Data, Operations

Journey Foods

Journey Foods is an AI-powered supply chain technology platform and data service founded by Riana Lynn in 2019. The platform uses machine learning to help CPG brands reformulate products and take supplier actions for better nutrition, lower cost, and improved sustainability. Journey Foods has worked with over 700 food brands and was recognized by Forbes, Fast Company, and the James Beard Foundation.

It was late 2019. I was still working at Cleveland Avenue, leading innovation and investments at what was — and still is — one of the most influential hybrid venture firms in food and technology. A different vision was brewing. That vision became Journey Foods.

We started with Journey Bites — nutrient-dense, bite-sized cubes of superfood innovation. We released five flavors, tested over a dozen, and pushed sales across Shopify, Amazon, grocery shelves, and live events. We crossed $340K in revenue quick. Then we made a bold decision. We shut it down. Not because it was not working — but because the food industry did not just need another product. It needed a platform.

It was early for generative AI — 2019, before the hype — and I drafted our first white paper on the subject. That document earned us an MIT award. What if we could help food companies build not just better bites, but better everything — faster, smarter, and more affordably?