Member Spotlight

We are thrilled to be featuring one of our incredible FIF community members, Oprah Davidson. Her journey in the food industry is marked by passion, courage, and wisdom. In this short Q&A interview, Oprah shares her story of her emerging passion for food and the valuable risks she took along the way to become the woman she is today.

Q.  Let’s start from the beginning. Where did you grow up? What inspired you to start a career in the F&B industry?

A. I’m originally from the island of Jamaica.  My parents migrated to the U.S when I was young, so I grew up primarily in New York.

My inspiration for getting into the food industry came from discovering a show on the Food Network called Sweet Dreams.  At the time I was in junior high school and had an insatiable sweet tooth.  Learning that there was a profession out there that could cater to this blew my mind.  I later fell in love with the industry once I realized its ability to bring people together and make them happy.

Q. Can you share what your career journey has entailed? Where are you today? 

A. I started off working and volunteering in bakeries when I was in high school.  I didn’t have any formal training, so they gave me mostly light work.  All throughout grade school I remember hosting bake sales, fundraisers, and selling baked goods to teachers and classmates, just waiting for the day when I could finally attend culinary school.  After graduating from Johnson & Wales University, I landed a job at the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott in Orlando, Florida.  It was hands down one of the most challenging times in my career, but it has taught me so much and has opened so many doors for me along the way.  I later went on to work at the famed Momofuku Milkbar in New York, as well as the Institute of Culinary Education.  I even had the opportunity to work in kitchens abroad, such as in Paris, France. 

After leaving the baking industry for few years to work in sales, I found my way back in during the midst of a pandemic.  Today, I work for an amazing company called Cybake, which provides software solutions specifically designed for bakeries.  My career journey has consisted of many ups and downs.  That has meant failures, triumphs, blood, sweat, tears, laughter, and a heavy dosage of self-doubt.  But this journey is a labor of love, so I wouldn’t have it any other way.  It just goes to show that hard work and perseverance really do pay off.

Q. What accomplishments are you the most proud of?

A. I must say, that while I’ve accomplished so much during my tenure as a baker, I often forget them.  There’s something about this profession that makes it far easier to remember the shortcomings. If I had to sum it up, the moments that I’m most proud of have been when I’ve worked on a product development project and it turned out successful.  Like when I won the America’s Best Raisin Bread Competition and the Napa Valley Perfect Puree competition in the same year. Or most recently, when I was selected from a panel of 3 other amazing pastry chefs to create a new product line for a high-profile client (whose name I still can’t disclose, sorry).  On a more personal level, I was quite proud of myself when I decided (almost on a whim) to pack up my bags and live in France for the first time, all by myself.  That trip allowed me to overcome a fear that many people can’t seem to shake, and even better, allowed me to connect with people that were seemingly worlds away.  You learn so much about yourself when you travel outside your comfort zone.  So much so, that when it’s all said and done you feel like you’ve gained the wisdom and perspective of someone twice your age.  At least, that was my experience.

Q. What are your areas of expertise for Females in Food members to connect with you on?

A.  I’ve been in the baking industry for over 10 years, so I’d consider that as my specialty.  I also have a background in sales, and I thoroughly enjoy networking and connecting with people.  So, feel free to ask me anything.  I won’t always know the answer, but chances are I can connect you with the right person who does.

Q. What do you enjoy doing most in your free time?

A. Maybe it’s a sign of getting older, but I enjoy the simpler things in life now.  I enjoy gardening, going for walks, meditating, taking naps, reading a good article, and just baking for the sake of baking (without the pressures of the professional kitchen).

Q. What advice would you give your younger self? Or What advice do you have for those who are just coming into the food industry?   

A. Be patient, with yourself, with others, and with your craft.  Nothing great happens overnight.  And always, always, always believe in yourself.

We are excited to feature one of our FIF community coaches, Lyndsay Toensing. Her background is richly diverse, and her journey into transformational leadership coaching is inspiring. In this short Q&A interview, Lyndsay shares her story of awakening, and reminds us to show up passionately and authentically.

