In this episode of Coffee and Career Chats: Startup Edition, host Adel Hameed sits down with Jenny Du, SVP of Operations at Apeel Sciences, to explore what it really takes to build a startup from the ground up, starting in a garage and scaling to a global operation.
Jenny shares her journey from chemistry research to startup leadership, offering a rare inside look at the early days of Apeel and the operational pivots that made scale possible. From pioneering food-safe innovation to navigating complex global supply chains, Jenny brings clarity to the messy, non-linear path of startup growth.
They unpack how Apeel’s mission to reduce food waste evolved into a purpose-driven company with a distinctive culture, and how values-based leadership can shape everything from hiring practices to international expansion.
Tune in to learn:
How to grow into a role you didn’t plan for, and thrive
The power of defining your company values early and living them daily
Why solving hard problems requires personal humility and operational grit
Whether you’re building a product, a team, or a mission-driven brand, this episode offers both inspiration and practical insight for navigating the uncertainty of startup life.
Jenny Du’s Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-du-09616914/
Apeel’s company website: https://www.apeel.com/
Articles:
“Sustainability as a Business-Model Transformation” by Ivanka Visnjic, Felipe Monteiro and Michael L. Tushman: https://hbr.org/2025/05/sustainability-as-a-business-model-transformation
“Building food and agriculture businesses for a green future” by Tom Brennan, Shane Bryan, Summit Byrne, and Chris Rogers https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/agriculture/our-insights/building-food-and-agriculture-businesses-for-a-green-future