2020 Speakers

Alan joined with Monash University’s Low FODMAP Diet program in 2017 after a sales and marketing career in biopharmaceuticals with market leaders Pfizer and Grifols. Monash is Australia’s largest public university, a leading research institution, and the creator of the car safety belt, in vitro fertilization and of course the Low FODMAP Diet for managing the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. FODMAPs stands for Fermentable, Oligosaccharides Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. These short chain carbohydrates are often the cause of the symptoms of IBS. IBS is the most common functional gut disorder and often is what consumers are seeking to solve when they pursue digestive wellness or gut health. The FODMAP diet can help up to 75% of those with the symptoms of IBS. Since 2017 Monash and Alan have worked with the leading US gastroenterologists, dietitians, universities and leading food and ingredient companies to create an ecosystem to support consumers, patients, medical professionals and companies that want to participate with the Monash FODMAP diet to manage what can be very frustrating symptoms of IBS. In 2018, the American College of Gastroenterology began recommending the diet for those with IBS. Since launching in the US, leading food and ingredient manufacturers like Kellogg, Ingredion, Taiyo Foods, FODYFoods, Modify Health, Dr. Schar and others have joined Monash by providing foods that are certified by Monash as being Low in FODMAPs allowing the millions following the diet to have an excellent selection of foods and ingredients which support the diet.

Alison leads the Corporate Engagement department at the Good Food Institute and advises some of the world’s largest food companies, entrepreneurs, investors, restaurants, and retailers on business opportunities in the rapidly evolving fields of plant-based and cultivated meat, eggs, and dairy. Alison has 30 years of advertising, marketing, and sales experience having worked with brands including Taco Bell, Levi Strauss, Gap, Kiplinger’s, and Parents magazine. She was the founder of a marketing consultancy that she ran for 17 years working with General Mills, BET, Time Inc., NBC Universal, and Gourmet Ads. She is a graduate of Wellesley College.

Andria is a leading Food & Beverage Innovation Executive who has delivered over $2 billion in revenue growth across 7 Fortune 1000 companies in the intensely competitive CPG space. She has a proven track record of growth in over 60 categories, 20 brands and at top tier food companies like Kellogg, Sara Lee, Keebler, M&M/Mars and Johnsonville. Andria has built two Innovation Centers of Excellence from scratch and generated over $1 billion in revenue in her roles as Vice President of Innovation & Strategy at Sara Lee and Vice President of Innovation & Consumer Insights at Johnsonville. At Johnsonville, she led operations of a freestanding, independent operating unit focused on generating growth and consumer insights. At Sara Lee, she led the entire food & beverage North America Retail and Foodservice businesses with a $1 billion growth P&L. Andria shares her validated approach to growth and her wealth of firsthand experience by providing advisory services to companies looking to accelerate growth, serving on boards, and speaking on cutting edge topics in the industry.

Annie Ryu is the founder and CEO of The Jackfruit Company and Global Village Fruit, Inc. (GVF). Annie founded GVF in the summer of 2011, while working in India to implement a maternal and child healthcare program that she and her brother had developed. In discovering jackfruit, Annie saw an incredible opportunity to convert an underutilized crop to nutritious, delicious food, and income and opportunity for farming families. Annie worked to build GVF during her junior and senior years at Harvard, simultaneously winning Harvard’s Women in Business Competition, Harvard’s i3 Innovation Challenge, and the Resolution Project’s Social Venture Challenge, and being recognized as a Global Good Fund Fellow, an Honorary Fellow at the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship at MIT, and one of Glamour’s Top 10 College Women. Graduating first in her class in 2013 (Sophia Freund Prize), Annie declined the Fulbright Fellowship and the Rockefeller Fellowship to work full-time building Global Village Fruit. In 2015, Annie and her team launched The Jackfruit Company. After introducing four retail products in September 2015, The Jackfruit Company won the NEXTY Editor’s Choice Award at Expo East. Now the global leader for jackfruit products and farm-to-market supply chains, The Jackfruit Company’s retail products are available at retailers from coast to coast. The Jackfruit Company also launched a bulk foodservice product which can be found on restaurant and university menus nationwide. In recognition of her work, Annie was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 for Social Entrepreneurs in January 2017. In July 2017, Annie and her team introduced exciting innovation to the frozen fruit aisle with the launch of frozen ripe jackfruit to grocery stores. In 2018, TJC launched frozen single jackfruit entrée bowls, offering jackfruit in a convenient, ready-to-eat format with a complete nutritional profile. In 2019, the company’s first shelf-stable jackfruit products will hit the marketplace. Before attending Harvard and launching Global Village Fruit, Annie grew up in Rochester, MN (18 years). She graduated as valedictorian of Mayo High School, where she served as President of the Student Government, President of the Spanish Club, captain (state champion ‘09) of the varsity tennis team, and concertmaster (4 years) of the orchestra. She currently resides in Boulder, CO.

