Join leaders from every segment of the snack value chain – producers, marketers, suppliers and thought leaders – for 2.5 days of networking, collaboration and strategic insights to navigate today’s complex business landscape, while enjoying the breathtaking backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. The Forum allows executives to sharpen their business strategy as well as to step back from the daily grind and build relationships through networking activities, with an agenda that creates a business-first approach while maintaining the connection opportunities that make the event unique.
Forum Sessions
The Economy Heading Into 2025
Presented by Chris Thornberg, PhD, Beacon Economics
Tuesday, October 15 | 9:30 - 10:15am
Sought-after economist and speaker Chris Thornberg, PhD, will offer an overview of the macro-economy and trends that drive the business cycle and consumer behavior. Look past the politics and into the data to understand what’s in store for our industry and consumers in 2025.
CHRISTOPHER THORNBERG, PhD
Chris is a renowned economist with a doctorate in business economics from UCLA. Known for exact economic forecasts, Chris predicted the 2007 subprime mortgage crash, the following global recession, and the rapid recovery from the 2020 COVID-19 shock. In 2007, he founded Beacon Economics, an independent research and consulting firm focused on providing objective economic analysis and data. His data-driven approach and commitment to objective analysis have proven him a trusted voice in economic policy, often emphasizing the importance of evidence-based conclusions over popular political narratives. Whether addressing business leaders or advising public agencies, Chris upholds the principle of unbiased economic examination.
American Politics and the 2024 Election
Presented by Mara Liasson, Senior National Political Correspondent, NPR
Tuesday, October 15 | 10:30 - 11:15am
A discussion of this historic election and what follows requires the wisdom and experience of an iconic American journalist and political reporter; so we are honored to be joined by Mara Liasson, who will share her view of the current moment, and what is to come. A veteran of National Public Radio and a longtime contributor to Fox News, Mara has covered every presidential election since 1992 and reports on Senate and House races every election year. She is an expert on elections, national policy, and on relations between the White House and Congress.MARA LIASSON
Senior National Political Correspondent, NPR
Mara Liasson is the senior national political correspondent for NPR . For 25 years she was a contributor to FOX News Channel (FNC). She joined FOX in 1997 and served as a panelist on Special Report with Brett Baier and FOX News Sunday, FOX Broadcasting Company's public affairs program that airs nationwide each Sunday morning.
Liasson joined NPR in 1985 as a general assignment reporter and newscaster. She covered Congress and served as the White House correspondent during all eight years of the Clinton administration. Now, as the senior national political correspondent her reports can be heard on the award-winning news magazines, All Things Considered and Morning Edition.
During her tenure, she has covered all the presidential elections since 1992 and reports on Senate and House races every election year. She is an expert on elections, national policy and on relations between the White House and Congress.
Liasson received a Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism from September 1988-June 1989 at Columbia University in New York. Shortly thereafter, she returned to NPR as its congressional correspondent.
Liasson has received numerous awards and honors for her reporting, including the White House Correspondents' Association’s ”Merriman Smith Award” in 1994, 1995 and 1997 for excellence in daily news reporting.
Her first reporting job was at The Vineyard Gazette, on Martha's Vineyard , Mass.
Liasson earned her bachelor's degree from Brown University.
Future of Snacking: Balancing Intent with Indulgence
Presented by Davey McHenry, Senior Vice President Operations, The Hartman Group
Tuesday, October 15 | 11:15am - 12:00pm
During this session, food industry analyst Davey McHenry will report on Hartman Group’s recent findings about the ever-shapeshifting snacking occasion. Mini-meals, continuous grazing, leftovers, and snacks that become meals now blur the distinction between a meal and a snack. Hartman’s new research details the role of intentional and healthy/premium snacks, the cultural importance of snacking, product development opportunities, and how your brand or company can make the greatest impact.
