Gooder
Jan 25, 2021
Karuna Rawal - Food Tech's Role in Expanded Food Accessibility
In this episode I had the privilege of chatting with Karuna Rawal, Chief Marketing Officer for Nature’s Fynd, a food tech startup where she’s commercializing a new-to-the-world, sustainable alternative protein that can help feed the world. We discuss the incredible origin story of
Nature’s Fynd, how the food tech industry has widened the funnel of food accessibility, as well as the importance of mentorship in empowering women leaders.
“To me mentoring is about being more open, vulnerable and sharing, and being able to offer perspective or insights.” - Karuna Rawal
In this episode we learn:
- The origin story of Nature’s Fynd, what it does and what the company is up to now.
- How the pandemic has positively and negatively affected the business.
- How the food tech industry has contributed to the accessibility of food to many people around the world.
- Karuna’s thoughts about consumer adoption and how consumers in the market are responding to their products.
- The importance of two-way mentoring and Karuna’s advice for being a good mentor.
- Karuna’s thoughts on how she wants Nature’s Fynd to define food tech’s role in the world.
About Karuna Rawal:
Karuna Rawal is the Chief Marketing Officer for Nature’s Fynd, a food tech startup where she's commercializing a new-to-the-world sustainable alternative protein that can help feed the world.
Karuna brings over twenty-five years of experience in brand management and shopper marketing across CPG, retail, and healthcare industries. She also serves on a number of nonprofits and is dedicated to supporting and mentoring women leaders.
Guest Social Media Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karunarawal/
Website: https://www.naturesfynd.com/press-release/cmo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarunaRawal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekarunarawal
Blog: https://medium.com/@KarunaRawal
Show Resources:
Mentions
Miyoko’s Creamery - Miyoko’s Creamery is the leading organic plant dairy creamery that’s reinventing the dairy industry.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.
Yellowstone National Park is a nearly 3,500-sq.-mile wilderness recreation area atop a volcanic hot spot. Mostly in Wyoming, the park spreads into parts of Montana and Idaho too. Yellowstone features dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, lush forests, hot springs, and gushing geysers, including its most famous, Old Faithful.
The Good Food Institute’s (GFI) conference is the world’s leading event focused on accelerating the marketplace for plant-based and cell-based meat.
Farmers Fridge is a service that makes meals from scratch, packed with care, and delivered overnight by our dedicated team of drivers.
Leo Burnett Company, Inc., is an American advertising company, founded on August 5, 1935, in Chicago by Leo Burnett.
Articles
https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2019/09/11/Sustainable-Bioproducts-gears-up-for-2020-launch-of-consumer-brand-built-around-new-to-the-world-protein-source
Key Takeaways:
0:00 Intro
2:15 Karuna share the origin story of Nature’s Fynd, what it does and what the company is up to nowadays
5:27 Karuna talks about how the pandemic positively and negatively affected their business and how they dealt with the negative impacts
8:39 Karuna talks about what accelerated them to moving to the market that they are in and how
10:49 Karuna also talks about how being a foodtech company has contributed to accessibility of food to many people around the world
12:45 Karuna also talks about what has catapulted the naturals to the mainstream consumer and how foodtech has helped in that too
16:15 Karuna explains how foodtech is bridging the gap between people who are uneducated and maybe unwilling to try something because of its foreignness to the naturals
17:52 Karuna shares her thoughts on how she’d want Nature’s Fynd to define Foodtech’s role and what it should be about
19:11 Karuna talks about consumer adoption and how consumers in the market are responding to their products that are in the market
24:19 Karuna talks about the shift that is happening of people shifting to the natural foods and being a vegetarian or a vegan and what’s caused that shift
27:35 Karuna also talks about leadership and mentorship and why it is important to her that that she leans mostly in mentoring women
31:25 Karuna talks about two way mentoring and why it’s important for a mentor to understand the situation and mentor based on the situation and not on the fact that he or she knows something
34:21 Karuna shares where she gets the interest to mentor people from and also her life experiences that grows her desire to mentor even more
38:50 Karuna also shares the common blind spot or weakness that she has noticed through all the women that she has mentored that holds them back
42:14 Karuna shares the kind of women that she admires in terms of their leadership
44:35 Karuna shares what she thinks are fun facts about Nature’s Fynd that she feels are really compelling
45:52 Karuna talks about the brands and trends outside of Nature’s Fynd that she has her eyes on
47:26 Karuna shares tips on how she’s keeping herself sane and strong to do what it is that she does
This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5671635/advertisement
Nature’s Fynd, how the food tech industry has widened the funnel of food accessibility, as well as the importance of mentorship in empowering women leaders.
