspective: a place where entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators collaborate on practical and scalable solutions for a healthy, plant-forward future.

Agenda

We’ll kick off the afternoon with a delicious networking lunch where you can meet other start- and scale-ups founders as well as industry leaders. This is the perfect opportunity to build valuable connections that can accelerate your growth journey.

Lunch & Networking

Moderator Lotte Sluiter (Head of Program at Plant FWD) and Maartje Nelissen (Co-founder of Plant FWD) will open the program and share what we can look forward to this afternoon.

Opening

How do you steer your company through the storm when funding is tight, markets are shifting, and expectations keep piling up? How do you find the right money at the right time—and still keep investors, customers, and your team on board?

In this session, we’ll dig into the hard truths and smart strategies of scaling in challenging times. Learn from two leaders who’ve done it—and are still thriving in the wild:
Jan Hendrik van Gilst, CFO at The Protein Brewery, and Birgit Dekkers, CEO & Founder of Rival Foods.

This is your chance to ask them anything. No slides, no fluff—just real talk about navigating growth, risk, and resilience in the scale-up jungle.

How to Dodge the Next Valley of Death?

Sometimes, you’ve just got to think big. That’s exactly what Inan Sahin did when he took charge of all food concepts at the Efteling—responsible for both their financial success and their sustainable impact.

And he didn’t hold back. His first move? Veganizing their best-selling hamburger. Now, he’s setting his sights on transforming every milk-based coffee into oat—backed by a bold, future-focused campaign that speaks directly to tomorrow’s visitors.

This is your chance to learn from one of the leading pioneers in food service, where imagination meets impact.

Break-out #1 - The Case of the Efteling: From Fairytale to Food Innovation

Can we design formula milk that boosts a baby’s IQ? Is there food that can actually help prevent Alzheimer’s? And what hidden mechanisms connect our diet to the way our brain functions?

Join Dr. Kerensa Broersen, Adjunct Professor at the University of Twente and Project Leader of Advanced Analytics at NIZO, as she takes us on a journey that sounds like science fiction — but isn’t. Welcome to the fascinating world of micro-guts and brains, where the smallest biological processes have the biggest impact on our health and cognition.

Kerensa has dedicated her career to proving how plant-based nutrition supports human health, uncovering the molecular and neurological pathways that make it so. In this session, she’ll not only reveal how these mechanisms work, but also dive into the real-world implications: what claims can brands make when their products reach this level of proven impact? Prepare for a mind-expanding session where cutting-edge science meets the future of food innovation.

Break-out #1: Food Formula's that Feed the Brain - Gut Connections

Coffee & Networking

We plant-based thinkers often like to keep things clean, kind, and safe. But is that really how you win over the majority? Or are we just preaching to the converted while the rest of the world tunes out?

To challenge our thinking, we turn to Bas Erlings—the strategic mind who helped make Mark Rutte the longest-serving prime minister in Dutch history. Together, we’ll explore the fine line between bold messaging and populism, between influence and integrity. Where does smart persuasion end—and manipulation begin? Let’s find out.

Learn how to Play Dirty for Positive Change

Loved the keynote? Ready to take it further? This is your chance to turn those fresh insights into real impact — by transforming your organization’s communication strategy into one that truly connects with the masses.

Break-out 2: #AskMeAnything with Bas Erlings

How do you build a message that truly sticks — one that inspires instead of divides? Two of the most influential vegan creators in the Netherlands are here to show you how it’s done.

Lisa Goes Vegan has been a trailblazer from the very beginning. With her activist yet optimistic voice, she’s built a loyal community that keeps growing — proving that consistency and positivity can be just as powerful as protest.

Wendy “The Food Scientist” Luong, on the other hand, takes a completely different approach. No guilt, no preaching — just smart storytelling and delicious inspiration. Her strategy has taken her from zero to over 320,000 followers, turning curiosity into genuine engagement.

Join these two powerhouse storytellers as they unpack the magic of modern narratives — and discover how framing, tone, and authenticity can turn your message into a movement.

Break-out #2: The Narratives that Go Viral

There are moments when even a box of chocolates (or a triple espresso) just won’t cut it. We all face times when energy runs low and the road ahead feels uncertain. So where do we find the drive to keep going? Maybe it’s pure determination — that stubborn spark every food entrepreneur seems to have. Few embody that spirit more than Hannah Prins. Balancing five demanding roles, she seems to have mastered the art of doing it all — with fire, focus, and purpose.

What fuels her? And how does she cope with uncertainty, burnout, and the weight of constant change? Join us as Hannah shares her personal insights on resilience, motivation, and moving forward when the going gets tough.

When a Box of Chocolates Isn’t Enough — How to Keep Moving in Difficult Times

End the day with a relaxed networking drink accompanied with delicious plant-base bites — the perfect moment to create new collaborations and deepen valuable connections.


Drinks & Networking

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Plant FWD in the Valley 2025

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