DAVEY McHENRY
Senior Vice President Operations, The Hartman Group
Davey combines her passion for people and process as Senior Vice President of Operations for Hartman Group, a team of experts immersed in the study of American food and beverage culture, using ethnographic observation, quantitative tracking surveys, and deep study of trends.
With more than 15 years of industry experience and tenure at Hartman, Davey is responsible for driving the organization’s operational strategy with a keen focus on its intersection with industry expertise, client relationships, and organizational growth.
Davey has an MBA from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington and a BA in International Studies from Willamette University.
WORKSHOP: Tapping the Power of Generative AI at Work
Presented by Conor Grennan, Chief AI Architect, NYU Stern School of Business and Head of GenerativeAI@Stern
Tuesday, October 15 | 1:30 - 3:00pm
Whether you’re a novice or expert, there’s more to ChatGPT than you think. Conor Grennan, the Chief AI Architect at the NYU Stern School of Business, unlocks the secrets to increased productivity and better outputs using generative Al. This interactive, hands-on session will introduce the capabilities (and limitations) of ChatGPT, a unique framework that will change how you and your team use Al, and help you stay ahead of the competition, no matter your role.
CONOR GRENNAN
Chief AI Architect, NYU Stern School of Business and Head of GenerativeAI@Stern
Conor Grennan is Chief AI Architect at NYU Stern School of Business, where he builds generative AI fluency across the institution, including MBAs, faculty and administration. Prior to that role, he served as Dean of Students for the past 10 years.
Outside of NYU, Conor is the CEO and Founder of AI Mindset, an AI consulting company that trains professionals, leaders and organizations on a new and effective framework for generative AI. He has worked with teams across industry, including at OpenAI, McKinsey, NASA, PWC, SAP, JP Morgan, Deloitte, the US Department of Treasury, and more.
Conor is also a NY Times and #1 international bestselling author, published in 15 languages. He is a keynote speaker, TEDx speaker, and executive coach. His AI insights have been featured in Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Vox and other media. He co-hosts the AI Applied Podcast (top 20 in Business News) and is a Top Voice in Public Speaking on LinkedIn.
He has a BA from the University of Virginia and an MBA from NYU Stern, and lives in Connecticut with his wife Liz and two children.
Snack Packaging, Sustainability, and the Road Ahead
Presented by Dan Felton, Executive Director, AMERIPEN
Tuesday, October 15 | 3:15 - 4:00pm
Shifting public policy, retailer mandates, and evolving consumer demands combine to complicate the path for any snack food business trying to grow sustainably and stay ahead of the evolving landscape around food packaging. We are joined by a national leader, Dan Felton, in the dialogue about packaging sustainability to give us an executive-level view of this important topic and his forecast of what to expect in the years ahead.
PANEL: Nutrition, Science, and the Health of the Consumer
Moderator Maggie. S. Gentile, MS, RD, LD, Food Directions
Panelists:
- Richard D. Mattes, MPH, PhD, RD, Purdue University
- Siddhartha Angadi, PhD, FACSM, University of Virginia
Wednesday, October 16 | 9:00 - 9:45am
Moderated by food policy expert Maggie Gentile, this panel discussion of scientific and medical professionals will cover the leading topics in health and nutrition impacting the food industry, including GLP-1 drugs and their role in the American diet in the years ahead.
MAGGIE S. GENTILE, MS, RD, LD
Food Directions
Maggie Gentile is a Partner and the Vice President of Food and Nutrition Policy at Food Directions LLC. Gentile joined Food Directions in 2011 and in her current role she manages day to day client needs, executes client projects, participates in food industry coalitions, and monitors all activities in the food space. She previously has worked in public relations for Edelman and GolinHarris as well as for the National Restaurant Association where she maintained issue expertise for their Food and Healthy Living program and communicated the association’s position on emerging nutrition public policy issues to key stakeholders. Gentile earned a registered dietitian credential and master’s from Loyola University in Chicago and an undergraduate degree in Dietetics from Miami University. Gentile lives on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC with her husband and three daughters.
