Meet The Team
THE MISFITS
Our team of misfits is here to stand up for every left-behind food and build a system that sustains life. We all come from unique walks of life, and together it’s that diversity that brings positive change through innovation.
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EXECUTIVE TEAM
As a self-proclaimed "swiss-army knife", Lance's career has reached all ends of technology, end-to-end marketing and sales. He is no stranger to using technology to create a better world for everyone, either. In 2017, Lance developed and launched the “HeyBryan” app. His passion lies within making sure each customer experiences a high standard of customer service and he's taking that to the next level, by saving the world from food waste.
Christine Couvelier, Trendi’s President, is a world-renowned executive chef, culinary executive and global culinary trendologist who brings more than 40 years to Trendi’s senior leadership team. Over her career Christine has always looked at “What’s Possible?”, searching for answers that generate innovative food products without waste. At Trendi, Christine is at the forefront of food product development from our BioTrim Unit - overseeing the ideation and formation of innovative products that eliminate food waste at the source. Driven by a passion to feed people and to create extraordinary solutions that improve the future of food, Christine’s focus at Trendi is to connect farmers, manufacturers, food service operators, and gourmet and grocery retailers while building conversations around ideas for the future of food waste and the food industry.
A Global Food Strategist and Chef with over 30 years experience. Craig has his eye set on the future. As a result, he tends to think and operate 10 steps ahead, bringing innovative solutions and ideas to the table. His vision and personal experiences with food insecurity drove him to create Trendi.
Carissa has devoted a decade of her career to launching and sustaining brands in emerging industries such as plant-based foods, cannabis and food tech. In 2016 she rescued 40,000KG of misfit produce while operating her juice bar. Her first hand experience with food waste, and marketing background, led Carissa to searching for a solution for food waste that wouldn’t go unnoticed.
Rodolfo Piendrabuena, Trendi’s Chief Technology Officer, is a systems engineer with more than 30 years of experience as a consultant and entrepreneur in automation, robotics, and software development. He founded Innovative Vending and R&A Engineering and co-founded two manufacturing plants in China. He is a driver of design and development change. At Trendi, he leads design, development, and manufacturing for vending kiosks and BioTrim.
PARTNERSHIPS
Curtis Wong, Trendi’s Partnership Director, has broad experience and in-depth knowledge of business development, marketing, and hospitality with a strong understanding of financial models. His career spans across multiple areas including tourism, innovation, non-profit and across all levels of public and private sectors, allowing him to develop a wide-reaching network. His multifaceted professional experience has shaped his ability to think outside of the box and approach complex problems in ways that are creative, engaging and refreshing. As Partnership Director, Curtis works as a collaborator who fosters relationships and builds community, making Trendi’s story accessible to everyone outside of the robotics and technology realm by focusing on the simple philosophy that drives him: to save the world from food waste.
When Nora isn’t saving the world from food waste, she is travelling to explore new cultures, writing for pleasure and polishing her French speaking skills. Previously, Nora has worked at the United Nations for an NGO, was an assistant story editor for a TV drama and created the initial PR campaign for Indigenous Tourism BC and loves to create compelling stories that get to the heart of the matter. Nora said that if she could eat only one fruit or vegetable forever, she would choose apples because there are so many flavour variations and you know, an apple a day keeps the doctor away!
When Shania isn’t saving the world from food waste, she can be found working on her painting, sketching, photography skills and learning how embroidery. Shania has experience in digital marketing, public relations and has worked closely with small, local businesses through market analysis and outreach. She is close to completing her undergraduate degree at Simon Fraser University and has received several scholarships for outstanding academic performance. When we asked Shania to choose a fruit or vegetable to eat forever, she chose passion fruit because it tastes great and reminds her of her family!
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
When Andrew isn't solving the problem of food waste, you can find him learning to program and entrepreneurship. Andrew graduated from BCIT with a degree in Operations Management, where he secured scholarships and awards for teamwork in Operations Management Consulting Placements. At his previous job, Andrew developed the shipping tool suite for operating. When we asked him what his favourite fruit or vegetable is, Andrew said bananas because they go with everything!
When Dennis isn't solving the problem of food waste, you can find him hanging out with his hairless cat, playing badminton or refining his horseback riding skills. Dennis is a recent graduate of UBC's Sauder School of Business, with a double specialization in Operation Logistics and Entrepreneurship. He has a background in market research, was given a 5-star rating in the Venture for Canada Intrapreneurship Program and chosen as an "Intrapreneurship Star". When we asked Dennis to choose a fruit or vegetable to eat forever, he chose watercress because they remind him of his grandmother's soup he had as a child.