Q.  Let’s start from the beginning. Where did you grow up? What/who inspired you to have a career in leadership?

A. I grew up in Hermantown, MN. This was back when it was a small town that no one really knew about the town or the hockey team. We raised chickens, geese, ducks, turkey, and I had guinea pigs and a rabbit. We hauled wood for the wood burning stove to keep the house warm in the winter. We grew our own fruits and vegetables in the summer and canned them for the winter. I spent a lot of time running around the woods by myself. It was my favorite place to be. I was very creative. I wrote stories, songs, and poems. I read a lot. In middle school, we got a video camera and I started writing and directing movies. Even though it was the 80s and 90s, it sometimes reminds me of the frontier days when I look back. I don’t know that I had the most traditional childhood. Ha!

What inspired me into leadership was two-fold. First, I saw it being done in a way that wasn’t working for the people nor the company. I knew there was a better way and I wanted to figure that out. Second, when I started leading people and got to help them grow and evolve, that was everything for me. I love helping people develop and reach their goals, even if those goals weren’t with my team or my company. Which is why I now do transformational leadership coaching. I get to help people make their dreams come true.  

Q. Can you share what your career journey has entailed? What was your first big break and what are you doing today?   

A. My career journey has been interesting. I actually went to Radio Broadcasting school while I was working as the office manager at a carpet cleaning company. All the gigs were overnights or in small towns, so I decided to get my Bachelor degree in Organizational Leadership Development and Communications. In 2004, one of my cleaners had a friend who owned a med-aesthetics company and was looking for a marketing specialist, and the cleaner recommended me for the role. I interviewed and got the job. That was my first marketing job and really changed the direction of my career.

After nearly five years there, I went to a medical device start-up where I led the marketing communications and events team. After nearly four years there, I went to a pharmacy benefit management company where I led the B2C marketing strategy and account management team. I decided in that role that I wanted to get my MBA so I could move out of marketing and into business strategy.

My next big break was in 2016. I was still at the pharmacy benefit management company while earning my MBA at Carlson (University of MN). On-campus recruiting said I was too experienced to participate in on-campus recruiting events but that I could put my resume in the graduating class book. So, I did and forgot about it. In March of 2016 I got an email from a recruiter at Amazon asking if I’d be interested in a full-time role in Seattle. A few months later, I had sold my house and moved across the country.

In 2018 I went through a spiritual awakening and realized that the life I had created was based on the fear that I was going to lose everything at any moment, and I needed to keep hustling to stay safe. It took a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual toll on me. After a lot of self-discovery, I left corporate in August of 2019 to go into coaching full-time.

Today, I’m a transformational leadership coach, helping high-achieving professionals on their transformational journeys create an authentic and inspired life as unique as they are through transformational coaching, strategy, energy healing, intuition, and aligned action.   

Q. What accomplishments are you the most proud of?

A. I am most proud of listening to my gut and my intuition. It may sound strange, because I have accomplished a lot of things in my life. But learning to listen to my own inner guidance instead of following what all the external voices have told me (which I did for many, many years) has helped me create a life more aligned with what lights me up every day. Yes, there are still doubts and limiting beliefs that come up because our spiritual growth is a life-long journey. I’ve learned to go within and get quiet for clarity when that happens instead of reaching for external words of wisdom that usually lead to the same old societal standards.  

Q. As a transformational leadership coach, what are your areas of expertise for Females in Food members to connect with you on?

A.  My sweet spot is helping the high achievers navigate life after spiritual awakening. These are the people who did everything “right” on paper and are now waking up to the realization that they are just trying to survive their days instead of being excited for what the day will bring. I lived this life myself, and that is why I am so passionate about helping other high achievers through their un-becoming process to create their version of an authentic and inspired life. I believe we have the conscious choice to life of joy and fulfillment. I empower those that are ready to make that choice.  

Q. What do you enjoy doing most in your free time?

A. I love traveling to new places around the world. My last exploration was to India in February 2020. I came back just before the lockdown started. I also love live music, theater…the arts in general. Obviously, we’ve all had a lack of that with the pandemic. Above all, I love learning. I read a lot. I take a lot of workshops and classes, mostly within spirituality. I’m constantly learning new tools to support myself and my clients. I believe in walking my talk, so I’ve personally done anything that I ask my clients to do.  

Q. What advice would you give your younger self? Or What advice do you have for those who are just coming into the food industry?   

A. To my younger self, please learn how to connect with your emotions and your body as they will help you navigate life in powerful ways if you learn how to interpret their messages.

To those that are coming into the food industry, get clear on your top 5 values (eg. integrity, authenticity, fun, compassion, respect, joy, growth, connection, community, etc.) and reference them often to make sure you are making professional and personal decisions aligned with your values. They will serve you well.

