Ben Pasternak – Simulate

Ben Pasternak is a Gen Z entrepreneur who did not experience the typical road to become an entrepreneur. First, he dropped out of high school, then he decided to move from Australia to New York as a kid, then he built his company Stimulate: a tech-driven food company, with a line of plant-based chicken product, (NUGGS). What sets Ben apart is the way he thinks by combining tech with food. He treats food like software something you can edit, update, and improve. His mindset alone shows how different Gen Z can innovate.

His drive is pretty clear: he wishes to solve problems That we deal with right now. Gen Z’s major cares are climate impact and efficiency, and Ben is involved in both. His idea is great because it tackles multiple issues at once: health, environmental, and unhealth food culture while still being something people can and want to eat. He is making the alternative draw in more people.

Ben demonstrates some major entrepreneurial traits such as confidence and the ability to question the usual way things are done. He’s also obsessed with improving consistently. Updating recipes the same way tech companies update apps. That kind of mindset allows him not to settle for good enough which is one of the biggest signs of innovation.

I think Ben motivates me because he shows that you don’t have to wait fix a problem. He saw the problem, chased it constantly, and didn’t worry about whether he fit the narrative. That pushes me and how I see entrepreneurship. It reminds me that great ideas come from rethinking the basics and building something the world didn’t realize it needed. The biggest principle I’ve learned from him is simple: stay curious, challenge the defaults, and don’t be afraid to build a solution that’s way bolder than people expect.