wild tomato consulting

Caroline myran

Project manager and research lead for sustainable food business consulting firm. We perform market studies, needs assessments, food system mapping, municipal food master planning, food business feasibility studies and strategic planning for food/ag related companies and non profits.

I lead market analysis and food system assessments that aim to validate the potential for infrastructure like:

• Agricultural Food Hubs
• Value-added production facilities
• Rural Grocery Stores / Food access sites
• Incubator / shared-use / commissary kitchens
• Community Food Centers
• Small/niche Meat processing facilities

and provide landscape analysis for projects like:

• Food System Plans and Policy
• Healthy Corner Store Initiatives
• Strategic Planning
• Data / Metrics Dashboards

Farm to Fork department manager for an ag-tech start-up with a mission to build trust and transparency in the food supply chain.

• Worked closely with the CEO, President, Head of Product Strategy and technical team to vet farm to fork customers, design tailored projects to fit their needs, and support the execution of product solutions by managing the engagement from start to finish.
• Focused on the engagement and partnership of small to mid-sized farmers, distributors and sustainable food businesses.
• Responsible for pilot design, data collection and analysis, sensor/IOT identification and deployment, and engaging a diverse set of stakeholders along the food supply chain.
• Pitched prospective clients, developed mission-driven prospective customer outreach, and designed a 'food library' of supply chain data that formed the basis for the blockchain-based platform.

Researcher and project-based consultant at a non-profit providing technical assistance to farmers and farm/food businesses. My work focused on increasing institutional procurement of local foods; local food messaging and how it resonates in low income communities faced with food insecurity; and the design and execution of a farm-stand market channel assessment tool to analyze farm-stand viability and consumer preferences.

• Researched and compiled annotated bibliography on how local food messaging resonates in low income and Hispanic communities in Hampden County.
• Conducted surveys and analysis on farm stand market channel viability for diversified vegetable farmers.
• Supported collaborative work with four colleges to increase local food procurement and sourcing in Western MA.

Freelance media consultant to communications firm specializing in message development, content strategy and creation, media relations and advocacy for mission driven organizations, non-profits and foundations who want to use communication to advance social good.

• Message development, media relations and advocacy for a diverse group of mission driven non-profits and foundations.
• Designed media strategy, conducted targeted media outlet outreach/pitching, drafted press releases, client event planning, and project management.
• Planned events for clients and designed event collateral. 
  
  Clients included: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (University of Washington); Dignity Period; Hamlin Fistula; Grameen Foundation; Lemelson Foundation; Schultz Family Foundation; Seattle Foundation; Open Government Partnership and others.

• Executed six donor events per year, including 150-person annual donor gala.
• Produced weekly media report distributed agency-wide.
• Researched/produced media lists, wrote press releases, secured media placements.
• Donor stewardship, cultivation and solicitation for a Development Director’s million-dollar portfolio.
• Managed office budget and Development Director budget.
• Arranged international and domestic travel to conflict areas, including visas.
• Managed all office functions including reception, IT, communications, and office equipment.
• Represented Mercy Corps at public events, conferences, and presentations.

• Initiated a new farm-to-school program in the elementary schools to address problems in food security; established advisory committee
• Managed farmer's market and community garden.
• Managed high hoop tunnel production project growing specialty crops under USDA grant.
• Organized a district-wide “Harvest Lunch Week” where students ate a locally sourced school lunch daily
• Organized first annual Harvest Festival to celebrate local foods and farmers in the community.
• Assisted in small-scale food production for Western Trails Food.