Editor’s note: The following profile is from the 2025 Packer 25, our annual tribute to 25 leaders, innovators and agents of change across the fresh produce supply chain. (You can view all honorees here.) This feature has been edited for length and clarity.
Jodi Genshaft — Vice president of marketing, Gotham Greens
Jodi Genshaft’s start in the controlled environment agriculture industry began in high school, where she worked at a garden center and nursery. She’s been in her role as vice president and marketing for Gotham Greens for the past six years.
Genshaft brings more than 20 years of experience in brand strategy, shopper marketing and communications. She has worked with well-known brands and companies — from startup to seasoned and public or private — in the food, beverage, health, wellness and technology sectors.
Prior to her role at Gotham Greens, she held roles in brand management and shopper marketing at Chobani and Johnson & Johnson. She also worked at global public relations agency Edelman in its food category.
How do you see your role in telling Gotham Greens’ story to consumers, partners and the broader fresh produce industry?
We want people to know that greenhouse-grown produce isn’t just the future of farming; it’s happening right now. We’re seeing more retailers making shelf space for greenhouse-grown products and many foodservice customers want to exclusively use Gotham Greens products due to their consist flavor and quality.
We tell the Gotham Greens story by making it tangible along the path to purchase — from the greenhouse to the grocery shelf — so people see, taste and believe in what we’re growing. We’re proud to serve the very best greens, salad kits, dressings, cooking sauces and dips. We want to help people eat more plants, and we do this by sharing how we grow delicious fresh produce that’s always in season and by crafting delicious fresh foods recipes that make eating other fresh vegetables more appealing.
What do you see as the next big opportunity for Gotham Greens?
We are committed to continue growing the greenhouse-grown produce sector by delivering high-quality, longer-lasting and sustainably grown produce from coast to coast through our national network of greenhouses. We’ve also expanded into fresh dressings and plant-based dips, and there’s a lot of potential to keep growing in categories that align with our mission — fresh, flavorful, plant-forward foods that consumers can feel good about.
How are consumer expectations evolving when it comes to local, greenhouse-grown or sustainably produced food, and how do you think about connecting with the different consumer segments?
Consumer expectations are evolving. What used to be a nice-to-have — local, non-GMO and pesticide-free — is now seen as the standard by many shoppers. Consumers want fresh, consistently high-quality produce that tastes great, is grown responsibly and is always in season. At Gotham Greens, we think about connecting with different consumer segments by meeting them where they are.
For flavor-driven shoppers, we emphasize taste, freshness and culinary inspiration. For busy families, it’s all about convenience and reliability. For eco-conscious shoppers, it’s about our sustainable farming practices. By tailoring our messaging while delivering on these priorities, we’re able to resonate with a broad range of consumers without losing authenticity as a brand.
How do you make sure Gotham Greens’ messaging about sustainability feels authentic and credible?
Since more than 90% of leafy greens grown in the U.S. come from California and Arizona, by the time they reach other regions of the country, the produce loses its quality, taste, nutritional value and shelf life. This makes many consumers feel disconnected from the food we eat and contributes to food waste.
From day one, Gotham Greens has been growing fresh, high-quality, longer-lasting salad greens using fewer natural resources compared with open-field farming. The fact that the company’s entire business model and value proposition focus on using resources more efficiently, delivering better food to consumers and improving the communities where we farm enables Gotham Greens to deliver messaging that is truly authentic and credible. We’re able to educate consumers about the Gotham Greens brand in fun, engaging and authentic ways that draw on our sustainable roots and growing expertise.
As branding becomes more important in fresh produce, what strategies do you think will set successful companies apart in the coming years?
The produce section is typically considered a lower-engagement area of the grocery store, but we know that beyond quality and freshness, there are creative ways that capture shoppers’ attention and drive purchases. As a fast-growing brand, we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with an iconic brand like Sesame Street this year. We are working closely with Sesame Workshop to create compelling, engaging and mutually beneficial content that lives across our owned platforms and shopper marketing efforts both in store and online. By working together, Gotham Greens and Sesame Street hope this partnership will inspire greener, more nutritious choices for kids’ meals and make cooking more fun for families.
We are always looking for opportunities that are a good brand fit to delight our existing shoppers and attract new shoppers in authentic and compelling ways, and we will continue to identify brand partnerships that are both meaningful and creatively unexpected in the future.
What advice would you give to marketers trying to build strong brands in fresh produce, where products are often seen as commodities?
I’ve worked with several brands within two commoditized categories: dairy and produce. There are several parallels between the rise of the Greek yogurt segment and the indoor farming segment. Notably, both offer higher-value, disruptive products with clear value and brand propositions that have reshaped their respective commodity markets by targeting emerging consumer preferences.
My advice is to lean into storytelling, branding and differentiation. In the produce aisle, many items can feel interchangeable on shelf, so it’s crucial to build a brand that stands for something — whether that’s flavor, consistency, safety or sustainability.
