One day only! April 13, 2006. Portland, OR.
Speaker Bios
Cameron Healy, Founder and Chairman, Kettle Foods, Inc.
With no working capital and a beat up van, Cameron Healy founded Kettle Foods in 1978, selling cheese and roasted nut and trail mixes to natural food stores in the Pacific Northwest. With the intent of developing products of natural integrity that could be flexible in both the natural food and mainstream markets, the company introduced the first KettleTM brand Potato Chip in 1982, launching what would become the No. 1 selling natural potato chip in the U.S. and U.K. alike. As chairman, Healy heads the company's brand management team, committed to maintaining the integrity of the company and its commitment to making great tasting all-natural products. A native of Bend, Ore., Healy graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in social science.
Paul Davis, Global CEO of Kettle Foods, Inc.
Paul Davis leads efforts to deepen product distribution into new geographies and new channels, while nurturing the company's culture of innovation, care and environmental stewardship. He oversees the company's manufacturing operations in both the U.S. and U.K., from which the company distributes its products around the world. Davis most recently was president of Barilla North America where he helped the world's largest pasta company dramatically widen its market leadership position through new products and innovative advertising. Previously Davis served as president North America of Starbucks Coffee Company and spent nearly 15 years at Frito-Lay, Inc.
Chrystie Heimert, Director of Communications, Seventh Generation
Last year Chrystie assumed the new Director of Communications position at Seventh Generation, the nation's leading marketer of environmentally responsible home cleaning and personal care products, where she oversee issues management and strategic stakeholder communication. She's a veteran of socially driven companies, having served as director of PR for Ben & Jerry's where she oversaw expansion of the company's Free Cone Day promotion, supported the growth of the company's franchise organization and reinforced the brand's reputation for corporate responsibility.
Susan Sokol Blosser, President, Sokol Blosser Winery
Susan Sokol Blosser, one of the early leaders of the Oregon wine industry, is president of Sokol Blosser Winery, in Dundee, Ore. With its certified organic vineyard, the first LEED (US Green Building Council's certification) certified winery building in the U. S., and business practices based on the Natural Step model of sustainability, Sokol Blosser Winery has made social responsibility and its environmental ethic a priority while pursuing its vision of making fabulous wines. In 2004 the University of Portland awarded Susan an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service, citing her entrepreneurship within the context of environmental and social responsibility. Susan's story, At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life, will be published by the University of California Press in summer 2006.
Keith Hutjens, Manager of Tea Procurement, Tazo Tea
On a day-to-day level, Keith is responsible for the management of the tea purchases and buying all botanical items used in Tazo's tea production. Keith has been in the procurement field for more than 25 years. He's been with Tazo for three years and was previously the Director of Procurement for Gardenburger Inc. For the past 18 months Keith has been involved with the launch of Tazo's Community Health and Advancement Initiatives (CHAI) project, in partnership with Mercy Corps. The project is intended to support community development in India by taking a proactive approach to building strong communities in the tea-growing district of Darjeeling, India, home to some of the finest tea available in the world, and not coincidentally, many of Tazo's suppliers. In April 2005, Keith visited Darjeeling India to tour tea gardens communities and villages that have been involved in the CHAI Project. This trip also included an exploratory visit to Assam India were the CHAI Project will be expanding in 2006 to five tea communities. In January 2005, the CHAI Project was expanded to include four cardamom communities in the Coban area of central Guatemala, increasing to nine communities in 2006. A visit was made to these projects earlier in January 2006 for the dedication of a community health convergence center.
Brad Harrington, Co-President, Cole & Weber United
After a successful venture in the fashion industry, Brad became enamored with the promise of Interactive Television. He completed his ITV studies at the American Film Institute in 1994, at which time his career in differentiated marketing communications began. In 1996 he joined Cole & Weber United, where he developed one of the most robust agency interactive service offerings on the West Coast. He has pioneered the adoption of e-marketing and interactive business strategies for clients that include Nestlé S.A., University of Phoenix, Nike, Microsoft, Sony, Alfa Romeo and Texas Instruments. Today, under Brad's leadership CWU has an initiative focused on evolving the relationship and business models between brand, content and agency. The ultimate goal is to help brands move beyond mere product placement and traditional advertising to entertainment and experiential properties including film, television and Internet.
