Local Food Innovators to Speak at a Network of Executive Women Chicago Event

Posted March 16, 2019 11:00 pm

Marita Gomez

For the first time, the Network of Executive Women (NEW), Chicago Region will bring together four of Chicago's leading experts in food innovation to discuss what the industry is doing to evolve and remain relevant to today's discriminating consumer. The event will be held on Thursday, April 11, 2019 at Tyson Foods in Chicago.

"New Disruptors in Consumer Products: Incubators, Accelerators & Entrepreneurs" is a panel presentation of five industry leaders sharing their perspectives on how companies can continue innovating despite the changing marketplace.

NEW represents more than 12,000 members, 900 companies, 120 corporate partners and 22 regions in the U.S. and Canada advancing all women and building business. NEW Chicago was founded 10 years ago and has grown to be the second largest NEW region in the U.S.

David Donnan at global consulting firm A.T. Kearney will moderate the panel discussion. The presenters, who come from various food industry backgrounds, are as follows:

• Rizal Hamdallah is head of the innovation lab at Tyson Foods. Hamdallah's expertise includes global brand marketing, R&D, corporate ventures capital and entrepreneurship.

• Eliana Pinilla-Ryhal serves as VP of research and innovation at RXBAR, a clean label food manufacturer. Pinilla-Ryhal's experience includes serving in functional areas of food categories such as quality, product development and process engineering.

• Natalie Shmulik is chief executive officer at The Hatchery, a food business incubator. Shmulik has a wide range of experience working with supermarkets, culinary publications, consumer packaged goods companies and food service establishments.

• Geri Yoshioka exercises her passion working as director of consumer planning and insights at Walgreens. Yoshioka has spent most of her career in innovation and has launched a diverse range of food products.

"Today's consumers are more selective, pressuring the food industry to produce diverse and innovative food products," said Tiffany Menyhart, region co-chair for NEW Chicago. "This event brings together some of the area's leading food innovator experts to share their unique perspectives on how to continue innovating to drive consumer products forward."

WHEN: Thursday, April 11, 2019

TIME: 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. (Registration begins at 3:00 p.m.)

WHERE: Tyson Foods

627 West Van Buren St., Chicago, IL 60607

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