https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-sunstrum/In Season 4, Episode 16 of the Food Professor Podcast, we engage in a fascinating discussion with special guest Alison Sunstrum, a tech entrepreneur and investor. Sunstrom, recognized for her significant role in the Creative Destruction Lab in Calgary, is lauded for her community building and investment acumen, particularly in structuring the CDL. The episode also delves into recent experiences at a tech conference, highlighting innovations in restaurant technology, including a robot that makes French fries and advanced vending machine technologies.LeBlanc shares his observations from the conference, noting the emergence of unique vending technologies and automated cooking solutions. The episode shifts to a discussion about the latest retail trends, with a particular focus on a Petco store in Union Square, Manhattan, which features a chef kitchen for dogs, offering custom food preparations.The hosts then pivot to addressing critical supply chain issues, including the impact of disruptions at the Suez Canal and the broader implications for global logistics and food inflation. They critically examine government interventions in food pricing, particularly in France, and the ineffectiveness of such policies in controlling inflation.Additionally, the podcast covers the acquisition of Carol Restaurants by RBI (Restaurant Brands International) and its implications for the fast-food industry. The conversation also touches upon the anticipated entry of new restaurant chains into Canada, highlighting the country's appeal as a test market due to its diverse population.In a significant segment, Sylvain discusses his meeting with the management of Canada Royal Milk in Kingston, addressing various controversies and clarifying their operations and future plans. This includes their intentions to manufacture baby formula for the Canadian market and potential exports to the U.S.The episode concludes with a discussion on the latest food industry news and a congratulatory note to Canadian chef and entrepreneur Matty Matheson for winning an Emmy for the show "The Bear."About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph’s Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre’s Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa.About MichaelMichael is the Founder & President of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc. and a Senior Advisor to Retail Council of Canada and the Bank of Canada as part of his advisory and consulting practic