Hidden Gems: Meet Stijn Vanorbeek of Simply-Bread.co

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stijn Vanorbeek. 

Hi Stijn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in Belgium and studied Film in Brussels, Belgium. 

After graduating, I worked for almost twenty years in the Motion picture and Broadcast industry. As a cinematographer starting out, a saw a lot of problems to be solved in the industry 

I then started my first business (in my early 20s): modifying military surplus slow-motion film camera’s so they could be used on film sets. 

My second business became a world leader in robotic camera equipment for the motion picture industry, and later on also designing all the moving camera system used on entertainment and news shows (America’s got talent, KCET, BBC). My work in this field got me under consideration for a Technical Academy Award in the late 2000s. 

After selling this business to a large media multinational in 2011, I settled in Los Angeles and got involved with the start-up and early-stage investment community. I became a partner in a Venture Capital firm and also got to help out a lot of start-up teams as business and technical consultant. 

Late 2020, I wanted a break from technology and do something more artisan that also involved community and people. I ended up starting a small community bakery from my kitchen (oven). The response was immense; everyone loves fresh, tasty, nutritious bread. I also discovered that micro-bakeries small community bakeries are a thing and opening up all over the country. Needless to say, the pandemic and everyone’s obsession with bread baking helped. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Although the pandemic made many rediscover artisan bread, it was also the worst ever period to design and launch a new product: Supply Chain challenges, Increased material pricing, etc. Luckily, we see some improvements in recent months. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
After running a community bakery from my home for a few months, I realized that making income from your home kitchen is not that easy; baking 2 loaves an hour in cast iron pans is not moving the needle. Managing customers, taking orders, payments, and procuring quality ingredients is also a large pain point. 

Of course, the builder, technologist, and entrepreneur resurfaced not much later. That is where simply-bread.co was born: A software and hardware-as-a-service platform to make local bakers successful. We build a (connected) artisan baking oven that can be used in any kitchen or community space and bake bread with the same quality and taste as the best artisan bakery. Our software platform connects bread lovers with bakers and helps bakers manage customers and procure ingredients. 

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
We envision a future where food is produced in a decentralized way, with local producers and consumers closely connected. We chose to focus on bread as it is an essential staple in every culture. 

Our mission is to provide everyone with the technology, education, and support they need to create a sustainable and rewarding baking business. Our model is to supply both software and hardware as-a-service to make local food producers successful. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.simply-bread.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplybreadco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimplyBreadCo
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/J7hb7QmD6l4