Ryan Buchanan, CEO and Founder, eROI, started the company in November 2002. He has six years of email marketing, web and e-commerce experience and frequently speaks about email marketing, viral marketing, blogs, and web marketing-related issues at venues such as American Marketing Association, Innotech, Prepaid Wireless Expo, and local entrepreneurial groups. He has also been published in notable industry publications like iMedia Connection, DM News, and eMarketer. He has led the growth of eROI from a couple employees at its inception to a full team of e-marketing experts, creatives, technical, account, and sales teams and has driven 480% growth from 2003-2005. Buchanan serves on the Board of the Portland Advertising Federation, the Oregon Entrepreneurs Forum , and Starve Ups - a Portland entrepreneurial organization. He co-created and spearheaded an annual fund-raising event called Friends Art Fair that generates significant revenue for the non-profit Friends of the Children and Portland artists. He earned his B.S. from University of Virginia in 1996.
Download Kent's Presentation (PowerPoint, 1.4MB)
Michael Martin, Founder and "Prez", MusicMatters
MusicMatters is a marketing firm that works to create a better world by partnering with values-led businesses and organizations to produce targeted, socially responsible, and entertainment-based brand experiences, marketing initiatives, and products. With headquarters in Minneapolis and a team of Brand Activists in every major market, MusicMatters is the premier event marketing agency for mission-driven companies and key social issues. Clients of MusicMatters include: Stonyfield Farm, Ben & Jerry's, Earthbound Farm, Silk, Horizon, Brown Cow, Dr. Bronners, Clif Bar, Silk, Horizon, Annie's, Nature's Path, Seeds of Change, Seventh Generation, Santa Cruz Organic, Organic Valley Family Farms, Kettle Foods and many more. Additionally, MusicMatters created the Organic and Natural Experience® tour (ONE) and the GO Organic!® (GO!) campaign for the organic and natural industries, the Dave Matthews Band Ben & Jerry's One Sweet Whirled Global Warming Campaign and the Dave Matthews Band Magic Brownies Global Warming Campaign. MusicMatters also works with the entertainment industry to make the industry operate more socially responsibly through a variety of programs and initiatives.
Laurie Demeritt, President and COO, The Hartman Group
Laurie is President of The Hartman Group, which specializes in the analysis and interpretation of consumer lifestyles and how these lifestyles affect the purchase and use of health and wellness products and services. Their client base includes a number of Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods companies, pharmaceutical firms, and mass and natural food retailers. She is responsible for the quantitative and qualitative market research and client services departments, and is the team lead on all consulting projects, including brand development strategies, retail services, and new product market analysis. She was instrumental in developing unique systems for understanding consumer behaviors and motivations, including ethnographic research methods, social network observations, and interactive studies. Laurie has co-authored many of The Hartman Group's research reports and white papers. Her background includes a B.A. from Cornell University and MBA from University of Washington.
Download Laurie's Presentation (PDF, 1.8MB)
Kate Bailey French, Director of Marketing/Public Relations, gDiapers
Kate has been working with gDiapers since 2004 advising on the brand development and rollout. As Director of Marketing and Public Relations, she spreads the word of the revolution in diapers through earned media, grassroots outreach, events, online communications, sponsorships, and media. Prior to joining gDiapers, Kate consulted for Metropolitan Group, a leading social change agency, where she worked with several socially responsible brands and national nonprofits committed to creating positive social change. She has also worked internationally in the UK for the House of Commons, and for the United States government. Kate graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont.
Kent Lewis, President, Anvil Media, Inc.
With a background in integrated marketing, Lewis left a public relations agency in 1996 to start his search engine marketing career. Since then, he has focused on helping clients solve business problems via the Internet. Lewis founded Anvil Media, Inc. in 2000 to help clients enhance their Web site performance, increase their visibility and generate sales online. He was also Director of Marketing and Business Development at goodguys.com, an online electronics retailer. Lewis is creator and Editor-in-Chief of Anvil, a free monthly e-zine and is an adjunct professor at Portland State University. He speaks regularly on emarketing-related topics at industry conferences like Search Engine Strategies. Lewis sits on the board for Portland Advertising Federation and is actively involved in local charitable organizations. He recently founded Anvil's Annual Get SMART Gala event to raise awareness for children's literacy.
