Elyse Propis calls time on five year run at Marc Lore’s food technology and delivery startup Wonder
Elyse Propis has announced her departure from the Marc Lore front food delivery and technology company Wonder. She joined the startup five years ago, bringing with her a CV that included a stint at Uber, and held a number of roles during that time, most recently Vice President, Growth Strategy & Partnerships.
In a LinkedIn post, in which she did not reveal her next move, she said: “More than five years ago, I took a leap of faith and joined a stealth-mode food truck company in the suburbs of New Jersey, built on a wildly ambitious idea about what mealtime could become. It turned into the most challenging and rewarding chapter of my career. Today (Wednesday, 24th June) is my last day at Wonder.”
She added: “Over the years, I wore many hats across Growth and Operations, from incubating new functions and teams to taste-testing our way to the perfect delivery optimised French fry. I had a front-row seat as we grew from those first food trucks to 130+ brick and mortars across the Northeast, making Wonder the fastest company in history to reach 100 locations, and betting bigger at every turn with acquisitions of Grubhub, Blue Apron, Spyce, Tastemade, and more.”
“But none of that is what I'll remember most. What I'll carry with me are the people. To Marc Lore and the leadership team I've learned from: thank you for the trust, and for pushing me to be better than I thought I could be. And to every teammate across every chapter: you turned the most exhilarating years of my career into the best ones. I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines. More to come soon on what's next!”
IPO
Wonder has officially announced it is going public in 2027 or 2028. It recently hired a new CFO, Gabrielle Scheibe Rabinovitch, to help with this.
“We started Wonder with a simple goal: to make great food more accessible. Not just more convenient, but higher quality, more consistent, and available to more people at an affordable price,” Lore recently stated.
“Over the past year, we’ve taken meaningful steps toward that vision. Wonder has rapidly grown its reach, with over 120 locations and opening two per week. We've expanded the platform through acquisitions like Spyce and Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken, bringing more incredible meals to our customers. We’ve also advanced our technology, from launching drone delivery in New Jersey to building a food platform and superior delivery experience powered by advanced AI and robotics. And we’re just getting started.”
Another meaningful step is an IPO this year, instead of 2027 or 2028, according to Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive.
In a LinkedIn post, in which he cites multiple sources at Wonder, and individuals who’ve spoken with Lore, Ladd claims that the startup is now preparing to go public in 2026.
“I believe there are several reasons for going public in 2026 vs 2027 or 2028. Lore’s goal is to create an AI ecosystem focused on health. Valuations for AI companies have increased significantly. In 2027 or 2028, valuations for AI companies may be lower. Why wait?” Ladd commented.
“The company will operate 200 restaurants by the end of 2026. Marc is blitzscaling Wonder before unit economics can be verified. Blitzscaling is a proven methodology, and it’s perfect for Wonder to utilise to accelerate their IPO timeline.”
He added: “It is a company with a unique concept. Consumers continue to spend money on food and entertainment. It’s better to go public now. I also believe I know what Lore isn’t saying publicly. 30 million adults use GLP-1 drugs. When Retatrutide becomes available in late 2026 or early 2027, I estimate 60 million to 80 million Americans will use GLP-1 drugs on a consistent basis. Lore understands this.”
“I anticipate that he is going to severely minimise the number of Wonder locations that he’s going to open and instead, he is going to leverage his platform and network of commissaries to become the platform of choice for meals and health for GLP-1 users, and health conscious consumers. Why? Because that’s where the money is.”
Ladd concluded: “Gwyneth Paltrow is a member of Lore’s board. She wouldn’t be if the future of the company was selling pizzas and Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches. Gwyneth is pushing for a health ecosystem too.”
Wonder did not respond to our request for comment.
