Senior Associate Brand Manager for Starbucks CPG Innovation

New Product Innovation and Go-To-Market Strategy for Starbucks Products at Nestle Coffee Partners

• Developed first canned kombucha cocktail on the market with 8% ABV made with premium spirits, scaled to 21+ retailers in Chicago area within 6 months• Led cross-functional effort to finalize recipe formula, locate co-packer, and design cans for retail launch• Selected for Zell Fellows progam, Propel program for Female Entrepreneurs; semi-finalist for VentureCat, Chicago Startup Week

• Led go-to-market strategy for new instant coffee innovation currently in European & ME markets, including financial projections + a 2024 marketing plan. • Pulled and analyzed 100+ IRi data reports to determine optimal market expansion geographies, target consumer profiles, and differentiation points within competitive landscape.• Output delivered to directors across coffee division in cross-functional roles

Reviewed and analyzed +300 startups in health, food, and tech spaces to evaluate viability, sustainability and social impact. Report on key takeaways to senior staff and discuss investment opportunities.

Smart Kitchen Summit, the leading global event focused on the future of food and cooking - Lead cross-functional teams of 25+ for global events in Japan, Europe, and the U.S.- Curate and moderate ~50 panels on diverse and cutting-edge topics in food tech from personalization to automation to digital strategies- Spearhead marketing effort to drive +$750,000 in ticket sales and sponsorships- Recruit diverse group of leading entrepreneurs for speaker roles, specifically advocating for female representation- Lead on event promotion through social media, email, partnerships, and moreThe Spoon, food technology + innovation website- Create content strategy focused on innovations, entrepreneurs, and breaking news in the food tech space- Authored weekly newsletter on alternative protein (Future Food) to over 1,000 subscribers- Well-versed in SEO and analytics- Manage all social media channels, optimizing engagement and growing follower base through campaigns, promotions, and content strategy- Organized monthly free meetups for 2 years to catalyze and foster local food tech community with speakers from Microsoft, the Good Food Institute, VC's, and others

Pitched, wrote, and edited over 300 pieces on tight deadlines about food advocacy and travel for various publications including Saveur, GQ, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and VICE. Conducted interviews, ethnographies, and in-the-field research to provide full, rounded stories and case studies for pieces. Established and managed the social media presences of three private authors, and established social media brand for the newly minted Northside Media food-based branch TasteTalks.com.

Managed all social media platforms for James Beard award-winning website Food52, creating a distinct voice for a publication in a crowded category. Polled community members, met with competing brands’ social teams, and experimented widely to find the “sweet spot” tone to perfectly match our brand and engage our diverse audience. Implemented new tools from the wide world of emerging social media platforms, managed a team of interns, worked with marketing and advertising teams to create copy for partners and sweepstakes, and worked to establish and grow purchases and social presence of newly-established Food52 Shop. Wrote over 100 articles on chefs, food trends, restaurants, and style.