The Global State of Food Upcycling

The Global State of Food Upcycling 

Meet the Speakers: 

Corinne Trang is a food and beverage consultant, award-winning author, certified holistic health and nutrition counselor, and educator who has explored ancient food cultures where there is little to no waste and where the emphasis is on the healing aspects of simple daily meals. Currently based in Sweden, she works globally as an advisor to startups in the innovation ecosystem, collaborating with social and environmental impact-driven initiatives. She is committed to working toward cleaner, healthier food systems, and advancing women-led deep techs through funding opportunities and strategic partnerships.

Aviaja Riemann-Andersen is the founder and CEO of UFA member Agrain by Circular Food Technology. Aviaja is working to change the food system and make it circular and within our planetary boundaries. Aviaja has a commercial and managerial background from L’Oréal where she was responsible for launching strategic brands, and business units in L’Oréal Nordic. She was a member of intl. brand committees, managing diverse teams, driving turnarounds and new business models to double digit growth and a healthy bottom line. Aviaja is a Board member in the Danish Plantbased Food Association and a board member in The Danish Food and Drink Federation. From 2021-2022 she was a member of the Government’s Green Advisory Board.

Vinod possesses a decade of leadership experience in expanding certifications, with expertise in Organic and Non-GMO standards. First he worked as head of the technical division for a global testing and certification body and currently is the Director of the Organic Division at UFA member Where Food Comes From, a leader in providing Trust in Food who recently acquired Upcycled Certification, now growing globally. He is dedicated to connecting people with the origins of food and how it’s produced, emphasizing high-performing teams, positive company culture, best practices, and sustainable client growth.

Jessica Regan is a 4x entrepreneur and thought leader on circular economy, waste recovery, and social impact business. She has consulted Fortune 500 corporations, governments, including the UN, in community economic development and sustainability. She develops scalable startups using business as a vehicle for social change. Her current company, FoodMesh is a food recovery solution provider that leverages technology to help a network of 2,500 organizations (charities, farmers, upcyclers) to reduce waste and save costs. She is the Vice Chair of KASOW and Director for the Git'gaat First Nation Economic Development Council. She holds a Masters Political Science at UBC and lives in Vancouver, Canada with her husband and two children.