Today’s episode is all about upcycling. Meriam Webster defines upcycling as “to recycle (something) in such a way that the resulting product is of a higher value than the original item: to create an object of greater value from (a discarded object of lesser value).”

In our private Facebook community group Love Earth Big (you can find the link to that group in the show notes), many of you share incredible upcycling projects that you have done at home, including upcycling lamp shades into hanging planters, and upcycling old tires into beautiful outdoor gardens. This community never ceases to amaze and inspire me. On a macro level, companies like Nike have taken the rubber from old shoes and upcycled them into new gymnasium flooring and have turned plastic bags into dry fit clothing. A sector of industry that is rarely discussed in terms of upcycling is the food industry. This episode is devoted to just that, upcycled foods and specifically snacking. Without revealing too much, I’ll introduce you to today’s guest, Shannon Neumann.

Shannon is Associate Director of SnackFutures Innovation – Mondelēz International’s innovation and venture hub that plays a critical role in the company’s aggressive global growth agenda. In the SnackFutures model of Invent and Venture, Shannon is thrilled to have the opportunity to align her work with her personal passions for creating and building brands while connecting people from around the world through food.

Shannon has been with Mondelēz International for 9 years, and before that she worked with Kraft Foods, Cadbury and Nabisco.  Shannon has held a number of key leadership roles in brand management, global breakthrough innovation and portfolio management across multiple categories including Gum, Candy and Biscuits.  She has led and executed multi-market big bet projects for Mondelez collaborating across boundaries with cross-functional colleagues.

Shannon received her undergraduate degree from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst and her MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Exclusive info: CaPao just launched a new product Quinoa Squares! Keep an eye out for this new flavor!

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Reports and articles discussed in the episode:
Upcycled Food Association, Foundation, and Certification