Mario RodriguezFounder, Bootleg Avocado

Mario Rodriguez has more than 13 years experience in creating value in start-up companies that span many industries. He brings a unique background in food & beverage with an operations mindset. As a graduate from Babson College, Mario started his career with a software and services start-up which specialized in process re-engineering for clients in the finance, energy, and aeronautic industries. After 6 years in consulting, Mario decided to jump into the food world and attended the French Culinary Institute, graduating top of his class. He later worked in many culinary institutions including the Gramercy Tavern (NYC) and La Petite Grocery (New Orleans). Mario’s second leap into the start-up world came with Dinner Lab as director of operations and helped scale the business from 3 locations into a total of 31. His next endeavor brought him back to NYC and into the new meal-kit industry as COO of Dinner Thyme. Mario was instrumental in constructing the supply chain, hiring of culinary staff, establishing daily operations and kickstarting the overall growth of the company. Mario Rodriguez is a big advocate for early stage food start-ups and provides consulting services (via Bootleg Avocado) to those companies who need guidance with expansion, scaling, hiring/training, fundraising, supply chain management, and overall execution of their food product.

Daniel KarsevarDeana Moore Food-X Mentor