We are honored to recognize Naomi Sundalius for this months Females in Food member spotlight. Naomi has blazed a trail from Food Scientist to New Ventures Manager. Read this short Q&A to learn more about Naomi, her career achievements, and the advice she has for other women in the industry.

Q. Tell us about your current role/company.   

A. I am currently a New Ventures Manager at Bellisio Foods which is a role within our business development group in a blurry line of Marketing/Sales. Bellisio Foods is a frozen food manufacturer focusing on entrees and snacks (pizza snack rolls and small baked goods). We started over 30 years ago with one brand, Michelina’s and now have a portfolio of brands: Boston Market, Atkins, EatingWell, Authentic Asia and a couple smaller players making their entrances here and there. The New Ventures group is tasked with Asian Synergies, Growth Innovation and M&A/Licensing Opportunities.

Q.  How did you decide on a career in the food industry? What has your career path entailed? 

A. I wanted to do Food Product Development. As I was in high school deciding what to study in college, I thought about going for culinary arts or mechanical engineering and I feel like I made a decent compromise. I was a rare freshman Food Science student in the early 2000s (might be more common these days). I attended Michigan State University for my BS and Louisiana State University for my MS in Food Science. I did internships with Amway and Kellogg’s and started my career with Michael Foods. While at Michael Foods (and through the internships), I realized that the food scientists do not decide what to develop, that comes from marketing and so I started a part-time MBA at University of Minnesota Carlson School of Business. I did my MBA slowly over 5 ½ years while mostly taking one class per semester (including summer) so that I could stay focused on both work and school without making major compromises to either. While working on my MBA, I transitioned from Michael Foods to work at Bellisio Foods. I spent over 7 year in R&D Product Development at Bellisio Foods working on various projects and moving our office from one of our factories in Lakeville, MN to downtown Minneapolis a block from our corporate office. In 2018, I transitioned to a “marketing rotation” to gain hands-on cross-functional training and expertise I never would have gained staying in an R&D role. The New Ventures team decided to keep me as part of their team longer term to leverage my years of experience and connections with individuals across the company. When I started at Bellisio Foods, we were still owned by the original founder, Jeno Paulucci, he sold the company to a private equity group the day before he passed away in 2011 and in 2016, the private equity group sold us to Charoen Pokphand (CP) Foods, a Thailand based company.

Q. What accomplishments are you the most proud of?

A. I am extremely proud of the work that our R&D team did in the creation and launch of the Chili’s at Home frozen line (we received IRI Pacesetters and Nielsen Breakthrough awards for this launch) as well as the EatingWell frozen line. But my proudest moment on both of those initiatives was handing them off to my first official employee and seeing her excel in the relationship with Brinker International (owners of Chili’s) and Meredith Publishing (owners of EatingWell Magazine). Sadly, the Chili’s line was discontinued in the last couple years due to reasons outside of the products themselves.  

Q. What are your areas of expertise for Females in Food members to connect with you on?

A. Product Development, Agile Development, MBA Benefits, Marketing through the lens of a Scientist

Q. What do you enjoy doing most in your free time?

A. Prior to COVID (and pregnancy prior to COVID but birthed in COVID), I enjoyed playing co-rec soccer – mostly defense. I am a crafty type person, enjoy cross-stitching, knitting, sewing, painting (mostly acrylic) and other creative activities.

Since I now have two boys (3 ½ and 6 mons), in my free time, I enjoy taking them for walks, playing with play-doh, kinetic sand, baths (swimming prior to COVID), playgrounds, etc.

Prior to college, I was an avid baker but haven’t done this as much in the last 20 years… although I did make my grandma’s carrot cake with cream cheesing frosting on Christmas.

Q. What advice would you give your younger self? Or What advice do you have for those who are just coming into the food industry?   

A. I would tell myself, be in the moment, don’t worry about the future, it has a plan for you and it possibly will be challenging along the way, but it will get you where you are meant to go.

For those coming into the food industry, take time to network, it is the connections that you have that make everything so much easier and so much more rewarding.

Specific to this group, try your best to empower other women. I have been suppressed by many women in their attempts to get ahead to know how much it can hurt.

