This year’s nationally recognized digital food innovation summit will bring together the food industry’s largest brands, dynamic startups, disruptive leaders, and top researchers.
Boston, MA – April 6th, 2021– This year’s digital Food Edge summit is already catching national attention in the food industry. Branchfood, the premier convener of food innovators and entrepreneurs, in collaboration with C.A. Fortune, the vertically integrated national sales agency, will host its fourth annual Food Edge summit on two non-consecutive days, May 4th and 6th. The summit will highlight the latest in food science and innovation as well as sales and marketing.
This past year has brought great change to every corner of the food industry. According to ADM, a global leader in food, 31% of people are now purchasing products for their health, 65% of consumers want their daily actions to positively impact the environment and 26% of consumers are concerned with the country of origin on food and beverage products. These changes have brought great opportunity to food entrepreneurs, brands, and investors to pave the way in rebuilding an industry that better meets the interests and needs of consumers.
Food Edge will cover the latest in food trends, technologies, and the quickly evolving retail and omnichannel landscape by welcoming speakers to share insights from their work at the forefront of industry change. The summit will be hosted online next month where attendees can expect to glean actionable insight, accelerate their knowledge, and continue to build their networks from anywhere in the world.
“The food industry is building for an economic rebound, and at Food Edge this year, we will explore what that will look like, how others are leveraging post-COVID-19 consumer trends, and much more for a better and brighter future of food,” said Lauren Abda, Founder of Branchfood. “The dynamic, cutting-edge topics on our agenda this year from cellular and regenerative agriculture to novel ingredients, plant-based foods, and sustainability in the CPG world will help attendees stay on top of innovation in the industry.”
The virtual summit will host business leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and retailers. Event speakers include:
- Chuck Muth, Chief Growth Officer, Beyond Meat
- Laura Merrit, VP Marketing, New Ventures & Innovation, KIND
- Matt Riley, SVP Global Sales, Eat Just, Inc.
- Sharyn Murray, Senior Investor Engagement Specialist, The Good Food Institute
- Matias Muchnick, Founder & CEO, NotCo
- Kari Hernandez, Global Head of Carbon Operations & Offer Marketing, Indigo Ag
- Gil Horsky, Director of Innovation, SnackFutures at Mondelez International
- Loren Brill, Founder & CEO, Sweet Loren’s
- Will Lisman, Chief Commercial Officer, HumanCo
- Peter Pappas, Chief Sales Officer, Vital Farms
- Lauren Abda, Founder at Branchfood and Co-Founder at Branch Venture Group
- Stephen Gaither, Chief Marketing Officer, C.A. Fortune
And many more! Check out the full speaker list here.
With the full first day dedicated to food science and innovation and day two focused on key insights in marketing, sales, branding, and investments, the planned content will be impactful for brands, investors and industry stakeholders. Check out the agenda for more details on sessions and panel topics.
“We are thrilled to partner with Branchfood and bring Food Edge to life this year!” said Steve Gaither, CMO at C.A. Fortune, “Successful brands are finding whitespace through the combination of innovation and channel strategies, and this is the forum to celebrate both!”
Sponsors for this year’s summit include Branch Venture Group, CA Fortune, FRESH Communications, Incredible Foods, Kalsec, Motif FoodWorks, Motus Experiential, Nutter Law, Propeller Industries.
For more information or to register for the summit visit the Food Edge event page. Please note, early bird ticket sales are only eligible until April 16th, 2021.
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About Branchfood
Branchfood is the largest community of food innovators in New England and is headquartered in Boston, MA. The organization seeks to promote food entrepreneurship, support the community of founders launching and scaling transformative businesses, and elevate New England as a leading food hub. Branchfood provides resources including co-working space, events, workshops, and mentorship to entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and professionals who are passionate about food. Branch into the future of food at Branchfood.com.
About C.A. Fortune
Founded in 1983, C.A. Fortune is a leading, privately held, full-service consumer brands sales and marketing agency. With nationwide coverage, the company offers clients a comprehensive solution — including sales management, an outsourced sales accelerator, marketing and branding, insights, retail activation, and digital and e-comm services. C.A. Fortune is headquartered in Chicago and has regional offices across the country. To learn more, visit CAfortune.com.
