New Food Forum 2026

Commercial Director CEE, Advanced Solutions at YouGov

Hana is Sales Director for Eastern and Central Europe. She focuses on implementing advanced solutions and analytics in the field of shopping and buyer behavior. She has been in the market research industry for 25 years in various local and regional roles. She is co-author of the publication Marketing Research – Procedures, Methods, Trends.

Client Relationship Manager at YouGov

Vladimíra has over 30 years of experience in marketing and market research in the roles of Business Development, Key Account Manager and Marketing Director. She also lectures at economically oriented universities as an external lecturer.

Moderator, reporter, deputy editor-in-chief of SZ Byznys

Zuzana is a moderator, reporter and deputy editor-in-chief of SZ Byznys. She interviews top Czech business leaders and films life in domestic companies. She has been working in economic journalism for 15 years and has been with Seznam Zprav since its inception. In the early days, she moderated the main news report or, for example, Byznys Magazín Byznys zblízka.

Executive Director of the Czech Chamber of Alternative Proteins

David has always had a close connection to food and gastronomy. He gained his first experience in the family business and, at the age of 22, opened his own concept, where he devoted himself fully to business in the HoReCa segment.

Gradually, he began to search for a deeper meaning in business and wanted to create something that would have a positive impact beyond the business itself. And so he founded BEZMASNA – the first plant-based butcher shop in the Czech Republic. A brand was created that combines gastronomy, innovation, and a sustainable approach to food. As the head of Bezmasna, David soon discovered that the voice of the plant-based segment and alternative proteins is often unheard in Czechia.

The desire to change this led David to the Czech Chamber of Alternative Proteins, whose goal is to remove barriers, support innovation, and show Czechia the potential of this dynamic and rapidly growing segment.

PhD Student at Brno University of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry

Food has always been Olga’s greatest passion, and she has been interested in the processes involved in its preparation down to the molecular level. Studying food chemistry at the Faculty of Chemistry at Brno University of Technology has enabled her to understand not only the processes taking place in food itself, but also those that occur in the human body after consumption. Improving food quality and the overall sensory experience of eating is a long-term challenge for her, which is why she is continuing her food research as part of her doctoral studies.

As part of the team led by doc. Ing. Pavel Diviš, Ph.D., Olga is involved in the development of cereal products with added protein. She studies the interactions of proteins of various origins in wheat and gluten-free doughs and is involved in the development of technological processes that enable their effective incorporation into the daily diet. The main goal of her research is to increase the nutritional value of commonly available bakery products and expand the range of special baked goods for people with gluten intolerance, using local, economically accessible raw materials in accordance with the principles of the circular economy.

Assistant Professor at the Department of Food Chemistry and Biotechnology, Brno University of Technology, Faculty of Chemistry

Jaromír works at the Faculty of Chemistry at Brno University of Technology, where he specializes in food safety, nutrition, analysis, and technology. In his work, he systematically combines analytical chemistry, food technology, sensory analysis, and nutritional assessment with the aim of comprehensively evaluating the quality, authenticity, and health safety of food.

In his research, Jaromír focuses primarily on the authentication and determination of the geographical origin of food, the comprehensive characterization of raw materials, the evaluation of the impact of technological operations on the chemical and sensory parameters of products, and the optimization of the nutritional value of food through fortification with protein isolates. An important part of his work is the application of advanced instrumental methods for the objective evaluation of food quality and safety.

In recent years, he has collaborated with Mlýny J. Voženílek on a TAČR project focused on the comprehensive valorization of wheat bran. The project focused on the technological processing and fractionation of this raw material with the aim of using it in the development of nutritionally valuable food products, including the successful transfer of results to a semi-industrial scale.

Jaromír is the author and co-author of more than 35 publications in international peer-reviewed journals focusing mainly on food chemistry.

Community manager at Impact Hub Prague

At Impact Hub Prague, Kateřina builds the Impactmaker community and develops partnerships in the field of social impact. She focuses on sustainability mainly in terms of content, but also in the production of events, which she has been involved in throughout her career.

In 2025, she also worked on corporate sustainability and a plant-based bar project at Impact Hub.

She enjoys connecting people and organizations so that good ideas can lead to concrete collaborations and real impact.

Buying Manager of Emerging Markets at Tesco Stores CR a.s.

Radek joined Tesco in 2020 and quickly moved through various roles in retail and logistics before settling in the commercial department. Today, as Buying Manager for Emerging Markets, he develops new opportunities and product ranges across markets and focuses on plant-based products, among other things.

CSR Manager at Tesco Stores CR a.s.

Lucie has been working at Tesco for four years in the area of social responsibility. She has been involved in projects supporting communities and now focuses mainly on sustainability and projects with a social impact that help people and the planet.

Category Buying Manager CZ – Bakery, Dairy, Frozen Food at Tesco Stores CR a.s.

Patrik started working at Tesco in 2020 in the technical department, but soon moved to the commercial team, where he focused on various categories of fresh food. He now leads purchasing for baked goods, dairy, and frozen products and is responsible for developing a portfolio that responds to current trends and customer needs.