Aylon is an expert in the alternative protein industry and has spoken regularly on food innovation at conferences and schools such as Harvard, MIT, Yale, Berkeley, and Stanford. In his work at the Good Food Institute, Aylon incubated dozens of startups and advised investors and strategic partners on the protein alternative space. Aylon has co-founded two startups and has worked with companies such as Kraft Heinz, Nestle, and Kellogg’s.

Claire Kerr is Vice President of Research and Development for Bakkavor USA. She oversees the product development strategy for Bakkavor in the US across 5 manufacturing locations, focusing on a number of fresh prepared food categories including meals, hummus, soup, bread and burritos in private label. Bakkavor is a UK-based company with global revenue exceeding $2.4MM annually. With over 20 years’ experience in fresh prepared foods at Bakkavor, Claire has extensive knowledge associated with short shelf life, clean label foods. She was instrumental in the development of innovative new ranges for top retailers in the UK and leading regional grocers in the US. Claire is passionate about developing high quality fresh prepared food offerings across the US to meet the ever changes demands of retailers and consumers. She is also passionate about passing on her knowledge to the next generation and growing talent. Claire grew up in a small village in the east of England countryside where there was a tightknit community, those early days of her childhood showed her the importance of family and communities that support each other, which transfer into her working life today. She moved to the US seven years ago with her husband and son. Claire loves to cook and entertain others and travel to new places. She has a weakness for thrifting/antiquing, as ‘there’s always something fun to buy!’, and Claire’s creativity and crafting capabilities are one of a kind.

Dave’s entrée into the world of nutrition started nearly 30 years ago when he began working in the natural foods business. While owning and operating his own natural food store, Dave attended the University of Illinois at Chicago, graduated with honors, and became a registered dietitian. He completed his Masters in Nutrition and Wellness with a concentration in entrepreneurship from Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois. With a strong interest in communications, Dave pursued a broadcasting career and hosted a live radio show on health and nutrition for over 10 years and also a local television show. He proudly served as a media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for over six years and has generated millions of impressions via print, digital and broadcast media throughput his career. As a clinician who has provided plant-forward, “doable” solutions for individuals and families for over three decades, Dave was inspired to write the acclaimed book, 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life, which is now featured in 18 different languages. His second book, 101 Optimal Life Foods, with a foreword written by Montel Williams, debuted in January of 2010 and his latest book, Best Things You Can Eat, launched in January 2013. He also contributed to The Hungry Girl Diet (2014), by Lisa Lillien, which ranked #1 in both Amazon and the New York Times Best Seller lists. Dave serves as the Senior Wellbeing Affairs Manager at Kellogg Company and leads the implementation of their holistic wellbeing strategy, engaging key reputational influencers and strategic partnerships. This work enhances the reputation of Kellogg as a leader in Wellbeing, through brand and category campaigns such as the company’s Better Days philanthropic work, and awareness of how Kellogg nourishes physical, emotional and societal wellbeing of people and planet through their foods. Dave lives in Elmhurst Illinois with his wife Sharon, three daughters - Chloe, Katie and Madison - and assorted pets.

