Food Foundry Sessions
The Sierra Commons Food Foundry Sessions is an exciting new program that connects food industry experts and business owners to our Food Entrepreneur Accelerator students and community. These interviews, hosted by Mani Niall, Sierra Commons Lead Food Instructor, will premiere on YouTube and include a live Q&A chat with the speakers as available. Join us on YouTube to get notified of new video premieres.
Upcoming Presentations
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 - 2:00 PM PST
Kara Nielsen - Trendologist & Sweets Professor
Food Trends 101 - How Food Trends Impact Product Innovation
Kara is an expert in food and beverage trends and the consumer values that drive trend growth and adoption. For nearly twenty years, she has translated trends for strategic brand growth and product development for food manufacturers, foodservice operators and other firms. Kara will be joining us for Live Q&A during the interview premiere.
Past Presentations
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 - 2 pm PST
Reem Hassani - CBO and Co-Founder of Numi Tea
Food Packaging that resonates. From nutrition to aesthetics, allergens and claims, UPC and design. The package is the path to your consumer's mind, heart, and taste buds. Reem will be joining us for Live Q&A during the interview premiere.
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Ed Troxell - Strategic Marketing Advisor
Getting your Business Online and Sales Ready
After a successful career at Apple, Ed Troxell embarked on a journey to help consultants, coaches, and small business owners build strategic visibility through video marketing and personal branding. Through the development of the Just 15™ GPS Method, Ed has helped professionals streamline their marketing efforts, overcome camera fear, and position themselves as industry leaders. His expertise as an SBA-funded SBDC Business Advisor and sought-after speaker has solidified his reputation as a leader in strategic visibility and video confidence coaching.
Find Ed at: https://edtroxell.com/
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Tim Yamauchi - Business Development Expert
Creative Cost Controls- Bookkeeping for a small food business
Tim has 30+ years of experience in Strategy Development, Business Innovation Initiatives and Capital sourcing. He has taken a leading role in several successful high growth start-ups and early stage companies. Tim also has been involved in a number of notable Social Enterprises include PRIDE Industries, one of the largest employers of people with disabilities in the USA and the California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, a leader in diversity economic development for CA. Tim is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) and holds an MBA from Harvard University.