RICHARD D. MATTES, MPH, PhD, RD
Purdue University
Dr. Mattes is a Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Science at Purdue University, Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine and Affiliated Scientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. His research focuses on the areas of taste function, hunger and satiety, food preferences, regulation of food intake in humans and human cephalic phase responses. At Purdue, Dr. Mattes is the Head of the Ingestive Behavior Research Center. He is a former president of the American Society for Nutrition and was a member of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Dr. Mattes earned an undergraduate degree in biology and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Michigan as well as a doctorate degree in Human Nutrition from Cornell University. He conducted post-doctoral studies at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the Monell Chemical Senses Center.
SIDDHARTHA ANGADI, PhD, FACSM
University of Virginia
Dr. Siddhartha (Sid) Angadi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia and a physiologist who examines the cardiovascular effects and interactions of exercise, drugs, and diet in health and disease. His ongoing clinical trials are primarily focused on their interplay in conditions such as heart failure as well as the effects of exercise on mitigating the cardiotoxic effects of treatments for breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer. Dr. Angadi has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and four book chapters, has more than 60 conference presentations, and his research has been featured in prominent lay publications such as The New York Times, Science, and Time.
PANEL: Innovating for Growth
- Poorvi Patodia, Founder, Biena Snacks
- Kirsten Sutaria, Director of R&D + Innovation, SkinnyDipped
- Matt Weiss, Founder and CEO, Rind Snacks
- Denise Woodard, Founder and CEO, Partake Foods
Wednesday, October 16 | 9:45 - 10:30am
POORVI PATODIA
Founder, Biena Snacks
Poorvi Patodia launched Biena Snacks with a mission to help people Snack Better & Live Better. The brand's category-leading Chickpea Snacks and new Veggie Crisps have secured dozens of “best snack awards” and are consistently featured as a top, healthy snack. Biena has national distribution in over 12,000 retail locations and has been named to Inc 5000’s Fastest Growing Companies multiple times.
Poorvi has been recognized as an emerging business leader, being featured as a "Rising Star" CEO among the Inc. 5000 fastest growing companies. She regularly speaks at industry conferences and events, offering guidance to help grow more successful businesses.
KIRSTEN SUTARIA
Director of R&D + Innovation, SkinnyDipped
Kirsten, currently the Director of R&D + Innovation at SkinnyDipped, is a seasoned product development professional with over 15 years of experience bringing innovative products to market for renowned brands such as innocent drinks and Ben & Jerry's. In addition to working with larger brands, she spent four years building Doozy Pots, an award-winning, plant-based gelato company, from the ground up with a team of two.
Throughout her career, Kirsten has helped brands of all sizes navigate the complex landscape of bringing new ideas to market. In addition to her work for established brands, she has worked as a consultant assisting companies in creating and launching innovative products that resonate with today's conscious consumers. She is passionate about sustainable sourcing, recognizing the importance of ethical and environmentally responsible practices in the food industry. Kirsten holds a B.S. in Food Science from Cornell University and an MBA from the University of Vermont.
MATT WEISS
Founder and CEO, Rind Snacks
Matt is the Founder and CEO of RIND Snacks, a better-for-you CPG brand that makes nutritious whole fruit snacks with bold taste and zero waste. With over ten years of experience in the natural food industry, Matt leads RIND's vision, strategy, and operations, and oversees its creative partnerships and social impact initiatives.
Before launching RIND, Matt had a successful career in investment research at mutual fund firm Baron Capital. Matt also serves as a founding member of Naturally New York, an organization that fosters community among professionals in the natural products industry. He is also the Founder of Friends of Chelsea Green, a non-profit that supports a thriving park in lower Manhattan.