“To me mentoring is about being more open, vulnerable and sharing, and being able to offer perspective or insights.” - Karuna Rawal
In this episode we learn:
- The origin story of Nature’s Fynd, what it does and what the company is up to now.
- How the pandemic has positively and negatively affected the business.
- How the food tech industry has contributed to the accessibility of food to many people around the world.
- Karuna’s thoughts about consumer adoption and how consumers in the market are responding to their products.
- The importance of two-way mentoring and Karuna’s advice for being a good mentor.
- Karuna’s thoughts on how she wants Nature’s Fynd to define food tech’s role in the world.
About Karuna Rawal:
Karuna Rawal is the Chief Marketing Officer for Nature’s Fynd, a food tech startup where she's commercializing a new-to-the-world sustainable alternative protein that can help feed the world.
Karuna brings over twenty-five years of experience in brand management and shopper marketing across CPG, retail, and healthcare industries. She also serves on a number of nonprofits and is dedicated to supporting and mentoring women leaders.
Guest Social Media Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karunarawal/
Website: https://www.naturesfynd.com/press-release/cmo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarunaRawal
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekarunarawal
Blog: https://medium.com/@KarunaRawal
Show Resources:
Mentions
Miyoko’s Creamery - Miyoko’s Creamery is the leading organic plant dairy creamery that’s reinventing the dairy industry.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research.
Yellowstone National Park is a nearly 3,500-sq.-mile wilderness recreation area atop a volcanic hot spot. Mostly in Wyoming, the park spreads into parts of Montana and Idaho too. Yellowstone features dramatic canyons, alpine rivers, lush forests, hot springs, and gushing geysers, including its most famous, Old Faithful.
The Good Food Institute’s (GFI) conference is the world’s leading event focused on accelerating the marketplace for plant-based and cell-based meat.
Farmers Fridge is a service that makes meals from scratch, packed with care, and delivered overnight by our dedicated team of drivers.
Leo Burnett Company, Inc., is an American advertising company, founded on August 5, 1935, in Chicago by Leo Burnett.
Articles
https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2019/09/11/Sustainable-Bioproducts-gears-up-for-2020-launch-of-consumer-brand-built-around-new-to-the-world-protein-source
Key Takeaways:
0:00 Intro
2:15 Karuna share the origin story of Nature’s Fynd, what it does and what the company is up to nowadays
5:27 Karuna talks about how the pandemic positively and negatively affected their business and how they dealt with the negative impacts
8:39 Karuna talks about what accelerated them to moving to the market that they are in and how
10:49 Karuna also talks about how being a foodtech company has contributed to accessibility of food to many people around the world
12:45 Karuna also talks about what has catapulted the naturals to the mainstream consumer and how foodtech has helped in that too
16:15 Karuna explains how foodtech is bridging the gap between people who are uneducated and maybe unwilling to try something because of its foreignness to the naturals
17:52 Karuna shares her thoughts on how she’d want Nature’s Fynd to define Foodtech’s role and what it should be about
19:11 Karuna talks about consumer adoption and how consumers in the market are responding to their products that are in the market
24:19 Karuna talks about the shift that is happening of people shifting to the natural foods and being a vegetarian or a vegan and what’s caused that shift
27:35 Karuna also talks about leadership and mentorship and why it is important to her that that she leans mostly in mentoring women
31:25 Karuna talks about two way mentoring and why it’s important for a mentor to understand the situation and mentor based on the situation and not on the fact that he or she knows something
34:21 Karuna shares where she gets the interest to mentor people from and also her life experiences that grows her desire to mentor even more
38:50 Karuna also shares the common blind spot or weakness that she has noticed through all the women that she has mentored that holds them back
42:14 Karuna shares the kind of women that she admires in terms of their leadership
44:35 Karuna shares what she thinks are fun facts about Nature’s Fynd that she feels are really compelling
45:52 Karuna talks about the brands and trends outside of Nature’s Fynd that she has her eyes on
47:26 Karuna shares tips on how she’s keeping herself sane and strong to do what it is that she does
This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5671635/advertisement