TECHNOLOGY
When Giovanni isn’t tackling the problem of food waste, you can find him working out, spending time with family and learning about food drying processes. Giovanni spent six years as a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and was elected as an Honoured Professor by the undergraduate classes (twice!). He was a founder and CEO of a robotics startup and has led a variety of teams and projects and has extensive experience in professional training. When we asked Giovanni what fruit or vegetable he would want to eat forever, he said tomatoes because of their versatility.
When Leo isn’t solving the problem of food waste, you can find him playing board games and working on his tennis skills. Leo loves to be creative, something that has allowed him to develop a variety of machines. When we asked Leo what fruit or vegetable he would like to eat forever, he chose apples because they are delicious and always available!
When Nicholas isn’t saving the world from food waste, he is practising Muay Thai and working on his photography skills. Nicholas worked as a building automation service technician and rescued several healthcare systems from imminent failure, while learning about the significance and cost of the maintenance life cycle in engineering. Nicholas chose coconuts as his one and only fruit or vegetable because of their versatility; you can cook with the meat and milk and create things with the husks!
When Maykon isn't saving the world from food waste, you can fid him spending time with his family and friends, looking for new places to travel and learning more about the food drying process and business management. Maykon has over eleven years of experience in manufacturing processes working in quality, engingeering and supplier development where he used process stabilization and automated deviced that reused obsolete equiptment - bringing savings to the company! When we asked what fruit or vegetable he'd like to eat forever, Maykon chose a banana because it reminds him of his home country and he loves to eat bananas with oatmeal and honey for breakfast!
When Jacky isn’t solving the problem of food waste, you can find him exploring the outdoors and learning how to read, write and speak Mandarin. Jacky founded Simon Fraser University’s Dragon Boat Club where he led a successful paddling season as the club president; team members, coaches, and club executives were able to create deep-rooted friendships and enduring experiences. When we asked Jacky to choose a fruit or vegetable to eat forever, he chose blueberries because of their nutritional value and versatility!
PRODUCT INNOVATION
When Alphonsus isn't saving the world from food waste, you can find him out and about in nature or learning more about business marketing. Alphonsus' past experience has been focused on turning food waste into valuable ingredients by developing processes for total utilization of the product. He has developed processes for plant-based ingredients and food, to turn egg shells into food ingredients and to extract plant-based proteins. When we asked him to choose a fruit or vegetable to eat forever, Alphonsus chose seabuckthorn berries because they're packed with nutritional and health-promoting components and relatively unknown!
When Precious isn't solving the global problem of food waste, you can find her hiking, baking and travelling. She has experience in developing, implementing and maintaining food safety plans. When we asked Precious to choose one fruit or vegetable to eat forever, she chose apples because there is so much you can do with them.
When Taryn isn't saving the world from food waste, you can find her perfecting her fermenting skills or learning about the complexities of food digestion. Taryn is a full-time food and nutrition science student, studying the ins-and-outs of the what our bodies and minds need to flourish. When we asked her to what fruit or vegetable she'd want to eat forever, Taryn chose watermelon because it's delicious, hydrating, versatile and a great source of antioxidants!
When Paniz isn't saving the world from food waste, you can find her practicing yoga, hiking, biking or learning French! Throughout the pandemic, she worked at a COVID-19 processing lab, where her interest in improving population health was reaffirmed. Paniz is so passionate about solving food insecurity she started a community fridge servicing a low-income neighbourhood in 2021 and partnered with her high school to provide healthy lunches to students experiencing food insecurity. When we asked her what fruit or vegetable she choose to eat forever, Paniz said pomegrantes because they remind her of her childhood summers spent in Iran.
When Alex isn't saving the world from food waste, he is researching new recipes, hiking with his husky Mirabelle or looking for a new wine region to explore. Alex is a trained chef and has worked in Italy, Copenhagen and Sonoma. He is a two-time national finalist in the Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarshiop and a 2017 recipient of the Ontario Hostelry Institutes Top 30 Under 30. When we asked Alex to choose a fruit or vegetable to eat forever, he said watermelon as they're delicious, versatile and have an amazing history.
MARKETING
oel Harrison, Trendi's Marketing Director, was clueless to the depth of problems in the food industry before Trendi, but his 10 years in marketing and dedication to making an impact through social enterprises is what brought us together. Joel has spent his career crafting brand messaging, stories, content, and building community around purpose-driven businesses, including starting his own consulting business, co-founding the Good Work Society, and hosting The Art of Impact podcast. After seeing the change that's possible in the food system, he's here to show that the broccoli he so often left uneaten on his plate as a child is indeed precious - all food is precious. And he's passionately spreading awareness to solutions that will feed people, support struggling farmers and stop food waste.
When Marisa isn’t solving the problem of food waste, you can find her outdoors being active. Marisa used to dance professionally and was able to travel the world doing what she loves. She loves branding through visuals and storytelling, and has her own business called Money Maker Workouts. When we asked Marisa what fruit or vegetable she would choose to eat forever, she said arugula because it is so spicy and delicious.
