Plant FWD in the Valley 2025
Overview
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!
Why you should absolutely attend Tast Growth
You can expect an impactful afternoon filled with:
- Over 100 change makers from retailers, food service, start-ups, corporates, investors, policy makers, innovators, researchers, future talents and more.
- Inspiring keynote and break-out sessions from over 10+ industry leaders.
- Networking & matchmaking for 1-on-1 industry meetings.
- Outrageously good plant-based F&B by fermentation master Christian Weij
Bringing you another packed program
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:
- Dodging The Valley of Death together with Birgit Dekkers - founder & CEO at Rival Foods
- Mastering the Populist Play with Bas Erlings - Former Campaign Strategist
- Success stories at de Efteling with Inan Shahin - Culinairy Innovation Specialist
- Justice, Hope, Future together with Hannah Prins - Climate Activist & Lawyer
And more speakers to be confirmed!
Plant FWD 💚 Foodvalley Region
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.
Speakers
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Highlights
- 6 hours 30 minutes
- In person
- Free parking
Refund Policy
Location
Verbindelaarsweg 51a
51a Verbindelaarsweg
6711 VD Ede Netherlands
How do you want to get there?
Lunch & Networking
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.
Opening
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.
How to Dodge the Next Valley of Death?
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.
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