Jessica Grelle has lead an extensive career in product line development and innovation for national brands. She is a food scientist and a mom, with a unique perspective on the natural food industry and its consumer. Motivated by her passion for health and wellness, Jessica created the Mama Jess line of products. Mama Jess continues to service the health conscious consumer with clean, organic pasta and ethnic sauces. Jessica continues to create products for the food industry through her work at The Safe + Fair Food Company, a Chicago based food allergy snack food company. She has developed their entire portfolio of delicious, better-for-you snack foods. Grelle studied Nutrition and Food Science at Penn State University and then went onto a successful career in the food industry. Prior to starting the Mama Jess product line, she ran a research and development lab for a private label food company. She has developed hundreds of innovative food products for companies such as Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Procter & Gamble, Annie’s and Safeway. Several of her products have won industry and tradeshow recognition and awards. As an industry expert, she taught Beverages 201 University at Flavors of North America for industry peers. Jessica has been a featured guest chef on ABC/The Live Well Network’s “Let’s Dish,” and Celebrity ‘Farm to Table’ Chef events. She was also profiled in Martha Stewarts’s Whole Living magazine. The Natural Foods Community has recognized Jessica as an influential entrepreneur with the NEXTY Award, development of the trend-forward, Mama Jess Line and being a clean eating pioneer. Jessica is fueled by her passion for healthy eating and good nutrition - especially on the healing power of diet in disease. Jessica contributes her time and knowledge to the Advocate Aurora’s Integrative Medicine Nutrition therapy and Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center diet therapy studies. One of her favorite places is in her kitchen whipping up new recipes for her family.

Jill Fruchter is the Senior Director of Consumer & Product Insights at Blue Apron where she leads the effort to deeply understand consumer mindsets and behaviors, their expectations, unmet needs and the problems they’re trying to solve. Her work informs brand, product and customer strategy. Prior to Blue Apron, Jill led UX Research for Buyer Experience at Etsy. Prior to Etsy, Jill had her own UX research consulting business. Jill's passion for insights comes from her belief that the best way to drive business results is to nurture shared value between the customer and the business by discovering moments of alignment. She's never met a research method or data set that she didn't like.

John Adler is the VP of Culinary and Physical Products at Blue Apron, where he oversees the product and culinary teams who work together to design, create, and test new products and recipes for Blue Apron customers to enjoy every week. Prior to Blue Apron, John was the Executive Chef at Franny’s, a renowned Italian restaurant in the heart of Brooklyn. Prior to Franny’s, John worked in the kitchen at Per Se and Blue Hill Stone Barns. John’s passion for cooking is guided by the belief that “the most important aspect of cooking and food is that it has to make you happy.”

Kevin has been in the food industry’s product development business since 1985, 35 years! The past 17 years have been at Johnsonville where he has served in a variety of leadership roles within R&D. Recently, he assumed additional responsibilities for Food Safety and Quality. Prior to joining Johnsonville, he spent the first half of his career at Lipton Tea, Nabisco, Planters and Gardetto’s. Much has changed in the food industry over this time. However, the one thing that has always remained important is Company and Team Culture. In the best of all worlds, what does a great culture look like for your company, business unit, project team(s) or your critical innovation function? A winning culture is the foundation for producing sustained results. Fostering an environment where people feel empowered, assume a greater sense of personal accountability, possess a strong desire to make a difference and operate at a high level, contributes to superlative culture. We call it the desire to “stretch and grow”. The Johnsonville Way, started by our 2nd generation owners, provides us with our cultural framework. Our company mission is to “fully develop our God-given talents and help others do the same”. The Technical Team at Johnsonville strives to be a championship team of technical professionals committed to continuous improvement and delivering superlative results in harmony with our culture. Learn how we work on measuring, monitoring, growing and adapting our culture to support our business.

Kunal is the Co-Founder and President of BOU, the innovative food company bringing joy back into the kitchen with its versatile range of bouillon, gravy and miso broth cubes, and instant soup cups. A strategic leader in the food start-up industry, Kunal is known for his ability to create and execute efficient marketing, operations and sales strategies and tactics that effectively increase brand awareness and retention.

