A Different Type of Technology Company

Andrew's background spans both restaurants and technology. As an operator for Smashburger, Andrew opened two dozen restaurants across the US, Europe and the Middle East. At Uber Eats, Andrew led early Virtual Restaurants initiatives. Currently, Andrew leads Pepper's Business Development team. Andrew has two loves in life, Pepper and his mastiff Hank. (oh, and his wife)

Anna works closely with our food distributor partners to bring their e-commerce platforms to fruition. Before joining the Pepperverse, Anna worked in Corporate & Investment Banking at Scotiabank where she analyzed diversified corporates, including the largest US food distributors. Outside of work, Anna spends much of her time with her family and rambunctious 1-year old son enjoying adventures to the zoo and aquarium or indulging in a bowl of EXTRA SPICY Green Thai Curry!

Ben Tedford graduated from Colorado State University where he majored in Business management with an emphasis in Management and Marketing.He is a member of the Business Development team at Pepper. Prior to his time at Pepper Ben was the Vice President of Business Development for Decibullz where he developed and implemented their sales strategy managing their global sales, e-commerce, and customer service teams. This experience led him to Pepper as he has seen the value of implementing modern e-commerce solutions in many different verticals all over the world and believes Pepper has the best product to enable sales and sales team growth in the Food/Beverage and Retail markets.

Bowie Cheung is the CEO and Co-founder at Pepper.

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Prior to Pepper, he led the N. American operations for Uber Eats, where he was also the founding General Manager and worked closely with hundreds of independent and chain operators. He also spent several years at the management consulting firm Bain & Company and like millions of Americans, began his career working in a variety of food service jobs.

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He received his MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and his undergraduate and master’s degrees in engineering from the University of Toronto.

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Bowie resides in Orange County, and in his spare time enjoys sports, reading, and a great cup of coffee.

Chetan Narain is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Pepper. After graduating from Princeton University with a degree in Operations Research and Financial Engineering, he began his career in 2011 as a software engineer at Google, before transitioning to product management in 2012. At Google, he was instrumental in launching Google Fi and setting up the first metrics team for Android. His journey then took him to Uber, where he was the first Product Manager for Uber Eats, transforming it from a fledgling idea into a business valued in the billions. Away from work, Chetan finds balance in the quiet strategy of chess and the immersive world of a good book.

Chowkas joined the Pepper team in 2019 as the founding member of the operations team. Since then, he has worn many hats. Currently, Chowkas leads Pepper's operations team focused on implementation and customer onboarding. Prior to Pepper, Chowkas studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Virginia and spent 4 years at Uber Eats in various operations and strategy roles. When not thinking about how to partner with distributors in implementing Pepper's best-in-class eCommerce software, Chowkas enjoys playing golf and pickleball, rating the best pizza spots in NYC, and traveling with his wife.

David leads the Strategy & Planning team at Pepper, helping across the company with various strategic and growth initiatives. Prior to Pepper, David spent several years in fintech, leading strategy and operations for Canada's largest buy-now pay-later solution, PayBright, which was acquired by Affirm, where he transitioned to lead M&A integrations. He has also spent several years in consulting and private equity and holds a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from Ivey Business School at Western University. Outside of Pepper, he likes to spend time in the kitchen, both cooking and eating, enjoys being outdoors, especially when the weather cooperates in Toronto, and is an avid sports fan, as big supporter of the Raptors and the Blue Jays.

David works on the Pepper Operations team helping make the onboarding process as smooth as possible. Coming from the integrations team at DoorDash, he has deep integrations knowledge across the food industry. Before joining the food tech world, David earned a degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech. You can find David playing beach volleyball, surfing, or golfing in his free time.

