I experienced food insecurity as a child and believed that education, career success, and stability would mean I’d never face it again. During COVID-19, after earning my doctorate, I learned how fragile that assumption was when accessing fresh food once again became uncertain. That moment forced me to rethink how food access works and who existing systems actually serve.

I thought back to my time in Japan, where vending machines function as everyday infrastructure rather than convenience novelties. That insight became Nori, a food equi-tech company building smart vending infrastructure that helps organizations and entrepreneurs expand access, distribution, and revenue without adding operational complexity.