Greater Chicago Area
What is the legacy you want to leave behind? This question drives my work and guides my life. As the Owner and CEO of Edlong, an innovative and globally recognized leader in dairy and dairy-type flavors and the industry’s only certified 100% woman-owned flavor house. As the host of my podcast, Owning Your Legacy. As a mother to five remarkable boys. And as a female leader in the food and beverage industry, an industry I care so deeply about, and one that I believe must also consider its long-term impact on the world—what is the legacy *we* will leave behind? From an early age, I knew I wanted to take over Edlong, the company my father ran as CEO and Chief Flavorist for nearly four decades. I didn’t know at the time that this decision would unlock my genius as a visionary and lead to my greatest accomplishments. Since becoming President and CEO in 2012, Edlong’s business has experienced unprecedented growth, we’ve scaled and united the team by creating a culture of authentic belonging, and I’ve felt the growth and evolution of myself as an “untamed” leader and change agent. While I set forth to build a successful company, I’ve realized that I want my legacy to be much bigger than that—to be a beacon of light who inspires others to shine their light and courageously seek, discover, and own their own legacy. I am working to kick doors open to a new era of possibilities and potential in this industry and beyond. And, I’m encouraging both fellow leaders and younger generations to do the same. I stand by Edlong’s core value of “enriching the lives of those we touch” and believe that we can collectively change the world for the better. First, by defining the legacy we each wish to leave behind—and then, by bravely taking ownership of it. Awards & Accolades: President of FEMA, Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association Board of Governors, 2023 100 Women to Know Across America, 2023 NAWBO Chicago's Woman Business Owner of the Year, 2017 UIC Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame, 2014 Active Member of: FEMA, Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association Board of Governors SAGE, President’s Forum WBE, Women Business Executives WBENC, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council Enterprise Forum Member NAWBO, National Association of Women Business Owners IWF, International Women's Forum Society of Fellows, Culinary Institute of America Institute of Food Technologist/STEM Girls Inc. Female Strong
- In a highly competitive industry prioritizing authenticity in our products and in how we do business has allowed me to scale Edlong to be a leader in flavor innovation. - Edlong’s commitment to enriching the lives of those we touch, we are solving world hunger through innovations in flavor and sustainability.