That's A Food Job!

Richelle Yacon is a certified Senior Flavorist at Embassy Ingredients, where she builds the flavours found in foods across grocery store shelgfs alongside a team that also develops colours and bakery ingredients. She earned her certification through the seven-year Society of Flavor Chemists apprenticeship, after starting her career in quality assurance.

In this conversation, Richelle breaks down what a flavourist actually does day to day, how a cinnamon roll flavour is built from a customer brief, and why she calls the job equal parts art and chemistry. You'll also hear about the process of becoming a Certified Flavour Chemist, why math and fine motor skills matter in the lab, and how starting in quality assurance led her into the flavour lab.

---

Shownotes

---

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro 03:40 - What Is Flavour? 05:43 - A Day in the Lab 10:45 - Where Art Meets Science 12:13 - The Seven-Year Apprenticeship 15:17 - Richelle's Career Path 22:28 - Training Your Senses 25:33 - Chemicals and Dosage 27:15 - Why Get Certified? 33:00 - Importance of Learning 37:06 - Skills Needed as a Flavourist 39:30 - Teamwork in Flavor Creation 42:06 - Other Roles in the Lab 44:25 - Advice for Students

---

📙 Career Guides 💭 Career Advice

---

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Richelle Yacon LinkedIn

💼 Embassy Ingredients LinkedIn 🌐 Embassy Ingredients Website

CONNECT WITH US 📸 Instagram 🎵 TikTok 💼 LinkedIn

Tamanna Ramesh works in customer commercialization for Coca-Cola's North America food service team, supporting a 400 person sales and marketing organization, and also founded Spark Academy, a career coaching business for food industry professionals navigating job searches, negotiations, and visa pathways.

In this conversation, Tamanna breaks down what her day-to-day at Coca-Cola actually looks like, how she's helping build an agentic AI tool so her team can stop hunting for files and information, and why the way you talk about your own work matters just as much as the work itself. You'll also hear how Spark Academy grew from an accidental side hustle into a business, and why Tamanna thinks about her career as a garden instead of a straight pipeline.

---

Shownotes

---

FREE RESOURCE FOR LISTENERS Tamanna is sharing her "Network Like a Pro" resource with our listeners. Use the passcode FOODGRADS to access it: Get the Networking Playbook

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Introduction 01:55 - Her Coca-Cola Role, Explained 04:39 - Connecting Teams Across a Big Org 09:44 - What Is Agentic AI? 12:37 - Building the AI Search Tool 16:39 - AI Advice for Students 20:15 - From Food Scientist to Business Role 23:05 - Embracing Experimentation 24:50 - Starting Spark Academy 31:23 - A Client Success Story 36:21 - Advice for the Next Generation

---

📙 Career Guides 💭 Career Advice

---

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Tamanna Ramesh LinkedIn

💼 Coca-Cola LinkedIn 🌐 Spark Academy Website

CONNECT WITH US 📸 Instagram 🎵 TikTok 💼 LinkedIn

Sienna Corral, Partnerships Lead, and Lila Sonmaz, Head of Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning, are co-founders of the World Food Forum Quebec Chapter, an FAO initiative connecting young leaders working on food security and sustainability.

In this part two conversation, Sienna and Lila open up about their very different paths into food advocacy, how they measure whether their work is actually making a difference, and why you don't need a job title in the food industry to already be part of the system. You'll also learn ways on how you can get involved in food advocacy even as a student in school.

---

Shownotes

---

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro 01:37 - Chapter Mission Recap 02:51 - Lila's Path Into Food Systems 04:17 - Sienna's Path Into Food Systems 05:55 - Sienna's Role: Partnerships Lead 06:54 - Lila's Role: Measuring Impact 08:31 - Chapter Partners & Agri-Food's Scope 11:34 - What a Win Looks Like 13:09 - Chapter Events & Launch Party 14:39 - Who Can Get Involved 15:37 - Sustainable Gastronomy Week Results 18:02 - Current Projects & Proud Moments 19:23 - How Many WFF Chapters Exist 22:22 - Is the Food System Working? 25:10 - The Power of Language 26:48 - Making Agri-Food Feel Accessible 28:19 - Moving From Caring to Acting 30:11 - Empowering Youth Involvement 33:02 - Different Levels of Involvement 34:41 - Final Advice: Start Small

---

📙 Career Guides 💭 Career Advice

---

CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS

💼 Sienna Corral LinkedIn 💼 Lila Sonmaz LinkedIn

💼 World Food Forum Quebec Chapter LinkedIn 🌐 World Food Forum Website

CONNECT WITH US 📸 Instagram 🎵 TikTok 💼 LinkedIn

Cate Laskey is Co-Founder of the World Food Forum Quebec Chapter and a former Agrifood Systems Ad Hoc Delegate with the McGill Youth Advisory Delegation (MYAD).

Laia Charles Saigne is also a Co-Founder of the World Food Forum Quebec Chapter and a former CSocD64 and UNFCITC INC4 Delegate with MYAD.

