From Nuclear Submarines to Produce Tech: Chip Starns on Food Safety, Shelf Life & Leading with Purpose

In this special Viva Fresh 2025 edition of The Fresh CrEd, we sit down with Chip Starns, Executive Vice President and Founder of Reveam, for a conversation that’s part tech deep dive, part founder origin story — and all heart.

 

Recorded live at the Marriott Marquis in Houston, TX, Chip shares how his journey from Navy diver and nuclear engineer led him to pioneer electronic cold pasteurization — a breakthrough solution that’s helping extend shelf life, eliminate harmful pathogens, and rethink how fresh produce moves across borders.

 

We explore:

• How a $2M grant from the State of Texas helped launch Reveam

• Why methyl bromide is outdated — and what’s replacing it

• The science behind their proprietary accelerator and clean tech process

• Expansion into the Port of Miami and their newest facility

• A mobile unit built in partnership with DARPA for global food safety

• Chip’s reflections on team-building, purpose, and engineering for impact

• What’s next: proteins, exports, partnerships, and international opportunities (hello, Fiji)

 

Whether you’re in food safety, logistics, retail, or just enjoy a well-told story — this one delivers.

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🎧 Recorded at Viva Fresh 2025

📍 Marriott Marquis, Houston, TX

 

🫶 Special thanks to our sponsors:

SunFed, IFCO, Monterey Mushrooms, Exp. Group, Anavale, ArtMx Produce, Agro Gonzámex, Agrival, ATHOS, and the Texas International Produce Association

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