Flashfood hires former Meijer, Impossible Foods execs

Nicholas Bertram, who was named president of grocery tech company Flashfood in February, has made his first two executive hires, naming former Meijer executive Sepideh Burkett head of partner development and former Impossible Foods executive Jordan Schenck as chief brand officer. 

Toronto-based Flashfood, which enables shoppers to purchase heavily discounted food that is nearing its best-by date, noted that the hires will help the company grow its presence in North America and continue to build relationships with grocers. 

“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,” said Bertram in a statement. “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.” 

‍The company noted in the announcement that it recently achieved the milestones of diverting 70 million pounds of food waste from landfills and saving shoppers $180 million. Flashfood was also recently named to Fast Company’s annual list of Most Innovative Companies.  

Burkett, who has more than 25 years of experience in health and wellness, most recently served as vice president of store experience at Walker, Michigan-based grocer Meijer. She began her career as a pharmacist at a Walmart pharmacy and currently 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,” said Burkett in a statement. “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.” 

Schenck is the former head of consumer marketing for Impossible Foods and was a cofounder and chief revenue officer of Sunwink, which sells herbal tonics and other wellness products. Forbes placed Schenck on its 2021 list of Most Innovative Chief Marketing Officers, and she serves on food tech boards, including Flashood.  

“I believe that we will create a movement around feeding families affordably and eliminating food waste that will benefit our planet in incredible ways,” said Schenck in a statement. “I look forward to applying my learnings from building the plant-based food movement at Impossible and Sunwink to Flashfood.” 

Flashfood is currently in growth mode, and the app is available through more than 1,650 stores in the U.S. and Canada, including locations at The GIANT Company, Meijer, Tops Friendly Markets, Loblaws, Martin’s Markets, VG’s, Family Fare, Giant Eagle, Giant Food, Ren’s Pets, Save A Lot and Stop & Shop.  

Meijer’s relationship with Flashfood made headlines recently with the announcement that the grocer would be the first in the nation to allow customers to use SNAP benefits on Flashfood.