Startup Café: Six Companies & Two Exits with James Colquhoun, Founder of Food Matters and former CEO of Gaia
Wednesday, November 11, 2026, 8:45 AM PST – 10:30 AM PST
The KINN, 150 Horizon Ave, Venice, CA 90291, USA
Hosted by The KINN
Six companies, two exits, one bought back. James Colquhoun on the things nobody tells you about your first million: where founders get stuck, why the playbook stops working, and what he’d do differently. Most advice about the first million is written by people who are still selling you the second one. James Colquhoun has built six companies in health and wellness. He made five films, two of which landed on Netflix, and built FMTV — one of the first streaming platforms in the category. He sold it to Gaia (NASDAQ) in 2019, then spent six years inside that public company: board member, audit committee, COO, and finally CEO. He bought one of his old companies back in 2025. This talk is the honest version. Not the highlight reel — the parts he got wrong, repeatedly, and what he’d tell a founder sitting where you’re sitting. Agenda 8:45 - 9:30 am • Coffee and Socialize 9:30- 10:30 am • Conversation in the Clubhouse, Brief Q&A 11:00 am • Space closes to public November 11, 2026 About: James Colquhoun James is an entrepreneur and filmmaker who has built six companies in health and wellness. He founded Food Matters and FMTV, making five films — two of which landed on Netflix — and building one of the first pure-play streaming platforms in the category. He sold FMTV to Gaia (NASDAQ) in 2019, joined its board in 2020, and went on to serve on the audit committee before running the company as COO and then CEO through to 2026, leading multiple private and public raises and several acquisitions. In 2025 he bought one of his earlier companies back. He’s now building INNERMISSION, a media and community company for conscious founders. 🔗 INSTAGRAM About: Oliver Evans | Founder & CEO, The KINN With a background spanning finance, hospitality, and technology, Oliver was an early team member at SevenRooms, the hospitality technology company acquired by DoorDash for $1.2 billion in 2025. Driven by a belief that business can be a powerful force for positive change, Oliver founded The KINN to bring together ambitious, purpose-driven individuals through meaningful connections, collaboration, and personal growth. His mission is to help shape a new generation of conscious leaders who define success by both the value they create and the impact they leave behind. 🔗 INSTAGRAM About The KINN The KINN is a membership club and beautiful co-work space for conscious entrepreneurs, based in Venice, CA. Elevate your impact with access to curated events, personalized educational programming, and a dynamic and mission-driven community. Apply and find out more at www.thekinn.co. Instagram @thekinn.co ABOUT Nerdstage Communication training and high-impact events giving tomorrow a louder voice. Nerdstage hosts the Demo Day event series & the Nerdstage Podcast. Parking We recommend taking a rideshare to The KINN. If you prefer to drive, please see the parking map below for nearby options. Water Provided by Alive Water Sourced from Opal Springs, a pristine volcanic aquifer in Oregon, this water is naturally alkaline, mineral-rich, and bottled in sacred glass to preserve its purity. Experience it the way nature intended. Sign up at https://alivewaters.com/KINN and use code KINN for 25% off. By attending this event, I give Horizon House LLC, its representatives, and the event photographer permission to use, publish, broadcast, share, and display any photographs, video, or audio recordings of me captured during KINN or Horizon Studio activities. These materials may be used with or without identifying me by name. I waive any right to compensation and any claims for damages arising from their use.