Jonathan Neman | Inspiring Healthier Communities with Sweetgreen

The Founder Hour

Jonathan Neman is the Co-Founder & CEO of Sweetgreen, the mission-driven restaurant brand that serves healthy food at scale. Jonathan and his co-founders and fellow Georgetown classmates Nathaniel Ru and Nicolas Jammet started Sweetgreen in 2007, opening their first location in Georgetown, DC, just three months out of college. The trio were disappointed with campus food options. Their vision is to be as ubiquitous as traditional fast food, but far more transparent and honest.

Sweetgreen raised its initial $375,000 of startup funding from investors including the three founders' parents, Joe Bastianich, Seth Goldman, and Washington's Latino Economic Development Center. In 2013, it accepted a $22 million investment from Revolution Growth, a venture capital fund founded by Steve Case.

Sweetgreen's corporate headquarters moved to the Los Angeles area from Washington, D.C. in 2016. As of September 2023, it had 221 stores in operation in 18 states and the District of Columbia.

Tune in to the episode to learn about Jonathan Neman's story and how it led to Sweetgreen.

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