Naturally MN is a non-profit (formerly Grow North) based at the Carlson School of Business at the University of MN.  Naturally MN brings together entrepreneurs, brands, retailers, investors, service providers and industry experts for the natural products community in Minnesota and surrounding states. Naturally MN offers 60+ year-round education programming, networking events, mentoring, access to capital, connection to retailers, distributors, buyers and so much more.  We co-lead the Bold Growth Program, an accelerator based out of MBOLD, and Food, Ag, Ideas Week, our marquee, multi-day conference filled with panels, experiences, and networking opportunities.As the Executive Director, my job is to leverage the resources of our community, corporations, and state to support and scale the next wave of great food companies.  I am responsible for the leadership, strategy, & program planning and implementation of Naturally Minnesota.  I fulfill work in the following categories:• Maintain Financial Health of Organization• Board and Committee Governance• Ensure and Enhance Value for Members and Sponsors • Communications and Marketing• Community Engagement• Event Planning of Major Events and Ongoing Programs• Direct contact for entrepreneurs and industry reps for navigation• Leader of the ecosystem that works to dismantle systemic barriers faced by MN entrepreneurs.

Grow North is an organization that aims to connect food and ag entrepreneurs with the vibrant ecosystem throughout Minnesota and transform Minnesota into a world leader in food and ag innovation. By helping build from the ground up, we accelerate the growth of companies across the state and drive Minnesota to the forefront of innovation. Grow North is run out of the Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota and is dedicated to marshaling all of the resources available to build a world-class community of food and ag businesses of all sizes.As the Executive Director I am responsible for setting the organization strategy and bringing the vision for a connected food and ag ecosystem to life. I’m the primary fundraiser, networker, programmer, and hype-woman for food and ag entrepreneurship and innovation in Minnesota. Grow North is developing and leading a variety of programming including:• Food | Ag | Ideas week, an annual multi-day conference featuring leading content and speakers from Minnesota and around the globe. • A robust entrepreneur education series including thought leaders, relevant start-up content, Investor series, and networking opportunities to further the connectivity and growth of the Minnesota agriculture ecosystem. • Driving awareness of resources and opportunity available to underrepresented communities to build a diverse community of business’s and products in Minnesota.

Consultant for a full service agency supporting CPG programs looking to properly commercialize, streamline and accelerate their operation.Focus on early to mid-stage food start-ups aiding in R&D development work, commercialization of product and process at co-manufacturers, and successful scale-up of their operations.

Currently on the Pipeline Innovation team focused on brand-agnostic opportunities for all of Target Food + Bev; leading a team to explore product, package, or experience concepts and test, learn, and iterate in rapid succession to implement profitable and consumer-centric solutions.-Previously lead the Deli cross-functional team; evaluated competitors in the market, sought to understand industry trends, and selected external companies who have capabilities that match Target’s needs for joint product development and provided technical expertise for said development-Partner closely with buyers to execute year-round new product and seasonal SKU development through maximizing profit margin through material COGS, quality, business (negotiations) and optimizing product experience and performance based off preliminary market analysis.-Collaborate with the Food Safety and Quality team members to ensure vendors and products meet quality and food safety guidelines, develop and implement product specifications, ensure manufacturing capabilities meets expectations, and confirm regulatory claims are enforced for products in both ambient and cold food supply chains.

Currently hold a C National license. Experience coaching girls from U8 - U16. Past experience includes extensive coaching for Edina Soccer Club and the MN Olympic Development Program. Advocate for women in sports and youth development.

Focused on executing new product innovation and development, partnering closely with both internal and external manufacturing facilities to deliver efficient production meeting COGs and consumer acceptance hurdles.-Focused on innovation and product development in the stick and spreads categories; enhancing current process capabilities within owned butter plants, designing and executing experiments to explore new technologies and ingredients that will improve current products and processes.-Coordinate and lead weekly cross-functional team meetings consisting of 20+ individuals to maintain continuous progress on complex projects that stretch across the internal supply chain including sourcing, operations, distribution, quality, packaging, safety, and regulatory.-Dairy Foods Supply Chain FARMER award recipient 2015

Supported existing businesses and products optimizing ingredient, formulation and costing hurdles through extensive statistical analysis. Developed new SKUs and testing procedures to ensure quality was met both during and post production.-Extensively used statistical programming to design experiments to re-formulate products for optimization of flavor, shredding, and melting in addition to solving processing issues at the plant that caused downtime and re-processing on the line.-Qualified ingredients that led to cost savings (~2.2 MM annualized savings), formula flexibility, process flexibility, and product performance improvement.-Leveraged new technology for a new product platform, executed numerous ideation sessions for new product ideas within butter/spreads/cheese platforms.

Lab tech specializing in GCMS and HPLC sample preparation, execution and analysis on Food and Agricultural samples.