Founders on Toast: Where Brunch Meets Bangalore’s Boldest Dreams

Bengaluru: In a city that pulses with innovation and startups, Founders on Toast is carving out a space where ambition slows down—just enough to breathe, connect, and clink glasses over a Sunday brunch. On 4th May 2025, the inaugural edition of this thoughtfully curated gathering took place at JW Marriott Bengaluru’s Spice Terrace, with 100 handpicked entrepreneurs from Bangalore’s thriving ecosystem.

While the city is no stranger to networking events, Founders on Toast introduced something fresh: a laid-back, agenda-free afternoon where founders could share stories instead of business cards. With sunshine overhead, live music humming in the background, and a poolside brunch crafted to perfection, the experience was intentionally warm and unstructured—turning chance encounters into potential partnerships.

The guest list included a vibrant cross-section of the entrepreneurial landscape—from seasoned disruptors like Ashok Shastry (DriveU) and Chandu Reddy (Sangeetha Gadgets) to new-wave changemakers like Shruti of Enne and Sandeep Krishnappa of KlimateNet. Together, they represented the kind of ambition that fuels Bangalore—and the kind of vulnerability that rarely gets to surface in boardrooms.

The woman behind Founders on Toast is Panjury, a dynamic entrepreneur who has spent the last decade building and reimagining the hospitality space. Her journey began long before awards and accolades—as an engineering graduate hosting brunches for college friends and juggling her MBA while working in hospitality. In 2018, she founded Karnatic, a restaurant that went on to redefine South Indian cuisine in Bengaluru, earning acclaim from The Week, Radio City, and Times Hospitality Icons.

But Panjury’s vision wasn’t limited to food. After Karnatic, she launched Tap That, a creative agency for digital storytelling, and Soup to Nuts, a hospitality consultancy. Today, she also serves as Director of Marketing for Digitory, an AI-powered POS system transforming restaurant tech. Through each of these ventures, she has been guided by one belief: the best ideas emerge from real, human conversations.

That’s exactly what Founders on Toast aims to nurture. With hospitality support from JW Marriott and beverage partners like Jameson, Hoegaarden, and Umami Brew, the brunch served more than just food—it dished out moments of clarity, camaraderie, and inspiration. And it worked. Conversations sparked over cocktails are already evolving into collaborations.

Recently, Panjury’s impact was recognized when she was selected for the prestigious Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Program at IIM Bangalore. Describing it as a “mini-MBA with maximum impact,” she credits the experience with sharpening her business vision and reinforcing her commitment to building communities—both digital and physical.

With the debut edition receiving an overwhelming response, Founders on Toast is now set to expand beyond Bangalore, with the next chapter slated for Hyderabad. Yet the core mission remains unchanged: to create intentional, founder-first spaces where stories take center stage, free from the pressure of pitch decks.

In a world of fast funding and even faster exits, Founders on Toast is a gentle reminder that growth doesn’t always come from grind—it can also rise from joy, from reflection, from one honest conversation over brunch.