When Carlin isn't saving the world from food waste, you can find him spending time with his family, listening to records or brushing up on his motion design and kinetic text skills. When we asked Carlin what fruit or vegetable he would want to eat forever, he chose mangoes because they're high in fibre and vitamins and also extremely delicious!
When Elysia isn’t solving the problem of food waste, you can find her at home cooking, baking, gardening or painting! She worked for a gamut of agencies, but the one thing they all had in common was they specialized in food and beverage verticals. When we asked Elysia what fruit or vegetable she would want to eat forever, she said mulberries because it's a beautiful plant with delicate and ornate wrapping... and it tastes like an orange and a tomato made a baby!
When Celine isn’t saving the world from food waste, you can find her doing any sort of outdoor activity in nature and listening to audio books. Celine started her own marketing agency that partnered with local startups and created solid foundations for her partners to grow. She focused on e-commerce where she was able to implement digital marketing methods such as optimising websites, SEO, email marketing, paid ads and social media. Through these targeted marketing initiatives, she was able to achieve a revenue growth of 50% month by month. When we asked Celine what fruit or vegetable she would want to eat forever, she said a mangosteen because they’re absolutely delicious and a rarity in the Western world!
When Sophia isn't solving the global problem of food waste, you can find her trying to find the best dumplings in Vancouver! Sophia has spent over a decade running her own PR company, focused on hospitality, retail and tech and connecting companies to a variety of press mediums. When we asked her to choose one fruit or vegetable to eat forever, Sophia chose strawberries because they're sweet, juicy and taste great by themselves or in anything they're added to!
When Chloe isn't saving the world from food waste, you can find her on a run, improving her yoga skills or on the hunt for the next best restaurant. Chloe recently graduated from SFU and is passionate about cultivating a healthy world. When we asked her what fruit or vegetable she would like to eat forever, Chloe chose guavas because they're delicious and remind her of vacations.
OPERATIONS
When Lucas isn't saving the world from food waste, you can find him playing basketball or learning more about car mechanics. When we asked him what fruit or vegetable he'd want to eat forever, Lucas chose broccoli because it has the lowest calorie to best nutrient ratio.
When Joel isn’t saving the world from food waste, he is watching films and nerdy political shows. Joel is the creator of the next generation social app called Onelight, was the founder of clubvibes.com and is a producer of the Golden Owl Hospitality Awards. When we asked Joel what fruit or vegetable he would like to eat forever, he said pineapple because of the endless debate over its claim to pizza!
When Carmine isn't solving the global problem of food waste, he is learning spanish or growing his garden. Carmine has experience in hospitality and operations, with sustainability being a major focus. When we asked him what fruit or vegetable he would want to eat forever, Carmine chose broccoli because it is versatile and delicious.
When Jared isn’t saving the world from food waste, you can find him fishing or playing music and refining his hockey skills. Jared has 15 years of experience in Supply Chain Management and holds a SCMP designation, coming from a background in various ERP implementations, cost reductions and process and procedure implementation. When we asked him what fruit or vegetable they would want to eat forever, Jared said spinach because it is very versatile and very tasty!
When Moreno isn't saving the worl from food waste, you can find him playing and coaching soccer, reading or learning the newest in coding. He has experience in B2C and B2B environments, where he focused on customer relationships, brand engagement and customer retention. When we asked Moreno what fruit or vegetable he would want to eat forever, he chose lemons because they are super versatile and taste great!
HUMAN RESOURCES
When Sarah isn't saving the world from food waste, she can be found spending time in the great outdoors hiking, skiing and cycling or learning or to rollerblade. Sarah has 5 years of HR experience across multiple sectors in North America and Europe. When we asked her what fruit or vegetable she would like to eat forever, Sarah chose bananas because they are a tasty and easy snack and a key ingredient in her favourite dessert - bannoffee pie!
FINANCE
When Kailin isn't solving the global problem of food waste, you can find him reading or working on his coding skills. Despite coming to Trendi fresh out of school, Kaili developed our departmental forecasting system and is excited to pursue Trendi's mission. When we asked him to pick a fruit or vegetable to eat forever, Kailin chose a banana because they are easy to eat and tasty!
When Denise isn't solving the problem of food waste, she is walking her dog and learning about sustainability and innovation. When we asked her what fruit or vegetable she would want to eat forever, Denise chose apples because they keep you healthy!
When Nancy isn't solving the global problem of food waste, she can be found hiking, cooking or tending to her garlic garden. Nancy has extensive experience in finance and accounting in manufacturing and distribution environments and is skilled in ERP implmentation, process improvement and cost reduction projects. When we asked her to choose one fruit or vegetable to eat forever, Nancy decided on apples because there are so many varieties are also the star ingredient in her favourite dessert - apple pie!
