Inflation: How It's Affecting Food Waste

Dr. Brenna Ellison is Associate Professor and Undergraduate Programs Coordinator in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. Dr. Ellison’s research focuses on how consumers make food choices, including how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted food acquisition behaviors. Dr. Ellison also studies what consumers choose not to eat, or waste. She has conducted several experiments in university dining halls and school lunchroom settings to test different strategies to reduce consumer food waste. Dr. Ellison earned her B.S. in Agribusiness from Abilene Christian University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State University.

I was born in Barcelona, lived in Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique and now in Silicon Valley. Taught biology in Mozambique, worked for Bear Stearns "securitizing longevities", got an MBA, and returned to Africa to work for & with 1,000s of farmers in East Africa. Back in the US, and now in Silicon Valley, I empowered an incredible team of rockstars, who turned an idea into a billion-dollar marketplace. 

As Chief Supply Chain Officer, Erika Thiem leads a team that enables Feeding America and the network
to source and distribute nutritious food for people facing hunger in America. Her team works to
innovate and build donor partnerships with food manufacturers, retailers, food service operators and
agricultural food producers to meet today’s demand for healthy food and work to create a hunger-free
tomorrow.

Erika began her career with General Mills, where she spent 27 years across a range of roles and diverse
business units, developing broad end-to-end supply chain expertise. Most recently, Erika was the Supply
Chain Director of the North America Dairy Operating Unit for General Mills. Previous roles include
International Supply Chain Director for Häagen-Dazs ice cream and Plant Manager for the Big G Division.
Erika’s early career was focused in the areas of food quality, food safety and regulatory compliance.

Erika served as a board member for six years with The Food Group, a food banking organization based in
Minnesota. As a board member and volunteer, she helped grow The Food Group’s reach with mobile
food banks, food waste recovery programs, farm production and gleaning programs, and the expansion
of temperature-controlled warehouse storage capacity.

Known for her inclusive leadership approach and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, Erika
served on the Supply Chain Global Inclusion Council at General Mills and co-led the Women in Supply
Chain Network for five years. She also sits on the board of the Anti-Racism Commitment Coalition.

Erika earned her Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Iowa State University and an MBA
from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.