Josie Duran overheard Matthew Kenney’s pitch many times. As a lead server at Plant Food + Wine in Venice Beach, Calif., Ms. Duran often waited on Mr. Kenney, the restaurant’s chef and owner, as he entertained potential investors on the restaurant’s fig-tree-shaded patio, persuading them to trust him with their money for his ambitious culinary projects. At a time when adopting a plant-based diet has become an environmental and ethical cause around the world, Mr. Kenney, 59, is among the world’s... Read this story
