About
The Small Change, Big Impact Food Summit at Harvard University, launched in April 2019, brings together farmers, chefs, CEOs and leaders for two days of dynamic panels and presentations offering ways to make the food system more transparent, secure, accessible and sustainable. The invitation only Summit features speakers from restaurants, food brands, foodservice, non-profits, universities, the government (including the EPA) and exciting start-ups, with the goal of providing ongoing mentorship and partnership opportunities.
Presented by:
Hormel Foods and Harvard University Dining Services
Bold Thinking. Bold Innovation. Bold Ideas.
For more than 128 years, Hormel Foods Corporation has been leading evolutionary and revolutionary changes in the world of food. From its earliest days, the company has focused on thinking differently about creating a different kind of company – one that truly understands its position in the world and the difference it can make in it. While Hormel Foods is committed to many worthy causes, it is the company’s core business — efficiently producing delicious and safe food for the world’s growing population — that it is most proud of. Hormel Foods is on a food journey with its partners, consumers, communities and team members, and together they share in the belief that building social value and creating economic value are not competing goals.
Today, Hormel Foods remains in the same small town it was founded in, Austin, Minnesota, but it has taken its place as one of most admired and respected global branded food companies in the world with over $9 billion in annual revenues across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its team of more than 20,000 people lives its purpose — Inspired People. Inspired Food.TM — each and every day as they create some of the most beloved brands in the world, including SKIPPY® and SPAM®, Hormel® Natural Choice®, Applegate®, Justin’s®, Columbus®, Jennie-O®, Wholly Guacamole®, Hormel® Black Label® and more than 30 others.
A leading corporate citizen, Hormel Foods donated over $15 million in 2018 to causes such as hunger, education, cancer and community support. Hormel Foods is also adjacent to The Hormel Institute, a renowned cancer institution created by Jay C. Hormel, further illustrating the company’s foundation of helping others.
The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of the Top Regarded and World’s Best Employers by Forbes Magazine, one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Consumer Food Products Companies and one of the Best Managed by the Drucker Institute/The Wall Street Journal. Hormel Foods was also named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the 10th year in a row and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate
responsibility and community service efforts.
Harvard University Dining Services operates 13 residential dining halls, 15 campus retail cafes, a kosher kitchen and complete catering services. The country’s oldest collegiate foodservice operation, HUDS serves approximately 25,000 meals a day with a focus on innovative, healthy, sustainable choices that celebrate and support the food system from local sourcing through food donation to mitigate wasted food. HUDS is a member of the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative.
Summit Partners:
Attention Span Media & Culinary NXT
FUTURISTS. STORYTELLERS. TECHNOLOGISTS. DESIGNERS. STRATEGISTS.
Attention Span is a unique agency made up of thinkers & doers. We are makers, entrepreneurs, developers, journalists, and innovators who thrive on the opportunity to tackle the biggest challenges we can find.
Our core services are content marketing, future strategy, digital & e-commerce, design, web development, audience intelligence, communications and brand strategy. Our expertise ranges from food, sports, healthcare, entertainment and retail, to political & advocacy campaigns. We have the privilege of working with leaders in each of those areas, including Adidas, IBM, Hormel Foods, Reebok, Delaware North, Epic Software, FC Bayern Munich and Betabrand. We look forward to helping your business conquer its challenges and discover new opportunities.
Food Is Just the Beginning
CulinaryNXT is a food service advisory practice drawing on Ron DeSantis’ 30 years of experience in all facets of the food industry. Ron is one of only 68 Certified Master Chefs worldwide and has advised organizations of all sizes and types. His strengths include culinary innovation, menu and recipe development, culinary assessment, bottom-line results, and demonstration/communication skills that allow him to implement solutions effectively.
CulinaryNXT’s base is in New Haven, but its reach is truly global. CulinaryNXT’s relationships extend to numerous countries around the world in a client and alliance network that has been built over many years. These relationships provide both global support and local knowledge.