Leah Lambrakis is a University of Guelph (ON, Canada) Alumna, focusing her studies in the fields of Animal Science and Animal Nutrition. During her graduate program, Leah held a position at the Toronto Zoo, working as a Nutrition Research Assistant. Her research included the nutritional evaluation of diets for several exotic species, in addition to participating in diet management for species in reintroduction programs. In 1999, Leah moved into the field of Companion Animal Nutrition at Menu Foods Limited, now owned by Simmons Pet Food, Inc. Throughout her career Leah has created, commissioned and launched over 1000 pet food products in the market; across Private Brands, Pet Specialty, Organic and Veterinary platforms. During her journey in research & development, Leah gained a broad level of knowledge and experience in pet food processing, manufacturing, ingredient functionality, nutrition and food science. Today, Leah holds the position of Vice President, Research & Development and Innovation at Simmons Pet Food, leading a team of 23 scientists across Simmons Pet Food's wet, dry, and treat divisions. Leah has a passion for innovation, nutrition, health & wellness and consumer insights for both the Pet and Pet Parents!

Luis Carlos Chacón leads the BusinessCase team, global boutique consultancy that works with multinational FMCGs identifying emerging and future business opportunities. Also, has been a columnist for Forbes Latin America for several years (being nowadays top-rated) and currently finishing a postgraduate degree in Global Business at the University of Oxford (where previously graduated in Strategy and Innovation), his educational background includes studies in Design Thinking at Stanford, and Futures at The University of Manchester, and Houston. In business, he has worked for more than nineteen years for the operations of Fortune 500 Companies such as Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, LVMH, Diageo, Kellogg’s, Unilever, Dannon, AbInbev, among many others. Behavioral economics enthusiast (understanding the cross between needs and contexts) and believer in connecting the distant (linking the disconnected but inseparable) under the influence of socio-cultural changes in industries and consumption.

Magdalena Bartosik is a food research & innovation professional with 14 years’ experience in the baby food industry. She holds a PhD in Technical Sciences from Lodz University of Technology in Poland. Magda began her professional career in Poland in 2005 by joining Danone as a Product Development Specialist responsible for baby food jars development. She then took several different assignments focusing on wet weaning food development for Danone European business units. In 2014, Magda joined Happy Family Organics, leading the Research & Innovation team responsible for new organic product and packaging innovations in baby, toddler and kid categories. Focusing on both wet and dry foods she has gained extensive knowledge and expertise regarding ideation, formulation, processing and packaging. Currently, Magda holds the position of Director of Research and Innovation at Happy Family Organics. As part of the Danone Specialized Nutrition Division, she leads a team of professionals with both domestic and international scope. She is passionate about mission driven, best in class and sustainable innovations for young & vulnerable consumers.

He is an innovative and resourceful marketing strategist with over 20 years of creating strong consumer brands, driving retail sales and customer acquisition, and improving performance. Marc is determined to help our communities with local farming using responsible, innovative growing methods that champion the environment. AeroFarms is on a mission to transform agriculture by building and operating environmentally responsible farms throughout the world to enable local production at scale and nourish our communities with safe, nutritious, and delicious food.

After graduating in agriculture science and receiving his ph.d in plant genetics, Maroun Atallah started his career leading projects in plants biotechnology, biodiversity and hybridization research. He joined Barilla in 2007 as a scientist, leading research on durum wheat within R&D. A couple of years later, he took the lead of the ingredients research and applications unit leading innovative projects for new product development and value for money. In 2015, he was in charge of the R&D strategic initiatives and processes in Europe Region, covering pasta, sauces and bakery products under Barilla Brand. Currently, with base in Chicago, he has been leading the sauces development and upgrading for the US market. During his speech in the American Food Innovate Summit, Maroun will go through the product design and the innovative approach behind the tomato sauces strategy and the recent sauces launch in the US.

Matt Godinsky is a research analyst at Euromonitor International based in Chicago. In his role, Matt analyses the services and payments landscape, providing insights on consumer trends, innovation, competitive environments and the effects of economic dynamics across industries. Matt is primarily focused on North American markets, with an emphasis on the US and Canada. He is a key contributor of data and content to Passport, Euromonitor’s syndicated research database. Prior to joining Euromonitor, Matt worked as an economics research assistant at the University of Illinois Urban—Champaign and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Grinnell College.