Derek is an accomplished executive with a proven track record in business development, channel partnerships, and sales management. As the Vice President of Channel Partnerships at Pepper, he exhibits exceptional proficiency in forging strategic alliances and driving market expansion. With his keen expertise in territory management and customer acquisition, Derek has consistently delivered outstanding results in his roles as Territory Manager at US Foods. Furthermore, his strategic acumen as a Seed Sales Manager and Account Manager at Farmer's Business Network, Inc. has contributed significantly to revenue growth within the agricultural industry. Armed with a Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Leadership and Development from Texas A&M University, Derek's illustrious career is further reinforced by his certifications and impactful volunteer engagements in the agricultural and food sectors.

From a young age, Devin was captivated by video games, a fascination that sparked an interest in the intricate art of coding and the process of creating engaging user experiences. This childhood curiosity guided his academic journey at Northeastern University, leading to a dual major in Computer Science and Marketing, an amalgamation of his passions. Today, Devin applies these combined experiences to lead the engineering efforts of Pepper's payments team, ensuring the development of effective, user-focused products. Outside of work, Devin's personal interests reflect this balance, as he remains an avid gamer and channels his love of nutrition through experimental cooking, creating wholesome meals to fuel his active lifestyle.

Duncan is an experienced software engineer with a notable background in backend and cloud development. During his four-years at AWS, Duncan played an instrumental role in developing innovative features and services for Relational Database Services. Although he studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Calgary, his passion gravitated towards the intricate challenges of software development. Now at Pepper, Duncan applies his expertise to deliver features to enhance the distributor experience. Outside of work, Duncan immerses himself in leatherworking, bouldering, and delights in exploring new culinary recipes and cuisines.

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Emma is a member of the Distributor Operations team at Pepper, where she partners with distributors to implement their eCommerce platforms.  Before joining Pepper, she served as the Director of Support at Bluecrew, an on-demand staffing marketplace startup.  Emma received a degree in Quantitative Economics with a minor in Agriculture Business from the University of Connecticut.  Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, hiking, gardening, and exploring new places with her husband and two mini schnauzers.

Erin Graham graduated from Niagara University’s College of Hospitality and Tourism Management in 2006 and has since made significant strides in her career. From managing restaurant outlets at Loews Hotel Miami Beach to holding positions at Sysco Foods, Erin has made a name for herself within the foodservice industry. Erin serves as the Vice President of Operations and Strategy at Pepper which entails managing strategic partnerships with large buying groups and overseeing the platform’s launch across multiple distributor partners. Outside of her career, she devotes time to coaching her twin daughters’ sports teams and actively participating in community programs. Erin Graham is a dedicated leader, driven by her relentless work ethic and commitment to excellence. Her accomplishments make her a standout figure in the foodservice industry.

Hayden Asquith is a member of the Strategy & Planning team at Pepper, where he works on the Payments product. Prior to joining Pepper, Hayden spent four years at Uber Eats, where he managed a team focused on restaurant pricing. He started his career as a consultant at Alvarez & Marsal. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a double major in Industrial Engineering and Accounting. Outside of work, Hayden spends his free time working on his golf game, backpacking, and reading books on US presidential history. He is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

Ilana is part of the Operations team as an Account Manager, specializing in relationship building and helping our customers reach their full potential with Pepper. Prior to joining Pepper, Ilana worked various tech roles, including her tenure at the Safe Quality Food Institute, Aktana (a leader in sales enablement software for the pharmaceutical industry), and Data Culture (a data consultancy). She holds a degree in health administration and policy from the University of Maryland - Baltimore County and a Masters in Information Systems management from Towson University. Outside of Pepper, Ilana spends her time traveling, spending time with her family, being outdoors (especially with her 2 dogs), and otherwise always having her nose in a book.

Ivana Tesanovic is a Co-founder and Senior Vice President at Pepper.

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Prior to Pepper, she was a key account manager at big data and analytics consulting firm Massive Insights, advising Fortune 1000 clients on eCommerce and digital marketing strategies. Prior to that, she partnered with industrial and manufacturing companies as a strategy and operations analyst at Siemens.

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Ivana resides in Orange County, and in her spare time enjoys beach volleyball, sci-fi movies, and devouring fresh seafood.

