BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alchemista, an innovative food and beverage company providing unique experiences that enrich workplace culture, has named tech CEO, sales innovator, entrepreneur and investor Lou Shipley to its Board of Directors.
Currently an Entrepreneur in Residence at the venture capital firm General Catalyst and a lecturer in tech sales at both MIT Sloan and the Harvard Business School, Shipley will leverage more than 30 years of tech experience and success to help Alchemista accelerate sales and scale its services.
In announcing the board appointment, Alchemista Founder and CEO Christine Marcus said Shipley is well positioned to provide both leadership and counsel as the company continues to expand its client base and differentiate itself in the highly competitive corporate food and beverage space.
Alchemista was founded as a way to allow employers to remain competitive in the search and retention of top talent by bringing unique food and curated brand experiences to in-office experiences. While the corporate catering model was highly successful and attracted the business of Tripadvisor, WeWork, and Splunk, Alchemista quickly pivoted as a result of COVID-19 by introducing high-tech food lockers. The lockers, which serve as the intersection of food and technology, are affordable, contactless, temperature controlled, and sanitized with UV light that kills 99.9% of bacteria. They are the first movers in the food locker space and plan to expand into numerous commercial and residential businesses.
Prior to General Catalyst, Shipley was President and CEO of Massachusetts-based Black Duck Software where he pioneered the open source application security market space and increased the company’s valuation by more than 300%. In December of 2017, Synopsys acquired Black Duck for $565 million.
While at Black Duck, Shipley utilized Alchemista’s catering offerings, providing him with first-hand knowledge of its innovative approach and dedication to reimagined in-office food offerings. Marcus said he will work closely with her on everything from overarching strategy and funding initiatives to marketing and demand generation.
“Lou Shipley has long been one of my most-trusted mentors, influencing all aspects of my life as an entrepreneur. I am constantly applying the lessons and skills I learned in his Entrepreneurial Sales course at MIT Sloan. I attribute much of my company’s growth to what I’ve learned from Lou. His guidance since 2012 has given me the tools and discipline to build, structure, and grow a successful business,” said Marcus.
Shipley shared, “I’m very excited to join the Alchemista board. I’ve witnessed the evolution of Alchemista from a traditional corporate catering company to a highly creative innovator in the food and beverage space. I look forward to helping with their aggressive growth plans for the future.”
An expert on technology and business, Shipley has been published in Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg, MarketWatch, TechCrunch, The Chicago Tribune and The Huffington Post.
He holds a BA in economics from Trinity College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
About Alchemista
Alchemista is an innovative food and beverage service that provides unique food and curated brand experiences to enrich workplace culture. Alchemista partners with employers to create their own authentic identity in an effort to amplify core values, strengthen desired behaviors, maximize performance and profitability, and attract and retain top talent through unforgettable culinary and cultural experiences at every touchpoint.
Alchemista is based in Boston, MA, with offices in New York City, and Washington, DC.