Gina Asoudegan is Vice President of Mission andRegenerative Agriculture at Applegate, the nation’s leading natural and organic meat brand. In her role, Asoudegan leads the strategy for the company’s sub-brand, The New Food Collective, and oversees the creation of consciously scaled supply chains rooted in the principles of regenerative agriculture. Since joining Applegate in 2006, Asoudegan has worked closely with NGOs to raise awareness of food-system issues, including antibiotic resistance, GMOs and the plight of farmers in America. Asoudegan started her career as a food entrepreneur, operating a farm-to-table restaurant and later a catering and event company in Philadelphia. As a self-trained cook, she believed that fresh, seasonal food tasted better, and sourced ingredients from local farms, but saw they were struggling. In 2005, she founded the Bucks County Foodshed Alliance to develop new farmers markets and connect sustainable producers with local restaurants and institutions.When Asoudegan joined Applegate in 2006, it was with the same mission in mind: to create new markets for farmers and make well-sourced food accessible to all Americans. Asoudegan was instrumental in securing Applegate as a founding partner for the Savory Institute’s Land to Market™ Program, the world’s first regenerative sourcing solution for livestock-derived meat, dairy, wool and leather. Asoudegan is also a member of the senior advisory board at the Center for Responsible Business at the HaasSchool of Business, University of California, Berkeley.