Michael Frankel is Vice President of Sales, North America for Selerant Corporation, a leading global provider of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions for process manufacturers in the food and beverage, personal care and specialty chemical industries. Michael has been with Selerant since 2011 and has over 15 years of highly successful PLM sales experience working with leading global companies to both justify and automate their product development processes. The topic of his presentation on “Analytics Utilization in PLM for Decision Support and Project Visibility" a is critical component of consideration in the extended value of PLM for food manufacturers.

As DFA’s executive vice president, chief of staff and chief innovation officer, Monica is responsible for a wide range of duties related to the overall success of DFA. Monica entered the dairy industry nearly 30 years ago and joined DFA’s headquarters in 2006 as vice president of corporate communications and member relations. She currently serves on DFA’s crisis preparedness team, strategic planning and policy committee. She also leads the Cooperative’s innovation efforts, including its partnership with the Sprint Accelerator and DFA’s investments in ag tech and dairy food start-ups. In addition, she serves on a number of industry committees and boards, including Global Dairy Platform’s marketing committee, as chair of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy’s communications committee and on the board of directors for the Center for Food Integrity. She also works closely with the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy on crisis communications strategies.

Natalie currently serves as the Vice President of Innovation for Surlean Foods in San Antonio, TX. She has a bachelor’s degree in food science and technology from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and a master’s in business administration from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh. She has been in the food industry since 2002 in progressive roles within the field of research and development. During this time, she has played a leadership role in innovation process and product design across a variety of channels and product types. Channels include national accounts, food service, retail, club store, K-12 schools and college and universities. In addition to Natalie’s technical experience she is passionate about building mutual trust and respect to enable high performing individual contributors and teams. Because of this collaborative nature and leadership style she has been able to unite departments and impact overall organizational culture. Natalie has been a member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) since 2002 serving as an IFT Ambassador and assisting students and entrepreneurs in answering questions within the field of food science. She also serves as the Chair Elect for the Alamo Section of IFT, bringing relevant educational content and networking opportunities to regional members. In addition to IFT, Natalie is a member of the Women’s Foodservice Forum and served on the board of A Child’s Voice Child Advocacy Center from 2017 – 2018.

Paul W. Earle, Jr. is a brand and innovation professional, entrepreneur, intrapreneur, and lecturer with significant experience in design, the development of new products and services, new venture formation, intellectual property licensing, marketing communications of all kinds, and traditional brand management and strategy. At present, Paul is Principal of Earle & Company (www.PaulEarle.com), an innovation, branding, and design collective that helps progressive companies create the future. As an adjunct professor at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, he co-teaches the popular “Corporate Innovation & New Ventures” class, a lab immersion that pairs student teams with top corporate partners such as McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble and Beam Suntory, amongst many others. He also writes a regular column for Forbes, where he covers innovation in the consumer products sector. Working with Forbes, he published his book ‘A Front Row Seat at the Revolution’, which profiles founders of 12 of the most disruptive brands of modern day, who were labeled ‘emerging’ not too long ago.

Ricky Silver is the Vice President of Culinary Innovation at Daily Harvest, a direct-to-consumer brand delivering delicious and nourishing food that is thoughtfully sourced, chef-crafted, and ready in minutes. At Daily Harvest, Ricky leads innovation strategy, new product development, operations, and commercialization of the culinary portfolio. Previously, Ricky was the Director of Innovation at Vita Coco, the global-leader in RTD Coconut Water where he led the development of the brand’s portfolio diversification into new categories including coconut milk, coconut oil, sparkling waters and more. Ricky started his career at PepsiCo where he leveraged his chemistry and food science backgrounds to manage multiple R&D platforms across the business. Ricky received his MBA from NYU Stern and his Masters in Chemistry from NYU. His passion for food stems from his years as a personal chef in NYC.

Sarah is passionate about innovation and technology in the food, beverage and nutrition industry. From her background of nutritional sciences and business innovation, Sarah has become an industry expert across the entire food and beverage value chain from industry 4.0 to alternative protein sourcing. Sarah excels at engaging her audience by presenting well-thought-out analysis and provide insights on disruptive technologies and the players behind them which is highly appreciated by clients and provides them with a clear strategic direction moving forward. At FutureBridge, she uses her extensive experience to help clients solve complex business challenges which includes everything from scouting the right sugar reduction technology that fits to their products specifications to identifying new biodegradable packaging materials that will contribute to the client’s sustainability strategies. Before joining FutureBridge, Sarah held a similar successful positions in which she led many engaging projects with global leaders in the food and beverage space to set them up for new product development success.

