Show Notes
What started as a way to escape meal planning admin has turned into a powerful tool shaping the future of food.
Appetise is a free, recipe-rich meal planning and smart shopping platform loved by tens of thousands across New Zealand and Australia. Co-founders Toby and Elise Hilliam transformed an admin-killer into a two-sided business: empowering home cooks and providing FMCG brands with authentic, behavioural insights.
In this episode, we explore how Appetise launched for free, rebranded from MenuAid, and leveraged its growing user base—now over 90,000 households—to deliver billions of genuine data points a month to brands. We dig into the funding, the rebrand, the shift to Australia, building culture, and how their stock tracker and insights platform are changing how food companies understand and engage their shoppers. This is a story about mission-driven growth, innovation in food tech, and creating tools that serve both people and brands better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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From starting Crimson Education as a teenager to leading a company operating at a $300 million revenue run rate, Jamie Beaton has been on an extraordinary journey. In this episode, Simon Pound talks with the Crimson founder about his path from acceptance into 25 of the world’s top universities to scaling a billion-dollar global education business. They cover the creation of Crimson Global Academy, the role of AI in shaping education, and Jamie’s new teaching role at the University of Auckland’s Business Navigators program. Along the way, they explore lessons in resilience, leadership, and building ambitious ventures from Aotearoa to the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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AF Drinks is the fast-growing alcohol-free beverage brand from Aotearoa that is rapidly expanding into global marketplaces, landing on shelves across the US, and even teaming up with global celebrities like Khloé Kardashian and Kris Jenner.