Jake is a dynamic professional with a diverse background. He has a proven track record in the food distribution software space, having previously worked at a prominent produce software company. With a solid educational foundation in computer science, complemented by minor in business and psychology experience, Jake possesses a unique combination of technical expertise and understanding of human behavior. Outside of work, he enjoys teaching, cooking, rock climbing, and traveling to enrich his experiences. Currently, Jake leverages his skills and knowledge as a member of the operations team at Pepper, where he contributes to the seamless functioning and efficiency of the organization.

bio coming soon

James is part of the Distributor Operations team, where he works with distributors to set up and maintain their instance of Pepper.  Prior to Pepper, James worked in healthcare implementations at Epic Systems and as a product owner at Lumen Technologies.  He earned a Political Science degree at West Virginia University, with a minor in Computer Science.  Outside of work, James enjoys hiking and biking the Organ Mountains, golfing, and learning to cook new things.

Jeff is a software engineer working on the Expansion team. He has a Masters of Science in Software Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and an Honors Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Philosophy from University of Toronto. His professional experience largely comes from tech start ups in Silicon Valley like Crunchbase and Yugabyte with internships at Microsoft and Amazon. He is a late-comer to the tech world and started his professional life teaching English abroad and working in restaurants. Outside of Pepper, Jeff likes to hike, eat ramen, and and read good books.

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Jenna is on Pepper’s Strategy & Planning team. After graduating from the University of Rhode Island on a Division 1 volleyball scholarship, she put her Supply Chain Management degree to use at Dell Technologies. She worked in multiple roles within the organization before coming onboard at Pepper. In her free time, she enjoys pilates, hiking, cooking, exploring Austin’s vibrant food scene, crocheting, and traveling to majestic places!

John is a graduate of Rowan University with dual majors in Advertising and Public relations. He started his career in the seafood industry, and in 2021, he joined the Pepper team after 8 years in the industry. As the creator of opportunities for Pepper, he enjoys working with a variety of food service companies that he not only helps strengthen their bottom line but also continues to educate him about the industry. John is married with three boys and his hobbies include coaching his kids in baseball and everything Philadelphia sports.

Jon is an accomplished software engineer, having graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Computer Science. He began his career in the gaming industry, making notable contributions at Zynga by working on different projects like Words With Friends. Jon later transitioned to Uber, where he collaborated across multiple teams, lending his expertise to enhance the rider app, web platform, and ultimately, Uber Eats. Recognized for his talent and dedication, he became one of the first engineers at Pepper, and he continues to lead and contribute to their engineering efforts today. Outside of work, Jon finds joy in traveling and spending quality time with his wife, which often means watching whatever she decides to put on TV.

With a solid foundation in Computer Science from UT Austin, Juan Carlos Moreno brings a wealth of technical expertise to the team. His professional journey began at a notable produce software company, Produce Pro Software, where he honed his skills in software development and got his first taste into the food distribution industry. At Pepper, he serves as a Solutions Architect on the Implementations team, where he works closely with clients to understand their unique challenges and tailors Pepper’s solutions to seamlessly integrate with their existing frameworks. Beyond the desk, Juan Carlos is a sports and travel enthusiast. He enjoys playing golf, tennis, and paddle.

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As a part of the Strategy & Planning team, Juliana focuses on driving strategic initiatives, overseeing financial operations and contributing to the company’s long-term planning. Prior to Pepper, Juliana served as a Corporate Development manager at CMC Materials, a semiconductor company later acquired by Entegris, and as an Investment Banking analyst at Lazard, covering Industrials M&A. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Georgetown University where she studied International Political Economy & Business. Outside of Pepper, Juliana enjoys traveling, trying out new restaurants in NYC, going to pilates classes, and supporting the Brooklyn Nets.

