In this season, we're focusing on Chicago founders who are building right here in the city. I'm your host, Cecilia Benitez, and together we'll hear the stories behind the startups, explore the real challenges of building in Chicago, and uncover what drives these founders to keep going.

On this week’s episode, we welcome Malvina DeSalvo, CEO of Plateful, an AI-powered nutrition platform that gamifies healthy eating. Plateful combines interactive learning with a SMART plate, transforming mealtime into an educational experience that reduces pickiness, lightens the load for parents, and builds lifelong healthy habits in kids.

Malvina’s story sheds light on the broader nutritional challenges faced by families across the U.S. and how Plateful’s innovative approach is helping to reshape the landscape. From the importance of customer discovery to the creation of prototypes, she opens up about the rewarding yet challenging journey of finding product–market fit. Insights from mentors, advisors, and investors provided crucial guidance along the way, sparking new ideas and shaping Plateful’s promising trajectory.

Looking to the future, Malvina shares Plateful's strategic plans for partnerships and developing groundbreaking data sets in children's nutrition, with aspirations to apply machine learning for improved acceptance of healthy foods. 

Connect with Malvina: 

Malvina’s Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/malvina-de-salvo-9a90a01/ 

Plateful’s website:  https://pl8ful.com/ 

Plateful’s’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plateful-llc/ 

Connect with Chicago Techies Podcast:

Website: https://chicagotechiespodcast.com   

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chicago-techies-podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicagotechies 

Connect with Ceci:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cbenitez87/ 

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/cbenitez_87