Scientist and author of the Klimatomluva project

Daniel earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague in 2024, and now works there as a researcher. He is also the co-founder of the educational platform edufix.cz, which provides tutoring and exam preparation support to thousands of students. He also translates patents in the field of chemistry and conducts research on improving molecular systems for storing hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
In 2025, he launched the Klimatomluva project, which had amassed over 70,000 followers by February 2026. Through his social media presence, he patiently explains scientific facts about the climate and dispels common myths and misinformation. He has also successfully brought the topic to traditional media, communicating it from a scientific perspective in a way that is understandable to the general public.

Head of the Food Services Department at Motol and Homolka University Hospitals

Miroslav oversees food service operations at Motol and Homolka University Hospitals, two of the leading healthcare facilities. A nutrition therapist and specialist in hospital and institutional food services, he has long been involved in developing professional recommendations in the fields of nutrition and food safety. He plays an active role in establishing modern nutritional care in social services and helps facilities translate legislative requirements into practical daily procedures.

Owner of PEK Group, a.s.

Tomáš has many years of experience as a manager and entrepreneur in the baking industry. His company operates in Rumburk and Znojmo. He relies on his experienced bakers, time-tested regional recipes, the quality of his ingredients and products, and his reliable supply chain. He sells his products under the Naše Pekárna brand. Under this brand, he also introduces new products that are entirely plant-based. The goal is to maximise customer and consumer satisfaction.

Director of V-Label Czech Republic

Ivana has a background in organic farming and has managed wholesale and retail networks for organic food. She has also gained experience in business development and customer service at WALA Heilmittel GmbH. As an environmental engineer, she knew that more needed to be done. Her goal is to promote foods that are kind to people, animals and the planet. At the Czech branch of V-Label, she assists producers with the certification process and provides strategic consultancy on consumer trends and retail to help their products succeed in the market.

Director – Head of Strain Engineering at Those Vegan Cowboys

Steven is a scientist and team lead at NewMilkLab, the R&D lab of Those Vegan Cowboys in Ghent, Belgium. He leads research in molecular biology and strain engineering aimed at producing dairy proteins, particularly casein, through precision fermentation. His work focuses on developing microbial production platforms that enable the creation of animal-free cheese and other dairy products that have the same characteristics as conventional dairy. Through his work, he wants to contribute to advancing sustainable biotechnology solutions for the benefit of the global food system.

Co-founders of ALMAGRANA a.s.

Andrea is an economist and philosopher who has previously worked in the food industry and as a management consultant. Unable to find tasty gluten-free baked goods on the market, she developed her own gluten-free bread recipes and founded her own artisan bakery, Almagrana, in South Bohemia.
Viktor’s main career is in financial and management consultancy, and he helps with sales and communications.
Today, Almagrana produces gluten-free organic breads made with fresh sourdough for retail and the food service industry throughout the country, as well as gluten-free and vegan sweet pastries with minimal sugar. We emphasise ecology and sustainability in all areas of our business. Almagrana’s gluten-free products are characterised by a balanced ratio of natural proteins and other nutrients, such as a high protein-to-omega-3/6 fatty acid ratio.

Sustainability Manager at Prague University of Economics and Business

Jaroslav is a sustainability expert and local politician who currently works primarily in academia. At the University of Economics in Prague, he is Sustainability Manager and focuses on developing and implementing sustainability strategies.
He has also gained wider recognition through his political career, having served as Mayor of Prague 5. He remains active in the district, serving as a council member and chair of the Energy Committee. He contributes to the development of Prague 5 and addresses the practical needs of its residents. His experience in public administration complements his current work in sustainability.

Head of Research at ProVeg International

Anna-Lena is a public health nutritionist and food policy expert with extensive experience advising policymakers on strategies to improve population nutrition. Her research on improving recommendations for plant-based foods within food-based dietary guidelines has won multiple awards.
As Head of Research at ProVeg International, she oversees a diverse team of experts and collaborates closely with global NGOs and governments to drive progress toward a healthier, more sustainable food system.

Co-founder & Director of the FairBio roastery

Martin is the co-founder and current leader of the FairBio roastery. Coffee is in his blood. He pays close attention to every bean, considering its origin and how it is prepared. He has a strong personal connection to coffee and could talk about it for hours.

He has long been interested in fair trade, the origin of coffee and the conditions under which it is grown. Together with Fairtrade Czech Republic and Slovakia, he visits coffee-growing cooperatives, gaining a deeper understanding of coffee’s entire journey — from cultivation to flavour. He then applies the insights gained from these trips to the roasting process, training and the roastery’s day-to-day operations.

Founder & CEO of Catering Zdravě s.r.o.

Michal is the founder of Catering Zdravě s.r.o., which focuses on innovative catering solutions. Thanks to his passion for quality and balanced food, he emphasizes the selection of fresh ingredients and original recipes that promote a healthy lifestyle.