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Katie is a member of the Distributor Operations team at Pepper, where she works with distributors to implement and customize their eCommerce platforms. Before joining Pepper, Katie worked in various sectors of the Supply Chain Software world. She received her degree in Computer Science from Grand Valley State University in Michigan. Outside of work, Katie is a portrait photographer and loves spending time with her husband and children, volunteering, and reading.

Kyle is a software engineer on the data platform team at Pepper. Prior to joining Pepper he spent over 4 years working as a software engineer on the AI Engineering team at Dialpad, making major contributions to the core realtime AI inference platform driving speech recognition and NLP across all of Dialpad's product offerings. He graduated from the University of Guelph's Software Engineering program. Outside of work he can be found lifting, running, bouldering, hiking mountains, playing the drums, cooking up something spicy, travelling the world or reading scifi.

Marco Azer is a highly accomplished computer scientist who studied Computer Science at the University of Waterloo in Canada. After graduation, he embarked on a successful career at Microsoft, where he made significant contributions in the Windows Kernel and Azure IoT teams. Marco's expertise in operating systems and IoT technology allowed him to optimize performance and develop robust solutions. Known for his strong work ethic and collaborative nature, Marco's passion for technology led him to join Pepper as a full stack software engineer on the payments team. With his diverse experience and drive to innovate, Marco continues to excel in the field of computer science.

Marcus with a wealth of experience in product development and engineering in the hardware and consumer packaged goods space. At Pepper, he is a full stack engineer focusing on building features and solving problems related to payments growth and holds a Bachelors of Chemical Engineering from Purdue University. Outside of Pepper, you can find him traveling the world, finding the next spiciest food to blow up his palate, and bringing his vibrant culture wherever he goes.

Margaret joined Pepper with a strong desire to help revolutionize the seafood industry. Recognizing the historical lack of technology in the field, she saw the potential for Pepper to be a game-changer in the seafood supply chain.With over a decade of experience, Margaret has dedicated a significant portion of her career to the seafood industry, working with esteemed companies such as Blue Ocean Mariculture, Ducktrap River of Maine, and Seattle Fish Co. Her expertise in seafood sourcing, sustainability, and vendor relations has made her a trusted authority in the sales field. As an avid chef and adventurer, Margaret spends most every weekend enjoying the mountains and cooking for friends in her hometown of Denver, Colorado.

Matthew is a software engineer working on the data platform team at pepper. He began his career as a full stack software engineer for Bank Of America building single page web applications to support MBS Trading. Outside of work hours he can usually be found playing billiards, snowboarding, or hanging out at a comedy club.

Max Markov is an accomplished software development leader known for his innovative approach and impressive track record. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Max has honed his skills in building software, with his most recent five years dedicated to Amazon, where he played a crucial role in developing search engines for renowned platforms like Amazon Music and Twitch.While Max's professional achievements speak volumes, he also finds fulfillment in pursuing personal interests. He is an avid reader, driven by a constant thirst for knowledge and a passion for captivating books across various subjects. Max's commitment to continuous learning enriches his perspective and fuels his creativity in the software development field.

Maz has an educational background in finance and was first introduced to the hospitality industry working in the accounting department at a hotel group. Since that experience, he has committed to helping revolutionize how the food supply chain around the world operates with the help of technology. At Pepper, Maz's main focus is to onboard our distributor partners and making sure each project reaches the finish line to a successful launch. Outside of Pepper, Maz pretty much lives in the gym. He loves working out every morning before work and when he's not in the gym - he is hooping on the basketball court!

As a member of the Growth Operations team, Nyosha is an avid advocate for Pepper's customers. With over four years of experience in technical onboarding and project management at high-growth start-ups, she ensures that all distributors have an excellent integration and launch experience. Nyosha loves solo travel, reading fiction novels, and exploring Toronto with her friends.

Oli brings a warm and enthusiastic approach to technology, backed by over a decade of industry experience. His dedication shines through in his commitment to delivering top-notch experiences for clients. As a solutions architect, Oli has a keen ability to delve into the heart of your business challenges, crafting tailor-made solutions that align perfectly with your unique requirements.