Sarah Keller studied at the Technical University of Zurich where she received her Master’s Degree in Food Science. She has over 25 years of experience in the food manufacturing industry and food related research institutes. Her career has involved managing various projects as well as leading teams of Research & Development (R&D), Quality Assurance (QA) and Consumer Service (CS). Sarah has mainly worked for companies with premium product brands, and she is very passionate about high quality food, their premium experience and about companies who care. Today, Sarah holds the position of Vice President R&D/QA/CS at Lindt & Sprüngli in Stratham, NH. In addition to this role, she was appointed to the Sustainability contact person at Lindt & Sprüngli USA, and assures the regular sustainability information from group management in Switzerland is communicated to the organization in the USA. Since 1845 Lindt is “Mastering the Art of Chocolate Making” to create the ultimate delight for consumers. Our Master Swiss Chocolatiers create the ultimate LINDT chocolate delights by focusing and controlling the entire process of chocolate making; from selecting, roasting and refining the highest quality cocoa beans, adding only the best ingredients and using the most refined recipes. “We never compromise on quality – and that makes my job easy. It is great being part of a continuously growing company who cares, in a wonderful region together surrounded by really friendly and passionate people. I’m also excited to be involved with bringing the sustainability plan to life and making a long-term impact.” Sarah currently resides in New Hampshire with her husband and their two boys. The family relocated from Switzerland in 2009.

Sean has specialized in accelerating growth and establishing leadership positions for companies in the HCM industry, with a focus on launching disruptive technologies. He has founded and led four companies that achieved rapid market acceptance and global distribution of its products and services. Bisceglia’s business success began 25 years ago when he founded TFA, a technology-focused ad agency that achieved significant success. TFA was sold to Leo Burnett in 1998. After TFA, Mr. Bisceglia partnered with William Blair Ventures to acquire Corporate Project Resources, Inc (“CPRi”) where he doubled revenues in less than 2 years. In 2007, Mr. Bisceglia founded TalentDrive where he formed one of the first technology-enabled staffing businesses in the industry. In 2013, Mr. Bisceglia founded and became CEO of Scout Exchange, a platform for marketplace recruiting that serves Fortune 500 companies. As current CEO of Curion, he applies his experience in growth by innovation to consumer insights. Since joining the company in Nov of 2018, Bisceglia has already led Curion through a number of new service launches, including S2P™, Life Labs™ and eFive™.

Thomas is a world-renowned product developer, food scientist, and chef. As the former Director of Product Development at JUST, Thomas created and scaled some of the best selling plant-based products in market, such as JUST Mayo, Cookie Doughs, and Dressings. Thomas has also chef’d or staged at a total of 16 Michelin star restaurants, was named Zagat 30 Under 30, and was twice nominated for the James Beard Rising Star Chef award.

Will Nitze is the Founder & CEO of IQ BAR, a Boston-based brain and body nutrition company. After studying psychology as an undergrad at Harvard, Will became fascinated with the human brain and how it functions. Then, in his mid-20’s Will experienced chronic failings with his own brain, including daily bouts of brain fog and headaches. The culprit, he eventually learned, was his carb-packed diet. By eliminating high-carb staples from his regimen and consuming healthy fats and anti-inflammatory compounds, he experienced an astounding cognitive recovery. Elation soon gave way to frustration, though, as Will struggled to find ready-to-eat products that matched his new regimen. Thus, he set out to create the first nutrition bar centering on brain and body nutrition. After countless iterations in his kitchen, he launched a successful Kickstarter campaign in late 2017 and launched IQ BAR! Two years later, the product has evolved substantially. Each IQ BAR contains 6 brain nutrients, 10-11g plant protein, <1-1g sugar, and 4g net carbs. IQ BARs are sold across multiple e-commerce platforms and at roughly 7,000 locations across the US!