** Learn more about the Females in Food Community and all the benefits by clicking here

We are honored to recognize Monica Ganley this month for the Females in Food Member Spotlight. Her international career journey from CPG to owning her own company is nothing short of inspiring. In this short Q&A Monica opens up about how her career journey, lessons learned, and how she is serving the dairy industry in Latin America today.

Q. Tell us about your current role/company.   

A. Currently, I am the Principal of Quarterra Consulting and Advisory. Quarterra is a boutique strategy consultancy that helps food and agriculture businesses understand and capitalize on opportunities in Latin American markets. I decided to found the consultancy about five years ago after identifying a gap in the market. While consultants are plentiful, there didn’t seem to be many that were focused exclusively on Latin America and even fewer that could leverage a cross cultural fluency to build bridges with this specific region. Each of our engagements is unique, but our clients are most often interested in our help to execute market studies, perform investment analyses, and facilitate market visits.  

Q.  How did you decide on a career in the food industry? What has your career path entailed? 

A. I have been passionate about the food and agriculture industry for most of my life. When I was younger, I was very involved in 4H, raising livestock and participating in judging competitions up to the national level. Like many other animal lovers, I had originally wanted to be a veterinarian. However, when I began studying at Cornell University I was introduced to agricultural economics. I loved the idea of looking at food and agriculture from a quantitative angle, and ultimately received my Bachelors in that field.

After Cornell I had my first foray into the dairy industry when, thanks to an introduction from my professor, I received the opportunity to work at Leprino Foods as a Dairy Economist. At Leprino Foods I had the privilege of working with many smart and talented people and picked up what would become a passion for the dairy sector which persists until today.

Following several years at Leprino Foods I decided to go back to school to get my MBA at the University of Chicago. During that time, I completed a summer strategy internship with MillerCoors that gave me a taste of the Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG) world. After completing my MBA, I decided to take a geographical leap and I accepted a role in Corporate Finance with PepsiCo Foods in Buenos Aires and moved to Argentina.

I worked on organizational design and capital expenditure projects with PepsiCo for a few years before deciding that I wanted to pursue a long-held dream of mine to strike out on my own. In 2015 I founded Quarterra and have been working on developing the consultancy ever since.

Q. What accomplishments are you the most proud of?

A. I am most proud of having had the conviction to take the plunge and found Quarterra when I did. Though I had long hoped to one day be my own boss, I always expected it to happen much further down my career path. But fate pays little heed to our own timetables, and I arrived at an inflection point in my career where working for myself would allow me to pursue some personal and professional objectives. There were a million reasons to put off the decision to go solo, but I am proud that I had enough self-belief to give it a shot and go after something that I really wanted.

Q. What are your areas of expertise for Females in Food members to connect with you on?

A.  I love networking and meeting new people so I would be enthusiastic to connect with other members of the Females in Food community. Geographically speaking, I spend most of my time working on Latin America so if any members want to speak about the region, I would love to engage. Though the majority of my work is within the dairy industry, I try to keep my finger on the pulse of other sectors as well.

I am also happy to share more details about my experience moving abroad and starting my own consultancy if that could be interesting to other members.

Q. What do you enjoy doing most in your free time?

A. I am an avid horsewoman and amateur polo player which is part of the reason I was particularly drawn to Argentina, the polo capital of the world. I keep a string of ponies here in Buenos Aires and play as often as I can. If you want to see me at my happiest, come find me at the barn. Besides my horses I also love to travel and have used my time during quarantine this year to expand my cooking skills.

Q. What advice would you give your younger self? Or What advice do you have for those who are just coming into the food industry?   

A. When we are young, I think it is easy to believe that there are only a finite number of career paths, when in reality the options for having meaningful professional experiences are endless. I would tell my younger self to recognize the value of traditional careers but not be shy about designing a life that works for me, even if it is not traditional or linear. Also, maybe finish paying off your student loans before striking out on your own. 😉 One of the reasons that I love the food industry is that I find people are exceptionally willing to lend a hand to those who are just starting out. For those people just coming into the industry I would encourage them to fully take advantage of this unique characteristic of the sector. In my experience, people are often more than happy to have a coffee or a zoom chat to share their experiences and see how they can help you.

We are honored to recognize Lisa Buckentine this month for the Females in Food member spotlight. In this short Q&A Lisa opens up about her career journey in the dairy industry, greatest achievements, and advice she has for others.

