Charlie is currently the Principal Category merchant for Refrigerated Beverages. He has been at Whole Foods Market for 13 years and has worked in several divisions and categories including the private label team, having worked his way up from the store level. Charlie lives in Denver with his fiancé and is an avid traveler and foodie.

John Lawson is the Senior Local Forager for Whole Foods Market in the Northeast Region. John is proud of his role in supporting diverse brands & entrepreneurs, as well as working with suppliers of all sizes building partnership with Whole Foods Market. He is particularly focused on product development & developing strategy for marketing, promotion, & growth. John has worked in different roles at Whole Foods Market for more than 19 years.

With her finger on the pulse of better-for-you brands, Rachel Krupa is the Founder of The Goods Mart, a better-for-you, socially conscious convenience store which opened its doors in 2018 and now has three locations in New York City. As a professional “Snack Curator,” Rachel has deep insights into what makes a small brand stand out on the shelves with a goal of elevating emerging food brands to be household names, with a focus on female and diverse founders. She also offers personalized and customized snack curation for corporations, hotels, and beyond such as Standard Hotels in New York, Hotel Chelsea, The Smyth Tribeca, Jose Andres Catering, + more. Rachel is also the founder of Krupa Consulting, a boutique PR agency focused on food and wellness brands. She launched Thrive Market, Tastemade, Goop’s wellness vertical, Brownie Brittle, Barnana, Mercado Famous, Our Place, WTHN, Clean Market and played an integral part in the growth of MatchaBar, Milk Bar, LaColombe, The Class by Taryn Toomey, and many more. Rachel’s work as a leader in better-for-you food and wellness iterations has garnered her features in Fast Company, Marie Claire, New York Times, Today Show, and Vogue, among others. Rachel has graced Create & Cultivate’s annual list of forward-thinking women, and she is an advisor for Food Tank, Naturally New York, and New American Kitchen.