Best Isaac Wu Podcasts (2025)

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16. Smart Coolers on Higher Ed and Healthcare Campuses 26:13

Play Pause

3M ago26:13

26:13

Higher ed campuses and hospitals represent the largest market for smart coolers due to... The command audience that need 24/7 smart coolers The existing foodservice that can stock the coolers The existing buildings to place the coolers in In this episode, we discuss how higher ed and healthcare institutions are using smart vending platforms and out…

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15. How to Choose the Right Smart Cooler for your Food Business: a Market Analysis 12:51

4M ago12:51

12:51

Are you considering launching a smart cooler for your food business? In this episode, we give a market analysis, give an overview of smart coolers, outline the different types of smart cooler technologies, and discuss how to choose the right one to sell your food 24/7. If you're interested in learning more, feel free to reach out here or at hello@l…

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14. Six Smart Fridge Use Cases & Revenue Numbers from Real Operators 19:55

1y ago19:55

19:55

What are smart fridges used for? And how much can they profit? Operators use smart fridges to solve many different problems, and therefore achieve varying levels of profitability. In this episode, we discuss different smart fridge applications, including Revenue Generating Microstore 24/7 Food Pantry Pure Amenity ... We give a realistic range of re…

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13. Five Biggest Mistakes in Smart Vending 26:11

1y ago26:11

26:11

Smart vending is fairly new in the United States. In this episode, we discuss the five biggest mistakes operators make in researching, launching, and operating a smart vending solution. Watch this episode on Youtube. If you have questions about operating a smart vending technology, we'd love to hear from you! You can reach out at hello@launchfoodsp…

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12. Dr. Anita Hicks: Food Insecurity in Adult Learners and How to Establish Food Security on Higher Ed Campuses 25:58

1+ y ago25:58

25:58

23% of college students face food insecurity. Many campus programs and resources are being established to help solve this issue but are mostly geared toward undergraduate students. What about adult learners coming back for education after years away? Dr. Anita Hicks is the Associate Director of Auxiliary Services at Oakland University and has spent…

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11. The Smart Vending Tripod: App, Hardware, Dashboard 17:49

2y ago17:49

17:49

In this episode, we discuss how a fresh food smart vending solution needs three components to succeed: an app, the hardware, and a dashboard. We discuss how this looks in a smart fridge operation. App: You need a brand-forward experience that connects you to your customers 24/7. Hardware: You need a smart fridge that suits your brand image and unat…

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10. Food Equity - how to fund it with food security and smart fresh food vending 32:58

2y ago32:58

32:58

There is an abundance of fresh food in the US – more than enough to end food insecurity – but there's a distribution problem. In this episode, Isaac and Nathan discuss... America's fresh food distribution problem anecdotes of food insecurity the difference between food security and food equity the 3 pillars of food equity how fresh food companies c…

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9. Brain Food: A conversation between a neuroscience junkie and professional chef. [3 Scientific Studies] 27:24

2+ y ago27:24

27:24

"Brain food" is a common term thrown around schools and workplaces, but what foods actually improve cognitive performance? In this episode of The Fresh Vending Podcast, a neuroscience junkie sits down with a professional chef to discuss some science-backed principles. Isaac Wu and Nathan Downs discuss how, even though different people can see vastl…

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8. Third-Wave Vending 28:26

2+ y ago28:26

28:26

Coffee had 3 waves: it started in a can, moved to a cafe, and now it's a craft. We argue food vending has had 3 waves, too. In this episode, we distinguish Third-Wave Vending – modern unattended fresh food solutions – from its predecessors. We discuss how this has opened unattended retail up to more operators, from large foodservice firms and mom-a…

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7. Comparing Retail Smart Fridge Technologies 44:20

2+ y ago44:20

44:20

Nathan and Isaac discuss the 6 different retail smart fridge manufacturers in the US. They also discuss what attributes to look for in a fresh food retail smart fridge solution depending on your fresh food business, including size, design, data security, and more. Learn more about fresh food microstores: https://www.launchfoodspot.com/blog Get in t…

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6. Adoption of FoodTech 44:44

3y ago44:44

44:44

FoodTech is popping up everywhere, but only some of will stick. In this episode, we discuss promising foodservice technology that is being adopted among institutions, food chains, and influencers. Some of the FoodTech we discuss: Mobile Ordering: Grubhub Campus Robot Delivery: Grubhub & Starship Fresh Food Vending: Farmer's Fridge Robotics: Jamba +…

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5. FAQ's of Smart Vending 37:12

3y ago37:12

37:12

How much does a smart vending platform cost? Where can I go to research smart vending? How do I pitch locations? We discuss these questions and more in our latest episode of the Fresh Vending Podcast. There are a dozen turnkey smart vending platforms in the U.S. Follow Nathan Downs and Isaac Wu on the Fresh Vending Podcast to learn if smart vending…

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4. How the pandemic changed foodservice 31:51

3y ago31:51

31:51

In this episode, we discuss the long-term effects the pandemic is having on foodservice. We cover shifts in labor supply, digitization of brands, ghost kitchens, FoodTech, and other topics. In an industry still recovering from the affects of COVID-19, operators are faced with heavier costs and larger shifts in consumer behavior than every before. F…

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3. The truth about Smart Vending 21:07

3y ago21:07

21:07

Join us as we discuss topics anyone should consider when opening a smart vending business: Why is the U.S. so slow to adopt smart vending? How much is it to operate an RFID fridge? How much revenue can a fridge generate? Does one need a whole fleet of smart fridges? Watch the episode: https://youtu.be/y7GADbwjrB4 Learn more about smart vending: lau…

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2. How to get started in Smart Vending 26:52

3y ago26:52

26:52

In this episode, we talk about choosing the right smart vending platform and researching the best location for your smart vending machine. Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/UmAabN3Uyc4 Connect with us: [email protected] Learn more about smart vending: launchfoodspot.comBy Isaac Wu & Nathan Downs

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1. What is Smart Vending? 39:32

3y ago39:32

39:32

In this episode, we discuss what smart vending is and its importance in the modern foodservice industry. We outline the problem that smart vending solves and give examples of smart vending hardware and software. We also give some background on ourselves, and share why we both got into smart vending. Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/vNwhD7O_xyI …