Life is unpredictable and opportunity is all around you. How you identify these chances, embrace them, and pass them back to the universe makes all the difference. When life gives you lemons, squeeze hard to savour every drop of them!

Recently I shared a story about how I found something mind-blowing in an in-flight magazine and now I’m going to go on to tell you how it began to change my life. Here’s where we left off:

“A new machine from the Netherlands creates elaborate designs in edible materials. That could be the future of what we eat.”

THE FUTURE OF WHAT WE EAT?

As we landed into Paris CDG, I excitedly snapped a picture of the article. I switched on my mobile data and found the email address for the company behind this brilliantly intriguing contraption. But what was I going to say? “HIII YOU ARE SO COOL CAN WE BE FRIENDS” wasn’t going to cut it.

My business associate and dear friend Suubi Nambwayo continues to give me sound advice: “Jashan, I’m going to tell you about an opportunity for a new project now. But you must promise to listen to the whole thing before you get batshit excited about it”. We’ve worked together since 2017. Suubi knows.

So I didn’t send that email. Instead, I asked the flight attendant if I could hold on to my copy of TRAVELLER magazine, and she hesitantly agreed. It was near the end of that issue’s run, but if I’m being honest, I think she couldn’t say no to the hope in my eyes. If you’re reading this and remember me, thank you, I owe you!

Once I’d become a fully trained Champagne sommelier in the next few weeks, I was scheduled to pass through Brussels and Rotterdam before Berlin and back to dig myself into Iain’s bookshelf in the English countryside. Upon arriving into my tiny Parisian apartment* at the intersection of Rue du Four and Princesse street (fabulous, I know) I channeled Suubi’s advice and sent a very calm set of emails out.

I made a list of all the companies I wanted to visit and the people I wanted to meet. Then I reached out via email>LinkedIn>Instagram introducing myself, enthusiastically explaining why I’d love to meet with them on so-and-so date and learn more about their initiatives and the stories of the people behind them. Hit send. Over the next two days, I was pleasantly surprised to have a 78% positive response rate to the outreach. And one of them was the 3D food printer manufacturer based in Eindhoven.

SOMETHING’S IN THE MAKING

Intoxicated with mouthwatering French food, a belly full of cheese and carefully paired (bottles of) Champagne and petit fours to go with it, I carefully scheduled each appointment with its location, date and time in my Google Calendar. My next few weeks were suddenly packed.

Little did I know that this extroverted and open-minded outreach paired with immaculate scheduling, communication and operational efficiency, would become the foundation to building a grassroots collaborative community for food designers from around the world. Yes, Food Design Nation is over 600 strong, and we’re spread across 60 countries in just two years. Through online events, international magazine launches, and commissioned projects, we continue to engage our growing community. On behalf of every FDN citizen, I am happy to say that we’ve finally found our people.

Over the next few weeks, I visited Rotterdam’s iconic Markthal with Marije Vogelzang, clicked a button to access freshly-prepared food made with local produce at the Data Kitchen in Berlin, and sipped coffee while sharing brunch in a repurposed chapel with Ines Lauber. While these interactions created unforgettable memories and fostered long-lasting professional relationships, my visit to byFlow’s HQ at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven came with an unexpected surprise.

More soon. To read on, subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page. We won’t spam you, promise!

Love & Lollipops,
Jashan

*I had to step into my opened suitcase in order to access the door. What can I say, Parisian charm. If you know, you know.

P.S. – I’m all set to launch my brand new course on Future FoodTech. If you’re curious about How Technology Has Taken Over Our Food Systems and how this Affects Our Eating Habits, then you might want to check it out.

P.P.S. I’d love to hear what you think about the ideas I share – just comment below.