Skills
Work
Creative thinking
Data synthesis
Brand marketing
Project management
Sensory analysis
Market research
Consumer insights
Food analysis
Graphic design
Financial modeling
Developed for the 2024–2025 IFTSA & Mars Product Development Competition, NoriNom is designed to intrgrate into the $12.9B better-for-you snack market. NoriNom merges culinary creativity with commercial strategy by featuring a proprietary 3-part build of whey-fortified rice puffs, edamame mash, and marinated oyster mushrooms. Amid a 39% surge in demand for Asian-inspired health foods and 63% of Gen Z/Millennials reporting snacks as more satisfying than meals, NoriNom hits the sweet spot between cultural relevance and functional nutrition. Priced at $4.49 and with just a 0.006% market share, it’s projected to generate $900K in retail revenue in Year 1. From upcycled acid whey fortification to modular packaging for portability and freshness, NoriNom reflects a new era of snackable sushi designed for everyday convenience, sustainability, and flavor-forward innovation.
Skills
Work
Vision articulation
Adaptability
Cultural awareness
Narrative development
GTM strategy
Social media
Competitive analysis
Growth modeling
Presentation design
Growth & exit planning
Elevating a pantry staple into a multi-channel powerhouse
Developed as part of a growth strategy audit, my work explores how Monte’s Fine Foods can evolve from single SKU brand into a dominant player in the $17.7B global pasta sauce market. Building on a 100-year family legacy and 500+ premium retail placements, Monte’s is uniquely positioned at the intersection of clean-label, heritage, and culture-driven branding. My research benchmarks disruptive CPG brands like Graza and Poppi to identify actionable growth enablers across DTC expansion, trade spend optimization, culinary influencer strategy, and experiential retail. As the sauce market shifts from value to premium—with 21% YoY growth in the top quartile—Monte’s is primed to scale through operational clarity, product innovation, and continued cultural relevance. From launching a 24oz jar and entering Erewhon to building chef-led content and retail collabs, Monte's path forward lies in translating strong brand equity into category leadership.
Skills
Work
Client relations
Growth mindset
Feedback integration
Systems thinking
Investment consulting
Due diligence
Pitch preparation
Risk assessment
Protein research
Shaping the future of food—one protein at a time
Developed as part of a strategic consultancy with Grub Ventures, my research maps the commercialization potential of precision-fermented proteins for Aux Labs, a biotech startup exploring synthetic lactoferrin, ovalbumin, and zein. My analysis identifies high-growth entry points across the $245M lactoferrin, $21.7B ovalbumin, and $2.17B zein markets, each projected to grow at 5–8% CAGR through 2030. Benchmarking players like Onego Bio, TurtleTree, and EVERY, the work assesses opportunities in infant nutrition, cosmetics, vegan sports supplements, and food preservation. With 60%+ of global consumers now preferring animal-free proteins and vegan protein powder demand rising at 7.5% CAGR, the timing is ideal. My deliverable includes commercial use cases, regulatory insights, and 200+ investor targets to help Aux Labs turn its R&D into scalable go-to-market pathways.
zmb32@cornell.edu