Growing food entrepreneurship in Canada with Mike McNeil, Vice President of Operations at Venturepark Labs | Ep. 83
Release Date: 01/10/2024
Building relationships: The art of sales in the food equipment industry with National Business Development & Sales Manager, Rafal Rusiniak at Handtmann Canada Limited(#105)
That's a Food Job!
Rafal Rusiniak is the National Business Development & Sales Manager at Handtmann Canada Limited, a company specializing in food processing equipment solutions. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Rafal’s journey into sales was unexpected—he originally pursued a degree in engineering before discovering his passion for sales and business development. In this episode, Rafal takes us inside the world of food processing equipment sales, sharing insights on building relationships with clients, the structured approach to sales training, and the process behind purchasing...
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Implementing lean manufacturing in food production with COO, Brian Allaway at Made with Local (#104)
That's a Food Job!
Brian Allaway is the COO of Made With Local, a company known for its commitment to real food, community connections, and sustainable business practices. With 16 years of experience leading teams in food manufacturing, Brian specializes in lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and quality management. In this episode, Brian takes us inside the world of small-scale food manufacturing, sharing insights on building strong teams, fostering a culture where mistakes fuel growth, and the power of lean tools like Kanban (not KanBan, as you’ll hear!). We also dive into the future of...
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Building a Sustainable Food Future with Sustinability Manager, Berklee Welsh at Simple Mills (#103)
That's a Food Job!
Berklee Welsh is the Associate Sustainability Manager at Simple Mills, a company on a mission to make healthy choices easy through their line of snacks, crackers, cookies, and baking mixes using whole food ingredients. In this episode, she takes us behind the scenes of ingredient sourcing at Simple Mills and reveals how the Almond Project is uniting farmers, businesses, and experts to create a more sustainable food future. *** Berklee's / Simple Mills' / / / *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → *** SIGN UP FOR WEEKLY FOOD INDUSTRY CAREER TIPS → *** COOL THINGS TO...
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Preventing Listeria Outbreaks with science and entrepreneurship with Laurent Dallaire, CEO and Co-founder of Innodal
That's a Food Job!
Laurent Dallaire is the CEO and co-founder of Innodal, a company dedicated to developing and producing for various sectors and offers innovative solutions to inhibit microbiological pathogens. With a background in biotechnological engineering from the University of Sherbrooke and a master’s degree in food science from Laval University as part of the METABIOLAC industrial chair, Laurent combines technical expertise with entrepreneurial vision. Following his academic journey, he founded Innodal to address food safety challenges with innovative, science-backed solutions. His work focuses on...
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Turning insights into actionable strategies with Matt Thell, Global Strategy & Innovation Leader at General Mills Inc. (#101)
That's a Food Job!
Matt Thell is a Global Strategy & Innovation Leader at General Mills Inc. General Mills Inc. is the creator of iconic brands like Cheerios, Pillsbury and Häagen-Dazs. Matt is a member of an internal consultancy team that helps teams within his organization tackle challenges and seize opportunities. His career journey spans over two decades, beginning with product development roles for beloved snacks like Chex Mix and Gardettos and evolving into strategic roles that focus on front-end innovation. 🔍 Episode Highlights: Matt shares insights into his role as a strategic consultant...
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Serving up 100 episodes: Our Story of Growth and Inspiration with Sydney Mohr and Nicole Gallace (#100)
That's a Food Job!
This podcast marks the 100th episode of the FoodGrads Podcast! The podcast began in September 2020 and since then we have produced 100 episodes! The success this show has had and continues to build is all because of YOU. You listening, supporting, and sharing the show. We thank you for the support. To celebrate this achievement we are re-branding the the podcast to That's a Food Job! We wanted a fresh new look (and name) for the podcast. We’re here to celebrate food industry professionals and proudly say—That's a Food Job! In this episode Veronica Hislop is joined with Sydney Mohr and...
