NRO #129: John Pepper | Founder 211vc & Co-Founder of Boloco

John is the founder of 211vc, an investment company supported by founders, CEOs, and senior executives in restaurant and restaurant tech companies. 211vc invests in promising and purposeful consumer and consumer tech companies, especially seeking opportunities to leverage technology to empower the hourly workforce. Pepper has been an angel investor since 2014, with investments in more than 30 start-ups focused on workforce-empowering technology, restaurant-facing technology, and a few special consumer businesses like Athletic Brewing, Spindrift, Free Rain, and Starbird.

John is co-founder and Chief Worker Advocate of Boloco, a New England-based restaurant chain and Certified B Corp founded in 1997 serving Modern Mexican-inspired food and beverages. He is also co-founder of Worthee, an early-stage software project/platform focused on helping hourly workers receive the information they need to rise and thrive. Pepper also co-founded B. Good which grew to 80 units before he and his partners sold in 2017. John currently sits on the boards of Botanica Seattle,

Hone, and the non-profit Positive Tracks.

Pepper graduated from Dartmouth College in 1991 and received his MBA from the Tuck School in 1997 (where he presented the first Boloco business plan). He was elected to the Selectboard of Norwich, VT, in 2017 and was Chairman from 2018-2020.

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A "recovering restaurant owner" specializing in the strategic growth of emerging restaurant brands across the country. Kyle’s insider perspective of being a restaurant owner-operator day-in and day-out allows him to relate to his clients’ ever-changing needs. He's a digital marketer first, creating thought-provoking content daily on multiple platforms and host of The National Restaurant Owners Podcast, a show focused on bringing value to restaurant owners by sharing his insight and experience with a wide variety of guests.

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