Q. Tell us about your current role.                                                                                               

A. I am a Senior Merchandiser with Dairy Products, Inc. My focus is on butterfat markets and I spend my days supporting our customers and suppliers by helping them execute on sales, purchasing and risk management strategies.

Q.  How did you decide on a career in the food industry? What has your career path entailed?

A. When I started out at Iowa State University (Go Cyclones!) as an Ag Business major I wanted to be a grain trader and applied for an internship with Gavilon (at the time ConAgra Trading Group). Through that internship I was exposed to the dairy products trading group. I really enjoyed it and the exposure it gave me to the food industry and was fortunate to be offered a full-time job as a Dairy Products Trader Trainee once I graduated. I have continued to build depth and expertise in dairy ingredients over the last 10 years and am now a Senior Merchandiser for Dairy Products Inc, the dairy industries unrivaled leader in supplying premium dairy ingredients, specialty services and peace-of-mind risk management programs.

Q. What accomplishments are you the most proud of?

A. I am proud of the outstanding team of traders that I have been able to work with and build a strong business and reputation with over the years. I’m also proud of completing my Masters in Economics and Masters in Business from the MSMBA in Agribusiness at Purdue and Indiana program.

Q. What are your areas of expertise for Females in Food members to connect with you on?

A.  Reach out to me with questions on commodity dairy markets, procurement, sales, risk management and logistics. I get to touch a lot of pieces of the commodity dairy industry and would love to visit about markets or discuss a unique challenge you are facing in your business that we may be able to help with.

Q. What do you enjoy doing most in your free time?

A. My husband and I moved to a new home in the country in February and I have really enjoyed gardening this summer (both flowers and vegetables). We also live near a beautiful trail where I enjoy walking our dog and biking in the evenings.

Q. What advice would you give your younger self? Or What advice do you have for those who are just coming into the food industry?   

A. Remember that no one has all the answers! It can be intimidating starting out in an industry where you have little to no experience, but remember no one, no matter how many years they have been in the business, has all the answers. We are all just doing the best we can with the information we have, and sometimes the information YOU have can be just as valuable, regardless of your experience level.

*Learn more about the Females in Food Community and become a member by clicking here.

We are excited to feature Amanda Lock for the August Females in Food member spotlight. Amanda’s inspirational leadership, willingness to help others, and positive energy have been at the forefront of her career in Human Resources. In this short Q&A, she opens up about her career journey, accomplishments, and the advice she has for those starting their career in F&B.

Q. Tell us about your current role.                                                                                               

A. In my current role I am the HR Business partner for my Business Group in the Americas with DSM.

Q.  How did you decide on a career in the food industry? What has your career path entailed?

A. I like to say the food industry found me and it’s been history since.  I started my career at a Cargill beef processing facility in Milwaukee as an HR Associate.  I took on different roles with increasing responsibility during the five years I was at this site.  From here I had the opportunity to move and transfer to another business in Charlotte, NC.  Here I had multi-site and union responsibility which was new to me, while still supporting the manufacturing teams.  After a couple years in Charlotte I moved to Minneapolis where the headquarters were and was able to support different functions in the business and currently I am back Milwaukee, working for DSM as the People and Organization Business Partner for all functions in the Americas.

Q. What accomplishments are you the most proud of?

A. I am most proud of my resilience and perseverance.  I’ve faced several professional challenges within a short period of time, like working through a federal audit, immigration concerns with our workforce, and a union campaign.  I’ve been a part of a couple of teams to successfully negotiate union contracts.

Q. What are your areas of expertise for Females in Food members to connect with you on?

A.  I have plenty of experience with employee relations and conducting investigations.  I am passionate about employee development and finding solutions to help individuals and organizations.  I am trained in using the 9-box tool as well as the leadership tool, Management Drives.

Q. What do you enjoy doing most in your free time?

A. It’s hard to pick one thing, but since I am a people person it would be spending quality time with my family and friends having great experiences.

Q. What advice would you give your younger self? Or What advice do you have for those who are just coming into the food industry?   

A. Advice I would give to my younger self is to find and use my voice more.  Working in male-dominated industries can be intimidating but the leaders want to hear your voice.  To someone coming into the food industry I would say learn as much as you can.  Volunteer to be on different projects and task force.  Get to know the employees and don’t be afraid to take risks, whether that is applying for a new job or moving to a new city where you don’t know a soul.  It is so rewarding!