DENISE WOODARD
Founder and CEO, Partake Foods
Denise is the Founder and CEO of Partake Foods, a natural food company that was inspired by her daughter’s experience with food allergies. Launched in 2017, Partake’s first product — delicious, better for you, allergy-friendly cookies — can now be found in more than 14,000 retailers including Target, Kroger, and Whole Foods Market. Partake's offerings have since expanded to include graham crackers, vanilla wafers and pancake & waffle mixes.
Denise is the first Black woman to raise more than $1 Million publicly for a CPG food startup. To date, the company has raised over $25M from investors including HER, Rihanna, CircleUp Growth Partners, FF2032 and Marcy Venture Partners. Partake was named #151 on the Inc 5000 list in 2023.
Prior to launching Partake, Denise spent a decade in consumer packaged goods at various Fortune 100 companies. She is also the founder of 501c3, Black Futures Fellowship, an annual program that matches active HBCU students with paid internships in the CPG food and beverage industry. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Jeremy, and daughter, Vivienne. She graduated with her BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Arizona State University.
How Unconventional Insights Drive Innovation
Presented by Nonfiction Research's Gunny Scarfo, Co-Founder and Lindsey Wehking, Chief Investigative Strategy Officer
Wednesday, October 16 | 10:45 - 11:30am
Are we using the right methods to understand consumers? Innovations that drive growth start with understanding people, their daily lives, and how products can meet their needs. Our speakers today are renowned for uncovering hidden truths about what everyday people need and desire by going where others won’t: sitting with inmates in prison and patients in hospitals, rollerblading with rappers in Atlanta, throwing underground parties, studying music playlists, and other unconventional ways of understanding the reality of people’s lives. Their revealing presentation will take us inside the movement toward more realistic consumer insights and share examples of how their work with organizations like Disney and Frito-Lay is inspiring innovation.
Gunny Scarfo, Co-Founder, Nonfiction Research
Gunny is the co-founder of Nonfiction Research. He has authored and co-authored Nonfiction studies such as The Secret Financial Lives of Americans, Intimacy in America, America’s Secret Music Playlists, and Saving Americans from the News.
Before Nonfiction, Gunny was the Head of Strategy at VICE Media's digital agency. Gunny is a founding board member of Brooklyn Poets - the literary nonprofit - and an advisory board member of DVRGNT Ventures, a venture capital fund dedicated to underestimated founders from underrepresented geographies. He’s a graduate of Coatesville Area Schools and Columbia University. He splits time between New York City and Nashville, where he lives with his wife and daughter.
Lindsey Wehking, Chief Investigative Strategy Officer, Nonfiction Research
Lindsey Wehking is the Chief Investigative Strategy Officer at Nonfiction Research. She is the author of The Invisible Weight, a report and podcast on the hidden emotional experiences of pregnancy and the lack of emotional care in the U.S Healthcare system. She has also authored America’s Secret Playlists, a report on the secret lives hidden within Spotify playlists, and Saving America from the News, a study of what Americans really want from journalism. Her quest for more emotional realism in research has brought her into hip hop therapy groups, sex cults, ayahuasca retreats, illegal gas station casinos, Insane Clown Posse concerts, and deep into the inner lives of everyday Americans.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to speak at the SnackPAC Reception
Tuesday, October 15 | 5:00 - 6:00pm
*This is a ticketed event. Registration materials will be sent to authorized SNAC members on or before Sept. 6th.
SNAC International is excited to welcome special guest, 55th Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy to this year’s 2024 SnackPAC Reception to be held on Tuesday, October 15th from 5-6PM. With the presidential election, and critical House and Senate races to be decided, less than a month away, McCarthy will offer his keen insights into the national political landscape. This is a unique chance to understand the evolving dynamics of Washington straight from a true insider.
KEVIN McCARTHY
Former Speaker of the House
Kevin McCarthy is described as a man exuding “true American grit.” Prior to his election to Congress, McCarthy served as the fastest rising Minority Leader in the California State Legislature. In Congress, he held nearly every elected leadership position in the House Republican conference and served under four Presidents, during two economic crises, and through consistent political upheaval while always maintaining his approach to governing as a Happy Warrior. After his election to Speaker, McCarthy went on to secure $2T in deficit reduction. McCarthy’s decade and a half at the pinnacle of U.S. government has imbued him with powerful insights into politics, leadership, and values.