Jeanne Gonelle is the former Director of MYAD.

MYAD is a youth-led NGO that has held Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council since 2006, working to bridge the gap between decision-makers and youth.

WFF is an FAO youth initiative that brings together young leaders to tackle food security and sustainability challenges through local chapters.

In this podcast episode we dig into their story, what the WFF and MYAD actually are, and explore why young people belong in the conversation about our food system, even before they're officially employed in it.

This is part one of a two part episode. Next week we're back with more members of the chapter, Sienna Corral and Lila Sonmaz, to continue the conversation.

---

Shownotes

---

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro 01:59 - What Is the World Food Forum 03:08 - Founding the Quebec Youth Chapter 05:46 - Chapter Goals & Breaking Silos 09:38 - Agri-Food in Quebec Explained 11:54 - Defining Food Insecurity 16:43 - Why They Got Involved 23:05 - NGOs & Policy Explained 29:07 - What Advocacy Actually Looks Like 35:43 - Barriers to Youth Participation 37:50 - How Policies Actually Get Made 40:39 - Measuring Real Impact 44:03 - Proudest Moments 52:53 - Advice for Getting Involved

---

📙 Career Guides 💭 Career Advice

---

CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS

💼 Cate Laskey LinkedIn 💼 Jeanne Gonelle LinkedIn 💼 Laia Charles LinkedIn

💼Quebec Youth Chapter of the World Food Forum (FAO) LinkedIn

💼McGill Youth Advisory Delegation LinkedIn 🌐 World Food Forum Website

🌐McGill Youth Advisory Delegation Website

---

CONNECT WITH US 📸 Instagram 🎵 TikTok 💼 LinkedIn

Melody Yu is the President and Founder of Women in Food Safety, a nonprofit community supporting female food safety professionals, and she also runs her own food safety consulting business, MarsMel LLC.

Note at 7:20 Melody meant to say 7 principles and 12 steps

---

Shownotes

---

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Nothing You Do Is Wasted

00:28 – Welcome Back, Melody

01:26 – Life Since Round One

03:38 – Going All In on WIFS

04:22 – Mapping a Food Safety Career

05:20 – Starting in R&D

07:45 – Learning the SQF Code

10:08 – Visa Limbo and Consulting Years

13:01 – Find What You Like

13:39 – Opportunities for Today's Students

14:38 – Stay or Go? Her Checklist

17:42 – Fitting In vs. Belonging

19:00 – Certifications Worth Getting

20:04 – Try Everything While You're Young

22:35 – Why She Founded WIFS

23:17 – The Food Science Club Moment

25:34 – Bridging Academia and Industry

27:39 – Two New Global Chapters

29:44 – How Members Find Solutions Together

32:20 – 1,700 Members and Counting

35:33 – What "Middle Management" Really Means

37:29 – What's Next for WIFS

39:52 – How Students Can Get Involved

---

📙 Career Guides 💭 Career Advice

---

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Melody Yu LinkedIn

💼 Women in Food Safety LinkedIn 🌐 Women in Food Safety Website

---

CONNECT WITH US 📸 Instagram 🎵 TikTok 💼 LinkedIn

Paige Mawson is Manager of Features and Education at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, a 104-year-old event that draws around 300,000 visitors annually to downtown Toronto.

In this episode, Paige reveals how one of Canada's most iconic events is bridging city life and rural tradition through unforgettable experiences, hands-on learning, and storytelling that sparks curiosity. Discover how she leverages her museum studies background to transform the fair into a living, breathing educational hub that connects millions to our food system.

---

Shownotes

---

AgCareers is on a mission to provide global talent solutions in agriculture and food. They strive to "Feed the World with Talent" in the industries they serve. Their passion for agriculture is evident in their investment of time and resources in engaging with candidates and employers in the industry. Visit AgCareers.com to explore career opportunities and build your future in agriculture.

---

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro 00:58 - What the Royal Is 05:07 - Connecting Country and City 09:27 - Year-Round Planning Cycle 11:49 - Paige's Collaborative Role 13:16 - Designing Educational Programming 17:28 - Paige's Career Path 19:26 - Common Misconceptions 20:43 - AgCareers Sponsor Break 21:48 - Where to Start: Local Agricultural Fairs 25:23 - Roles Beyond Farming 27:00 - Transferable Skills in Agri-Food 29:48 - Paige's Royal Highlights 31:20 - Champion Showcase and Food at the Fair 33:35 - Getting Involved: 4-H, AgScape, Farm Tours 35:55 - One Takeaway for Listeners 37:19 - Tickets and What's Coming at the 2026 Royal

---

📙 Career Guides 💭 Career Advice

---

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Paige Mawson LinkedIn

💼 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair LinkedIn 🌐 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Website

CONNECT WITH US 📸 Instagram 🎵 TikTok 💼 LinkedIn

Aparajhitha Sudarshan is a Quality and Regulatory Manager in pet food manufacturing and the founder of Food Strategy Consulting, where she helps small and medium food businesses with compliance, training, and food safety systems.

