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What if one of the biggest business opportunities in the world was hiding inside a problem most people never think about?

In this episode, Are Traasdahl, founder of Crisp and Arkade, shares the story behind building a company aimed at solving one of the most overlooked global challenges: food waste. With one-third of all food produced globally lost before it ever reaches consumers, Are saw not just a broken system, but a massive opportunity to rebuild it using data, technology, and AI.

Summary

Are walks through his journey from growing up in a small town in Norway to building and exiting multiple technology companies in the U.S., including early innovations in mobile content and programmatic advertising. But Crisp represents something different. Inspired by a trip around the world where he witnessed both massive food waste and deep food insecurity, he set out to build a data platform that connects the entire retail supply chain—what he calls a “supply web”—to reduce inefficiencies at scale.

At the core of Crisp is a simple but powerful idea: if you can unify data across retailers, suppliers, and distributors, you can dramatically improve decision-making—from what gets stocked on shelves to how products are priced and distributed. What started with zero customers and tens of millions invested in technology quickly accelerated during the pandemic, growing to thousands of brands as the industry realized the need for better data visibility and collaboration.

Beyond the business itself, Are shares a broader philosophy on building: focus on solving meaningful problems, be willing to invest ahead of the market, and commit to creating something that delivers value not just for customers—but for the world. His “triple bottom line” approach—good for the world, good for customers, and good for the business—offers a compelling framework for founders thinking about long-term impact.

Highlights

00:00 Why is Are building in NWA?

4:00 Are's other companies (Thumbplay, Tapad)

19:00 Crisp is solving food waste in the supply chain
31:00 What makes Crisp different
46:00 Are's vision for Arkade

Key Takeaways

1. Solve problems at scale—or rethink the problem entirely - Are didn’t choose a “cool” industry—he chose a massive one. The food supply chain isn’t flashy, but it’s a $10+ trillion ecosystem filled with inefficiencies. For young founders, this is a reminder: the biggest opportunities often live in overlooked industries. For seasoned founders, your story becomes more powerful when it’s tied to a problem that actually matters.

2. You need to be 10x better—not just slightly better - Incremental improvements don’t drive change—especially in complex, B2B environments. Crisp’s success comes from building a fundamentally different system, not just optimizing an existing one. If you’re building something, ask yourself: is this truly different, or just marginally better?

3. Build ahead of the market—and be willing to wait - Crisp invested tens of millions into technology before generating revenue. That’s uncomfortable—but it created a long-term advantage when the market caught up. Whether you’re early or experienced, there’s a tension here: can you see where things are going—and are you willing to build for that future before it’s obvious?

For guest suggestions or inquiries nwafounders@gmail.com

NWA Founders is a voice for Founders, Owners, and Builders driving growth in Northwest Arkansas, and is hosted by Cameron Clark and Nick Beyer.