All Food & Beverage

Article ‘That First Sip of Fall’: Lessons from the Creation of Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte
September 19, 2022 | By Meghan Hall
Angie McKenzie was part of the team that created Starbucks’ iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte, which launched in 2003. She spoke with us to share a few key lessons she learned from the project, and discussed challenges innovators in the food and beverage industries face today.
Article Kellogg’s R&D Chief on Plant-Based Proteins and New Ways of Testing Products
February 22, 2022 | By Scott Kirsner
The company’s SVP of Global R&D talks about getting plant-based protein to an affordable price point; how the company is moving from focus groups to in-market testing; and why the $13 billion company hires “food designers” rather than food scientists.
Article Hain Celestial SVP on Creating a Unified R&D Team at ‘Hain 3.0’
February 19, 2022
The VP of Corporate Research talks about building innovation while simultaneously reinventing business models.
Article Inside Inspire Brands’ Ghost Kitchen and Innovation Center
February 3, 2022 | By Kate Priddy
Just a year after opening its innovation center, Inspire Brands — owner of Arby’s, Sonic, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and Buffalo Wild Wings — launched the first multibrand “ghost kitchen” in Atlanta. InnoLead spoke with Vans Nelson, VP of Restaurant Operations, Innovation, and Profitability, about staying ahead of tech trends in...
Article Campbell’s Soup VP on What’s Changing in Research and Development
January 24, 2022 | By Alexander MacDougall, Scott Kirsner
R&D Vice President Judi Mondelllo talks about tasting new products in a hybrid world, the company’s academic relationships, and tuning in to what Milennials and Gen Z consumers want.
Article Dole’s Sustainability Promises Depend on Fresh Innovation
September 30, 2021
Dole, one of world’s largest fresh fruit and vegetable producers, is taking action to combat food inequality, climate change, and human rights issues. Dr. Lara Ramdin, Chief Innovation Officer, and Barbara Guerpillon, Global Head of Ventures, share how they are driving the company’s sustainability initiatives through open innovation.
Article What’s Changing in the Wine Business? Gallo’s Innovation Director Explains
September 13, 2021 | By Scott Kirsner
Michele Sandoval, Director of Innovation at the winemaker E. & J. Gallo, says the past 18 months have been an interesting time for the wine and spirits industry, with consumers spending less time at social gatherings and in restaurants, more time at home, and unable to visit some of Gallo’s...
Article PepsiCo’s Demand Accelerator Takes Consumer Insights to Next Level
August 20, 2021 | By Collin Robisheaux
The Global SVP and Head of PepsioCo’s Demand Accelerator program discussed the efficacy of the Demand Accelerator, the specific data PepsiCo uses, consumer trends in the food and beverage industry, and more.
Article What Matters in Innovation — June 25, 2021
June 25, 2021 | By Collin Robisheaux, Kaitlin Milliken
What mattered in innovation this week? InnoLead’s Scott Kirsner and Kaitlin Milliken join Derisk CEO Alex Slawsby to discuss. That includes some of the innovation news that you may have missed this week, and why it matters for innovators working in big organizations. In this installment: smart tires finally...
Article PepsiCo’s Chief Design Officer on Embracing Failure
March 4, 2021
Mauro Porcini, PepsiCo’s first-ever Chief Design Officer, offers insight on the intersections of innovation and design, methods for getting to the root of customer needs.
Article How Tyson’s CTO Is Using Big Data to Forecast COVID Spread
February 25, 2021 | By Lilly Milman
Because food distribution was labeled an essential business, Tyson Foods never shut down any of its plants. Right at the start of the pandemic — as early as January — Scott Spradley and his team began analyzing data to predict how infection might spread within them.
On Demand Webcast Accelerating Innovation During Times of Disruption
November 18, 2020
In our “Accelerating Innovation During Times of Disruption” Master Class, Tim Bernstein and Stella Peace share insights on how to capitalize on 2020’s challenges to drive innovation.
On Demand Webcast The 5 Trends Guiding the Food Industry Right Now
September 25, 2020
In this Master Class, Samuel Gibbon of Patsnap discusses where VCs are investing in the food industry right now, what consumer trends have emerged as a result of the lockdown, and more.
Article What Does the Future of Dining Look Like?
September 18, 2020
The restaurant world is taking one of the hardest hits of any industry during the pandemic. What’s in store for the future? Dan Wheeler of Wahlburgers offers his take.
Article How Ocean Spray Launched Three New Brands During a Pandemic
September 15, 2020 | By Lilly Milman
Ocean Spray is pivoting to health and wellness. Chief Innovation Officer Rizal Hamdallah explains how they launched three new brands amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Podcast How R&D Keeps the CPG Industry on the Cutting-Edge
June 23, 2020 | By Kaitlin Milliken
In this episode, we wanted to find out: “How is the CPG industry innovating to meet consumer demands?” Ranjani Varadan, VP of R&D at Impossible Foods, discusses how her team gets consumers to buy in to their future-forward vision. Jodi Benson explains why her team had customers write break-up letters to...
Article How Hain Celestial Keeps Innovation On Track
May 8, 2020 | By Lilly Milman
Hain Celestial Group, known for teas and pantry staples, has pivoted down a new path in response to COVID-19: hand sanitizer. The company is also conducting remote product tasting with its senior leaders. SVP of R&D Jeff George explains…
Article How COVID-19 Prioritized Digital Innovation at Wahlburgers
April 28, 2020 | By Alex Slawsby
As the coronavirus pandemic spread, Wahlburgers SVP Dan Wheeler says it required careful thought about people’s safety, but it also “accelerated…my innovation agenda.”
Podcast Inside the Supply Chain
November 19, 2019 | By Kaitlin Milliken
How can supply chain innovation deliver serious value? Guests from Retail Business Services, J&J, and MIT’s Center for Transportation and Logistics discuss.
Article How TeakOrigin Survived the Death of Two Innovation Labs
November 7, 2019 | By Scott Kirsner
It’s rare that a project survives the death of the innovation lab that hatched it. But a handheld scanner that could analyze the freshness of a piece of fruit or fish created in the Hong Kong offices of the multinational grocer Tesco, survived not one but two near-death experiences.