Kaavya RathnakumarKaavya Rathnakumar is a Market Development Manager Mineral Nutrition – Technical and Custom Solutions at Jungbunzlauer Inc. She brings over a decade of experience spanning research, product development, technical services, and commercializatio in both B2B and B2C environments. Prior to her current role, she served as a Food Scientist at Balchem Human Nutrition and Health in St. Louis, Missouri, Innovation Scientist at Beyond Meat in Los Angeles, California, and as Postdoctoral Research Associate and Director at the Frozen Dessert Center in the Department of Food Science, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Rathnakumar’s expertise lies at the intersection of scientific innovation and market-driven product development. Her work encompasses sustainable by- product utilization through non-thermal processing, ingredient and process innovation for dairy and non-dairy frozen desserts and beverages, plant-based meat analogs, and advanced formulation strategies involving milk lipids, phospholipids, structured fats, and emulsions. She has led multiple strategic innovation initiatives in plant and dairy protein systems using novel process engineering techniques. In addition to her technical credentials. Dr. Rathnakumar has formal training in business analytics, economics, and financial strategy through the Harvard Business School’s Core Business Certification, equipping her with a strong foundation in commercial strategy. She is an active member of several professional associations, including the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA), the American Association of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), and the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS). Her contributions have earned her nine international awards, such as the John Brandt Award from Land O’Lakes and Midwest Dairy, and the Women in Engineering Award from ASABE in 2020. Dr. Rathnakumar is the author of over 30 peer-reviewed articles, 10 book chapters, and 6 edited books, and has delivered more than 40 conference presentations. She serves as a special editor for journals such as Journal of Food Quality and Food Measurement and Sustainability, and is an active reviewer for USDA research programs.She holds a Ph.D. in Dairy and Food Science from South Dakota State University, a Master of Engineering in Food Engineering and Bioprocess Technology from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, and a Bachelor's degree in Food Processing Engineering from the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology, India. Read More Read Less