Taranvir Johal shares his experience going through Techstars Future of Food program with his company Tavolo.

Q: What problem are you solving, and what inspired you to start the company?

A: I grew up in a family filled with hospitality business owners. Over the years, I ran all the marketing for our small businesses. I saw how hard it was to stay consistent while managing day-to-day operations. Tavolo solves that by using AI to create marketing campaigns for you—automatically. We pull data from your tech stack and industry trends to generate high-performing SMS, email, and social content. It’s like having a full marketing team, without the overhead.

Q: Where was your company when you joined Techstars Future of Food, and what made you apply?

A: We were in the early stages—Tavolo was live with about 15 customers and generating a few thousand dollars in monthly recurring revenue, but still trying to figure out our go-to-market strategy and how we could scale our business. I applied to Techstars because I wanted to grow as a CEO/founder, I needed to learn how to fundraise, how to build a great team, how to improve our GTM strategy, and how to lead with focus. Techstars was pivotal in helping me build a stronger business.

Q: How did the Techstars Future of Food program impact your business strategy or growth?

A: Techstars Future of Food allowed us to connect with leaders at Ecolab, hospitality business owners, marketing experts, and investors that we previously didn’t have access to. It also forced us to focus. We reshaped our pricing model, rethought our onboarding flow, and started building a true SaaS engine. Most importantly, we built discipline around weekly metrics and customer feedback loops. That alone accelerated our traction post-program.

Q: What was the most meaningful moment or breakthrough during the program?

A: The biggest breakthrough was realizing just how customer-obsessed we needed to be. We thought we were focused on our users—but our mentors, many of them former founders, quickly exposed the gaps. They pushed us to go deeper: talk to more customers, study their behavior, and align everything—our messaging, product, and roadmap—around what actually drives value for them.

Q: What was it like working with your lead mentors, and how did those relationships evolve?

A: At first, it was like drinking from a firehose. But once the dust settled, our lead mentors became trusted advisors who challenged our assumptions and held us accountable. They weren’t afraid to push us hard, but they genuinely cared. Several of those relationships have turned into ongoing mentorship—even post-program.

Q: How have you continued to see value from Techstars since the program ended?

A: The Techstars name opens doors—period. Whether it's investor intros, customer partnerships, or recruiting, there’s instant credibility. Beyond that, the alumni network is priceless. It’s like having an extended team of founders who’ve either been where you are or are going through it right now.

Q: What advice would you give to founders thinking about applying?

A: Come in obsessed with your customer - not your product. Techstars will challenge every assumption you have, and the founders who grow the most are the ones who listen deeply to customers and adapt fast. It’s not about building features—it’s about solving real problems, delivering outcomes, and proving that people want what you're offering. If you're ready to move fast, take hard feedback, and let customer truth drive every decision, Techstars will push your company to the next level.

Taranvir and his team were part of the 2023 Techstars Future of Food cohort. For more information about Tavolo, please visit this link.

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