Download Kent's Presentation (PowerPoint, 1.1MB)
Nigel Roth, Managing Director, crmmetrix
Nigel has championed creative customer-listening strategy for clients like P&G, Microsoft, M&M/Mars, General Motors and Colgate for more than 18 years. He's previously been a director at Synovate and NFO and director of marketing at YMCA Europe. (Stop singing) He's listened and learned from customers in more than 40 countries and regularly presents for the AMA and the Karl Eller Entrepreneurial Center where he is an MBA mentor and judge. Nigel studied ethnography, anthropology and semiotics at the London Guildhall University and archaeology at University College London (not at the same time) and is an active member of www.WOMMA.com, and www.ESOMAR.com.
Download Nigel's Presentation (PDF, 268K)
Steve Sandstrom, Creative Director/Partner, Sandstrom Design
In 1988 Steve was happily working at Nike as Creative Director for the apparel division. A call from a hot local advertising agency changed all that, and gave him a chance to build a powerful design studio within an equally powerful advertising agency. The formula worked so well that it was spun off as Sandstrom Design in 1990, and has been a thriving and award-winning venture ever since. Clients have included: Tazo, Seagram, Levi Strauss, Converse, Full Sail Brewing, Bossa Nova Beverage, Cycle Oregon, Round Table Pizza, noodlin', Burgerville, ESPN, Nike, and many more. Steve holds a BFA from the University of Oregon, and working with his team of Associate Creative Directors, has built a reputation for interesting, innovative, and incredibly effective brand communications. In the process, he's won hundreds of domestic and international awards, judged more than 50 shows, and is currently on the board of The One Show and BodyVox.
Issa Sawabini, Youth Marketing Expert, Fuse Marketing
Issa oversees all service areas at Fuse and specializes in the development and execution of clients' youth targeted marketing strategies. These programs typically include overall branding and strategic initiatives, music and sports events, athlete and artist sponsorships, grassroots programs and other customized marketing programs. Issa also oversees creative consulting services and works to guide brands in the credible development of youth-focused creative in advertising and promotions. During his tenure at Fuse, Issa has managed Mountain Dew's action sports marketing initiatives, including the brand's selection and sponsorship of events, athletes and multiple national grassroots programs. Issa has also provided creative guidance in the development of brand retail marketing materials, television, radio and print advertising and the launch of mountaindew.com. Issa is a graduate of the University of Vermont, Magna Cum Laude, where he managed intercollegiate sporting events as well as the school's student concert program.
Download Issa's Presentation (PDF, 2.6MB)
Tina Wells, CEO, Buzz Marketing
Embracing her passion for fashion and fascination with pop culture, Wells began writing reviews on products and companies that target youth for - at the age of 16. Realizing the obvious disconnect between teens' desires and companies' misdirected outreach, Tina developed an inventive and creative strategy to forge this gap. She decided to submit her reviews and suggestions directly to the companies and was amazed by their overwhelmingly positive response. They were hooked on the precocious insight Tina was able to deliver and thus, the Buzz was born. Along with Buzz's worldwide network of 9,000 teen consultants ("buzzspotters"), Wells has created innovative marketing strategies for numerous beauty, entertainment, fashion and lifestyle clients. Buzz also delivers powerful focus groups and youth market research for Blue Fusion projects, a partnership that was forged in December 2003 with Washington, D.C. based Westin Rinehart. Her staple clients include music industry labels (Sony, Jive and Midas), Candie's shoes, Bear Stearns, and ESSENCE Communications.
Download Tina's Presentation (PDF, 1.3MB)
Susan G. Hauser, Freelance Journalist
Based in Portland, Ore., Susan is a travel, food and lifestyle specialist, who has contributed to a plethora of publications over nearly two decades - from Ladies' Home Journal to The Wall Street Journal and Fortune Small Business, for which she recently wrote about Castor & Pollux, a natural pet food company. For 17 years she wrote about the Northwest for The Wall Street Journal's Leisure & Arts page, and has written about Oregon Tilth, Chefs Collaborative and other aspects of organic and natural foods for the publication. For nearly 14 years she has written about Northwest travel for the New York Times, as well as several airline magazines. She was People magazine's first Oregon correspondent, writing about home-grown celebrities such as Tonya Harding, Nike's Phil Knight and author Ursula K. LeGuin. She also writes about subjects closer to home in The Oregonian, Travel Oregon, Sunset, Via and Northwest Palate.
