Executive Director, Agriculture & Food Innovation
Main Stage Panel: Emerging Opportunities in the Agri-Food Industry
This session will explore the transformative trends shaping the future of the agri-food industry in Canada. From technology-driven innovations to shifting consumer preferences and the growing importance of food security, our expert panel will discuss the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Join us as we delve into how the agri-food sector is evolving to meet global demands, and what it means for producers, consumers, and stakeholders across the supply chain.
Biography
Dana has worked in the food industry for the past 20 years and has experience on the floor, in both meat and dairy processing. She paid her dues, working all hours to learn about creating and running quality assurance programs, sanitation programs and production scheduling.
Dana then moved her sights towards new product development and returned to university to obtain an M.Sc. in Food Science. She worked as a research scientist at the Government of Alberta’s Food Processing Development Centre in Leduc, Alberta where she focused on meat science and ready meals. Through this experience, Dana learned that although most food products could be made it was much harder to sell them. This marked her shift into business development and grant management where she worked with agriculture and food companies across Alberta to coach them in market development, network development and accessing resources and grants.
Dana spent the last 5 years working at the Centre for Culinary Innovation at NAIT where she and her team provided chef-inspired bench-top product development that put flavour, aroma and eating experience at the forefront of all projects.
Now at Alberta Innovates, Dana is excited to work on technology and innovation projects across the agriculture and food value-chain to see the sector grow and diversify. She has a passion for agriculture and food and loves seeing made-in-Alberta solutions for industry problems. Dana believes that food is something we all have in common and is a great place for building connection and community.