Flashfood, a digital marketplace that strives to eliminate retail food waste by connecting consumers with discounted food nearing its best-by date, has appointed Jordan Schenck as chief brand officer and Sepideh “Sepi” Burkett as head of partner development.
Schenck and Burkett’s appointments are the first executive hires under the leadership of Nicholas Bertram, who joined Flashfood in February 2023 as president. The company has also made headlines in recent weeks for landing on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list and achieving two major milestones: saving consumers $180 million in groceries while diverting 70 million pounds of food waste from landfills.
“I am extremely excited to welcome two visionary and seasoned leaders to the Flashfood organization. The appointments of Jordan and Sepi come at a time when our momentum is building, but not as fast as the need from both people and the planet. Our mission of eliminating food waste, while feeding families, is the reason they have joined Flashfood — a mission that is shared by a growing number of retail partners,” Bertram said. “I know that hiring diverse, experienced talent is one of the fastest and most impactful ways to help our partners accomplish even more in their communities.”
Schenck is a global consumer food marketing leader. Named one of Forbes’ top 50 Most Innovative Chief Marketing Officers in 2021, she brings deep expertise and experience in building sustainability-focused brands to Flashfood, according to a news release. She served as head of consumer marketing for Impossible Foods and as co-founder and chief revenue officer of wellness brand Sunwink. She also serves on foodtech boards, including most recently serving as an independent board member to Flashfood.
“I am extremely excited to work with this mission driven team. I believe that we will create a movement around feeding families affordably and eliminating food waste that will benefit our planet in incredible ways,” Schenck said. “I look forward to applying my learnings from building the plant-based food movement at Impossible and Sunwink to Flashfood.”
Burkett is a retail executive who brings more than 25 years of experience in health and wellness, and retail innovation from growing companies to Flashfood. Starting as a pharmacist at Walmart, she most recently served as vice president of store experience at Meijer. She also serves on the advisory board of Penn State University World Campus.
“I have been in the food industry for a long time, and I have seen the power of food as a source of nourishment, connection and community,” Burkett said. “Selling food, fighting hunger and protecting our environment are all interconnected, and I want to be a meaningful part of that which is why I am excited to partner with retailers to make a difference as a part of the Flashfood team.”
These appointments will help Flashfood to extend its grocery presence in North America and grow its retail partnerships, the release said.
Flashfood is an app-based marketplace that strives to eliminate retail food waste by connecting consumers with discounted food nearing its best-by date, such as meats, dairy, seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables, bakery items and more.
The mobile app operates in over 1,650 grocery locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. Flashfood is currently working with The Giant Co., Meijer, Tops Friendly Markets, Loblaw, Martin’s Markets, VG’s, Family Fare, Giant Eagle, Giant Food, Ren’s Pets, Save A Lot and Stop & Shop.