Michelle Peterman, Vice President of Marketing, Kettle Foods
Michelle Peterman has a passion for natural foods with more than 14 years in the food industry. An experienced marketer, Peterman is responsible for nurturing the Kettle Foods brand, its marketing and communications programs, product development and sales strategy. At Kettle Foods, she leads consumer promotions, interactive and new product branding. Prior to joining Kettle Foods, Peterman was one of the founding members of Muir Glen, the leading organic tomato brand based in California. During her nine-year tenure at Muir Glen, she was instrumental in pioneering U.S. sales distribution as national sales manager. She subsequently led brand development as director of marketing and helped the transition into General Mills when it acquired the company in 1999. Prior to Muir Glen, Peterman exported U.S. food commodities to Japanese food manufacturers with Sumitomo Corporation, one of Japan's largest companies. Peterman, a Michigan native, graduated from the University Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in political science.
Jen Scott, Senior Account Executive, Maxwell PR
An award-winning, creative public relations talent, Jen Scott leads PR and consumer promotion efforts for Kettle Foods, Gold Toe brand socks, and other national consumer accounts at Maxwell PR Studio out of the creative hub of Portland, Ore. Previously she was a member of Seattle-based Cole & Weber United's public relations team where she managed integrated marketing campaigns for a variety of consumer and food and beverage clients including Rainier beer, Tree Top, and Tillamook cheese. Jen was named the 2003 Public Relations Society of America-Portland Metro Chapter's Young Professional of the Year.
Christine Halvorson, Former Chief Blogger, Stonyfield Farm
Christine turned a successful, 25-year career as a professional writer into a career as a professional blogger, one of the few in the country, when she was hired by Stonyfield Farm to pioneer the use of blogs in March 2004. Stonyfield CE'Yo Gary Hirshberg knew that he could and should harness this intriguing new way to communicate and steered Christine into turning it into an extraordinarily effective business tool. Stonyfield Farm, the world's largest producer of organic yogurt, broke new ground and two years later is still one of the few food product companies involved in the blogosphere. Christine took what she knew about good writing, good reporting and good story-telling and turned it loose in five original Stonyfield blogs. It worked. Today the Stonyfield Farm blogs are cited as one of the few examples of corporate blogs which "get it." In her position as Chief Blogger, Christine has advised like-minded companies and been the subject of numerous media and blog interviews, including a cover story in Business Week. She is now a freelancer with Stonyfield, and is consulting with businesses on corporate blogging. She has written three non-fiction books and co-authored four more. In her spare time, she writes fiction and tries to learn Spanish. If you've ever heard Garrison Keillor and his "News from Lake Wobegon" you have a pretty good idea of Chris's background. Those are her people. She can even claim not one, but two Norwegian bachelor farmers as uncles. She now lives in Hancock, New Hampshire with her husband Ken Sheldon.
Maryellen Molyneaux, President, Natural Marketing Institute (NMI)
Maryellen Molyneaux brings more than 30 years of experience in health and wellness industries to Kitchen Conference. As president of NMI, her consulting and research has been utilized by such companies as ADM, Abbott Laboratories (Ross Nutrition), Atkins, GNC, Smucker Quality Beverages, Kraft, Shaklee, PepsiCo, Unilever, and other leading manufacturers, academia, government agencies, and associations. Her range of experience includes retail and corporate management, new business development, consumer packaged goods marketing, market research management, and international consulting. She is a frequent contributor to media and trade publications including 48 Hours, Wall Street Journal, Progressive Grocer, Grocery Headquarters, Natural Foods Merchandiser, Supermarket News, Brandweek, Newsweek, Nutrition Business Journal, and Nutraceuticals World, among others.
Download Tina's Presentation (PDF, 1.2MB)
- Stephen Lee, Founder, Kombucha Wonder Drink (formerly founder ofboth Stash Tea and Tazo Tea)
- Camas Davis, Food Editor, Portland Monthly (former Travel Editor of Saveur)
- Hayley Hawes, Corporate Partnerships, Mercy Corp
- Josh Schroeter, Co-founder, Sahale Snacks
