As the CEO of Rivalz™, Peter Barrick leads a disruptive startup in the food CPG industry.

Founded in the farm-to-fork capital, Davis, CA, in 2022, Rivalz is revolutionizing traditional cooker extrusion technology, which dominates the global food supply, by creating better-tasting, nutrient-rich, and more sustainable food products. Rivalz is the first food company to apply AI to the cooker extruder, enabling the development of high-protein, high-fiber, and low-glycemic products without sacrificing taste or affordability—ultimately working to reverse the 50-year pandemic of malnutrition, diabetes, and obesity.

With over two decades of leadership experience, Peter has a proven track record of driving growth, innovation, and operational excellence in complex and dynamic environments. Passionate about building and empowering high-performing teams, he fosters a culture of collaboration, integrity, and ownership, delivering value to customers, partners, and stakeholders.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterbarrick/

Alex Crane is an early Grove Collaborative employee who joined the team to build their Grove Co. brand. Over the past 10 years, she’s lead product development, innovation and supply chain through going public, moving to omni-channel distribution and committing to moving Beyond Plastic.

Alex loves to keep her finger on the pulse of trends / new technology and has increasingly encountered new entrants in AI with a focus on CPG. She’s excited to share how these companies can help CPG brands operate more effectively and efficiently.

Steve Gundrum has over four decades of expertise in sales, finance, marketing, and new product innovation. Since joining Mattson in 1988, Steve has led innovation projects across food, beverage, packaged goods, restaurants, and food service categories for virtually every Fortune 500 food company. With a twenty-year tenure as President and CEO, he had been at the forefront of creating and implementing groundbreaking innovation techniques such as Consumer Guidance Panels, ProtoThink™, and Food Studio Ideations. These methods enhance collaboration, consumer insights, and involvement in new product innovation.

Steve’s pioneering spirit is exemplified by Project Delta, the world’s first open-source food product experiment, featured by Malcolm Gladwell in The New Yorker. Now serving as Mattson’s Chief AI Officer, Steve is leading the charge into the AI era, developing advanced generative AI tools like Innovation AI and ProtoThink™ AI. These tools revolutionize the innovation process, significantly enhancing Mattson’s ability to create and refine new product opportunities for clients.

Contact Mattson today to leverage Steve’s unparalleled expertise and transform your product development process.

Ashley E. Sherry is the CEO of EmpathixAI and a scientific and public sector leader with 17+ years of experience in applied behavioral science, including at the intersection of AI, leading research teams, and building high-budget scientific programs from the ground up. She is a PhD anthropologist and has been recognized by the American Anthropological Association for groundbreaking social theory and research methods.