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Prateek is a full-stack developer primarily focused on building our Payments solutions. He holds a master's degree in computer science from Columbia University. Prior to joining Pepper, he spent seven years at Goldman Sachs, culminating in his last role as Vice President in the Core Engineering division, where he specialized in building Authorization platforms. Outside of work, Prateek enjoys exploring new restaurants, traveling, watching cricket, and cooking.

Shehzad is a graduate of Texas A&M University with degrees in Political Science and Computer Science. Currently serving as a Product Manager for the data platform team, they play a vital role in building out a robust integration platform and addressing the data challenges of a rapidly scaling business.Outside of work, Shehzad finds joy in hiking, spending valuable time with family, and enjoying the company of their two dogs. They have a genuine passion for the outdoors and deeply appreciate the moments shared with family and friends.

Shirley Chang is a product designer who has a deep passion for her craft. Graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in Graphic Design and minors in Psychology and IT, she has cultivated a solid foundation in various disciplines. Currently serving as the product designer at Pepper, Shirley takes the lead in designing the user experience and interface for the customer ordering platform and distributor management portal. Her past experience includes a product designer role at Hearst Digital Media, where she contributed to the development of the video and subscriptions platforms. Prior to that, she was a designer at a market research company. Outside of work, Shirley finds solace and inspiration through running, pottery, trying new restaurants with friends, and indulging in the captivating world of movies.

Taylor caught the bug for food technology while working at a startup that brought insect-based protein to the North American market. Coming from a background in consulting, he worked at CloudKitchens prior to joining Pepper. At Pepper, Taylor is focused on new automation initiatives within the business operations team.

Taylor is an Implementation Manager at Pepper, helping clients through every step of the onboarding and implementation process. Prior to Pepper Taylor worked in Customer Success, Operations, and Events at various startups. She received her Masters degree in Historic Preservation and Bachelor's degree in linguistics. Taylor spends time studying languages, visiting museums, exploring cities on public transit, and traveling with her partner.

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Ted is a software engineer at Pepper, focused on back-end development of projects such as Track My Truck. Prior to that, he was a software engineer at Microsoft for five years. He graduated Cum Laude from Penn State in 2017 with a degree in Computer Science and minors in Math and Security. In his free time, Ted enjoys reading, writing, playing piano and harp, and scuba diving.

Vivek is on the Distributor Operations team at Pepper -- he helps bring distributors onto Pepper's eCommerce platform by collaborating with both the distributor's IT team and the Pepper engineering team & making sure the distributor's Pepper app works great! Prior to Pepper, he worked at CloudKitchens and Uber Eats -- focused more on the restaurant & eater side of food supply chain. Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Vivek received his Industrial Engineering degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He now resides in Manhattan.

Wes Finch is a highly accomplished professional who currently holds the role of Managing Director of the Produce Vertical at Pepper where he spearheads the transformation of the produce industry. With a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University and a successful stint as Vice President of Sales at Brothers Produce, Wes possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience. Alongside his thriving career, Wes cherishes his 16-year marriage to his wife Stephanie and actively engages in coaching his 8 year old son's Little League and enjoying tea parties with his 4 year old daughter. Fueling his passion for the outdoors, he finds solace in fishing, hunting, and mastering the art of barbecuing. Wes Finch's unwavering dedication, expertise, and love for both his professional and personal life have established him as a revered figure, shaping the future of the produce industry at Pepper.

Yonge Li is a seasoned professional with rich experience in product management, software engineering, and investment banking. His expertise spans growth, incentives, platform management, and more. Yonge is a University of Waterloo graduate with a degree in Mathematics. His career trajectory took him from investment banking to software engineering and then into impactful product management roles at Screenshop and Varo. Now at Pepper, he leads product expansion efforts, creatively referring to his role as "selling carrots and celery", which signifies his innovative approach to product development and business growth.