Special Guest Dr. Bobbi Thomason to present at the WinS Breakfast Workshop
Tuesday, October 15 | 7:30 - 9:00am
*Female attendees, by invitation only
SNAC International welcomes special guest, Dr. Bobbi Thomason, Associate Professor of Applied Behavioral Science at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, to lead the WinS workshop. This event is part of SNAC’s broader WinS initiative, which establishes a network to champion career advancement and professional development in the snack industry.
Dr. Bobbi Thomason
Associate Professor of Applied Behavioral Science at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School
Bobbi’s research explores how women navigate their careers and the micro-mechanisms of how women overcome inequality and claim career rewards and resources. In her scholarship, Bobbi takes the perspective that women’s career advancement is about agency in context. Even truly awful contexts. As such, her research involves understanding how women navigate not only career ladders, but more often, career jungle gyms. She examines how women use their agency to advance their climb upward, sideways, and, at times, even backwards through career jungle gyms.
Bobbi regularly teaches personal & career development, as well as negotiation and influence classes to MBA and Executive audiences. She has taught in Women’s Executive Leadership programs at Wharton and Pepperdine. In all of her teaching, she takes a humanistic approach – teaching her students as whole people, with a range of ambitions, and perhaps most importantly, with vast and expandable capacity. Her classes take a strength-based approach – focusing on people’s strengths and abilities, rather than their weaknesses or deficits, in order to further build strengths and thus reach their highest potential.
Prior to Pepperdine, Bobbi was on the faculty at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She also worked as a researcher at Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School. Bobbi was also the International Researcher for Sheryl Sandberg’s books Lean In and Option B. Bobbi Thomason earned her Ph.D. from Stanford University, her M.A. from Columbia University and her B.S.F.S. from Georgetown University.
Bobbi regularly publishes in not only top academic journals, but also practice-oriented outlets, such as Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review. Her research and commentary have been featured in international media, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, TIME Magazine, and National Public Radio.
Schedule at a Glance
The Forum has shifted to take place from Monday to Wednesday, which means you can now travel without having to worry about interrupting your weekend plans. This change represents a departure from the previous schedule, which spanned from Sunday to Tuesday.
Monday, October 14
- 8:30 – 11:30am: SNAC Board Meetings
- 12:00 – 5:00pm: Optional Recreation
- 6:00 – 9:00pm: Opening Reception and Dinner
Tuesday, October 15
- 8:00 – 9:00am: WinS Breakfast Workshop
- 9:00am – 4:00pm: Education Sessions
- 5:00 – 6:00pm: SnackPAC Reception
- 6:15 – 10:30pm: Open Evening and Dine Around
Wednesday, October 16
- 8:00 – 9:00am: Breakfast Buffet
- 9:00 – 11:30am: Education Sessions
- 12:15 – 5:30pm: Optional Recreation
- 6:30 – 9:00pm: Closing Reception and Dinner
ELF 2023 Recap: 47th Executive Leadership Forum Held In Colorado Springs, CO Exceeds Expectations
Over 130 snack industry executives and guests gathered this week at the Broadmoor for 2.5 days of education and collaboration. The event featured business leaders and experts discussing topics like sustainability, snack trends, global economic issues, leading with purpose and more.
The Forum drew 43% more female attendees than in 2022, part of SNAC’s WinS (Women in Snacks) initiative to open the pipeline for female advancement in the snack industry. SNAC’s Rising Stars program brought 7 emerging leaders nominated by their company to Colorado, and 30 first time attendees overall.
Thank you Generous Sponsors for making the Executive Leadership Forum possible.
Presentations are now available to watch and download, as well as session summaries and photos below.
