Advisory Board
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Heather is committed to lifting poor households out of poverty through sustainable business models and inclusive agricultural market systems. An international development professional with 14 years of experience across East Africa, Heather focused on Ethiopia the majority of this time. During her 11 years at TechnoServe, she built and led teams implementing development projects, established and managed donor and partner relationships, and designed and implemented new projects that leverage business solutions to poverty through corporate partnerships and market systems development. Her portfolio included the Majang Forest Livelihoods project, which strengthened the market system for forest honey, among other forest products, in an UNESCO-registered forest biosphere area. This project sowed the seeds of inspiration for Forested Foods’ business model. She currently works as a consultant, now based in Mexico.
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Una Hrnjak leads climate change adaptation and mitigation strategy and water stewardship efforts for Starbucks. In this role, she partners closely with commodity teams across the company to adopt climate and water smart ag practices, she manages and grows key collaborative partnerships to scale the company's planet positive efforts around watershed and landscape restoration investments, and helps the company with embedding sustainability across the business. Prior to Starbucks, Una was the Senior Manager of Global Sustainability at Gap Inc. where she led company sustainability strategy efforts around material issues including climate, water, and human rights. She managed several key programs in Gap's supply chain including serving as the Deputy Chief of Party of the Gap Inc. and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Women + Water Alliance focused on improving the health and well-being of cotton farming communities in India touched by Gap Inc.'s business. She also led sustainability efforts at Banana Republic helping the brand create their long-term sustainability aspirations. Before working in-house roles in sustainability, Una worked in management consulting supporting Fortune 500 clients, international development organizations and the federal government. Originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Una is passionate about supporting her homeland. Outside of work, Una volunteers with the Jericho Foundation, Women for Women International and serves as an Advisor to Peace by Piece International. Una holds a MA from American University focused on the intersection of the private and public sector in achieving the SDGs as well as a BA in Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs, with a minor in Women's Studies from Miami University. She is passionate about people and the planet, and pets - especially her two fur babies Tucker and Oliver.
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Jacie is passionate about leveraging enterprise to drive sustainable development. She is a Co-Founder of and the Managing Director of GreenPath Food. Prior to GreenPath, Jacie advised teams founding early-stage social ventures in the San Francisco Bay Area. She formerly worked as a Technical Advisor and Manager at TechnoServe, where she supported a portfolio of market-based agriculture and enterprise development programs across East Africa. Jacie has supported and consulted on a variety of ventures focused on value chain development, smallholder training and extension, producer certification, and environmental marketing. Before migrating to warmer climates, Jacie grew up on a family farm in northern Wisconsin. She loves running, traveling, and all things coffee.
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Amy is currently Google’s Marketing Communications Lead for their Global Food Program. She has spent her entire career in food and beverage communications marketing, holding senior leadership, C-suite counselor positions in the food and beverage practices of two of the most respected food agencies in the world: Ketchum and Edelman. Clients have included Fortune 500 global food companies and their brands, commodity boards, NGO's and disruptor brands in the B2C and B2B channels. In 2019, she started Marin Restorative Communications to bring the same award-winning, cutting-edge communications strategies and tools used by top marketers to clients who are working to reimagine the food system. Most recently, she took up the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with the incredible team at Google to help scale and educate people about vitally important initiatives and solutions in food waste reduction, biodiversity enhancement, the circular economy, and water/carbon issues -- all while celebrating delicious food that brings people together.
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Mefthe is an international development professional with over 20 years of experience working across sectors. She’s currently the Regional Director for TechnoServe’s East Africa Team. For the past 12+ years, she has been managing and operating teams on the ground in Ethiopia, including leading country-level platforms. With TechnoServe Ethiopia, she has managed large-scale value chain development programs funded by major donors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Nespresso, and USAID. Prior to TechnoServe, she was the Country Coordinator for BBC Media Action in Ethiopia and, on behalf of Ernst & Young developed privatization strategies for Ethiopian public enterprises and business process improvements for the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.
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Loick is the Vice President of Business development at Brightseed. A leader in bioactive compound discovery in plants. Before Brightseed, Loick has been working in the food industry and more specifically at major food-ingredients manufacturers such as Cosucra, Naturex, Givaudan, Dohler. He always focused on Sales, Marketing and Business Development and grew into leading entire divisions. While working with these leaders of the industry in multiple regions of the world, Loick developed not only a wide network but also a deep understanding of the food industry value chain. He helped optimize and innovate that value chain by using his strong technical product understanding, his focus on Health & Nutrition, and his vision of what the food consumption of the future will look like. Loick has a Master's degree in Biological Engineering with a focus on Food Technology from the VUB in Brussels and obtained an MBA from Yale University. Outside of work, Loick loves to discover idyllic surf spots with his wife and two boys.
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Tastemaker, writer, editor and lecturer, Dana Cowin is an evangelist for good food and good people. Cowin is founder of DBC Creative, a brand consultancy focusing on businesses in the hospitality industry such as fast casual brands like Dig Food Group. Cowin launched The Broadlies, a multi-media platform spotlighting and nourishing voices of diverse women in the food world. The initiatives include Giving Broadly featuring foods from women-founded businesses; Coaching Broadly for creatives figuring out their next projects; podcast Speaking Broadly, and Supporting Broadly, which provides angel investments in women-owned businesses, scholarships, mentorships and contributions for not-for-profits.
Cowin was Editor in Chief of Food & Wine Magazine for more than 20 years overseeing all editorial aspects of the brand including print, digital, books.
A sought-after speaker, Cowin has been a judge on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” a presenter at TedX Manhattan, a motivational speaker for brands like Bacardi, lecturer at the Food & Wine Classic and many other food festivals and other events.
A noted author, Cowin in 2014 published “Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen: Learning to Cook with 65 Great Chefs and Over 100 Delicious Recipes,” which garnered a spot on many “Best of Fall” lists. Her work is also included in several anthologies.
Cowin is committed to helping fight hunger and increase job opportunities through her philanthropic work on the boards of Hot Bread Kitchen, Food Education Fund and City Harvest.