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Environmental Operations Coordinator at Susgrainable - Joseph Lyons (#99)
That's a Food Job!
Joesph Lyons is the Environmental Operations Coordinator for Susgrainable. Susgrainable has a bold mission to create a world where food waste and diabetes are a thing of the past. Right now they are producing a variety of baking mixes but they are looking to expand in the future. Joseph with Honours from with a BCom specialized in Global Supply Chain & Logistics Management. Joesph is fairly new out of graduation but he has done a lot since he started at Susgrainable. In just 9 months he has helped build tools to track stock, built relationships with industry partners and he...
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Adapting to Change in Food Engineering and Navigating Industry Shifts with Associate Professor Seamus Higgins | Ep. 97
That's a Food Job!
What does it take to shape the future of food production and drive sustainability in the industry? Seamus Higgins, Associate Professor and Course Director for Food Process Engineering at the University of Nottingham, shares his journey from electrical engineer to food process expert—and how he’s inspiring the next generation of engineers. Seamus began his career as an electrical engineer in the food industry and has worked with leading international food companies including Tongaat Hewlett, Nestle, and Premier Foods. He has held lead project and senior management roles in factory...
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How to advocate for Ontario’s 28,000 Grain Farmers as a Market Development & Sustainability Manager with Dana Dickerson | Ep. 97
That's a Food Job!
What does it take to represent 28,000 farmers and promote Ontario grains to the world? Dana Dickerson, Market Development and Sustainability Manager at Grain Farmers of Ontario, shares how she builds markets, fosters global relationships, and drives sustainability in agriculture. In this episode, you'll learn: Surprising facts about Ontario grain production The tech transforming modern agriculture How Dana’s career journey proves there’s more to agriculture than farming Dana's / / / Grain Farmers of Ontario / / / TIMESTAMPS (0:00) Introduction (2:09) What Dana...
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What Being a Food Science PhD is Really Like with AJ Taylor, Ph.D. is a Scientist II, Innovation at McCormick FONA | Ep. 96
That's a Food Job!
AJ Taylor, Ph.D. is a Scientist II, Innovation at McCormick FONA who recently graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign with a Ph.D. in food science where his research focused on understanding the physiochemical and microbiological aspects of cocoa bean fermentation. This research is looking at ways to understand how microbes affect the quality and flavour profile of the resulting chocolate. Obtaining a Ph.D. was a rewarding but challenging experience for AJ. In addition to his research AJ acted as a graduate teaching assistant who helped to teach food science to...
info_outlineOn today’s episode we are talking about entrepenurship, Canada’s food landscape and how Venture Parks is helping to support small start-ups.
Mike McNeil is vice president of operations at Venturepark Labs. Venturepark Labs is a non-profit supporting early-stage entrepreneurs in the food & wellness categories. It was initially founded in 2015 as District Ventures Accelerator and District Ventures Kitchen by Canadian business icon Arlene Dickinson. In May 2021, this initiative became Venturepark Labs—a proud community within Venturepark—Canada’s only business growth ecosystem.
Mike began his career as an advisor to Canada's Minister of Finance, the Honourable Jim Flaherty, but soon discovered a passion for entrepreneurship. As the first hire at Venturepark Labs, Mike established the accelerator program as one of Canada's leading programs for entrepreneurs. To date, the program has supported over 130 entrepreneurs and contributed over $1B in economic output. In 2023, Mike was named one of the Best Executives in Canada by The Globe and Mail.
In 2023, the Globe and Mail recognized Mike as one of the Best Executives in Canada.
Sponsors
This episode of the podcast is supported by CareersNow! CareersNow! is Food and Beverage Ontario’s multi-year workforce development initiative that is connecting students and job seekers with employers in Ontario’s food and beverage processing industry for exciting career opportunities. Check out CareersNow.ca for more information on exciting jobs, career information, industry mentors and training opportunities for professional development.
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Show Notes
Website: http://FoodGrads.com/mike-mcneil/