In today's episode, we talk about the 80/20 rule of food safety leadership, how to build soft skills nobody teaches you in school, and practical ways students can network at conferences without it feeling forced.

---

Shownotes

---

🎵 Music: 'Piano Sway' (Intro A - 4 seconds) by Jay Man / OurMusicBox (our-music-box.com)

---

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro 01:41 - About Apara's Food Job 02:59 - Foundations of Food Safety 03:56 - Building Team Culture 05:50 - A Typical Day on the Floor 09:26 - Pre-Op Conversations 11:06 - The Soft Skill Nobody Teaches 15:44 - Most Surprising Part of the Job 17:46 - Her Career Path 20:10 - Comparing Industries 22:22 - Practicing Soft Skills Early 24:05 - What Is Toastmasters? 27:56 - Reframing Mistakes 30:34 - Conference Networking Advice 40:14 - Low-Stakes Ways to Start 42:27 - Closing Thoughts

---

📙 Career Guides 💭 Career Advice

---

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Aparajhitha Sudarshan LinkedIn

💼 Food Strategy Consulting LinkedIn 🌐 Food Strategy Consulting Website

---

CONNECT WITH US 📸 Instagram 🎵 TikTok 💼 LinkedIn

Dr. Wendy Cukier is Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Ted Rogers School of Management and Founder of the Diversity Institute, a research centre with 80 staff and hubs across the country studying skills, technology, and inclusion.

In today's episode, we talk about why agriculture rarely comes up in conversations about entrepreneurship, the succession crisis facing Canadian farms, and how community gardens can be a real first step into an agriculture career.

---

Shownotes

---

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Intro

00:25 – Meet Dr. Wendy Cukier

05:06 – A Day in Her Career

08:32 – Breaking the Farmer Stereotype

12:22 – Career Openings from Succession

16:41 – A Non-Traditional Path In

17:57 – Research Students Can Use

20:00 – Spotting Gaps as Opportunity

23:56 – Volunteer Your Way In

28:02 – Where AI Jobs Are Growing

31:30 – Skills You Need Now

35:07 – Where to Aim Your Career

38:43 – Advice for Your Next Step

---

📙 Career Guides 💭 Career Advice

---

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Dr. Wendy Cukier LinkedIn

🌐 Diversity Institute Website

CONNECT WITH US 📸 Instagram 🎵 TikTok 💼 LinkedIn

Jake Karls is Co-Founder and Chief Rainmaker at Midday Squares, a Better-For-You chocolate and snacking brand now sold in over 10,000 stores across North America.

In today's episode, we talk about what it actually looks like to build a career on relationships instead of resumes, how to network without an agenda, and why your story matters more than you think, even if you don't feel like you have one yet.

---

Shownotes

---

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Intro

00:20 – Meet Jake Karls

07:37 – Networking Without Feeling Fake

10:39 – Why Your Resume Isn't Enough

12:30 – Finding What Makes You, You

14:16 – Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking

17:56 – Mentorship You Already Have Access To

20:39 – Using Social Media For Good

21:44 – What To Say At A Networking Event

24:46 – What Actually Makes A Good Story

27:30 – Why Facts Alone Don't Land

28:38 – Dealing With Online Haters

30:22 – What's Next For Midday Squares

34:54 – Final Advice For Students

---

Opening Song by

"Track Title(s)'' Jay Man - OurMusicBox

https://www.our-music-box.com

/ ourmusicbox

---

📙 Career Guides 💭 Career Advice

---

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Jake Karls LinkedIn

💼 Midday Squares LinkedIn 🌐 Midday Squares Website

CONNECT WITH US 📸 Instagram 🎵 TikTok 💼 LinkedIn

Tony Wong is the Plant Manager at 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters, a specialty coffee roastery in Vancouver that supplies retail chains, independent cafes, and a growing e-commerce operation across Canada.

In this episode, we talk about what plant management actually looks like in a food and beverage manufacturing setting, how speciality coffee is actually made and how a food science background in quality can lead you into a path in operations.

---

Shownotes

---

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Intro

02:21 - About Tony's Food Job

04:36 - What Are KPIs?

06:00 - How Coffee Beans Are Processed

09:23 - Quality Control and Cupping

11:40 - About Coffee Roasting

17:00 - Quality and Safety Above Profits

19:23 - Tony's Career Path: QA to Operations

21:37 - Why He Stayed in Operations

24:01 - Food Safety Background as an Asset

26:17 - Skills Needed in His Role

35:37 - Role Evolution and Financial Skills

38:01 - Learning from Subject Matter Experts

40:24 - Networking and Asking Questions

41:50 - Advice to His Younger Self

---

📙 Career Guides 💭 Career Advice

---

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Tony Wong LinkedIn

💼 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters LinkedIn 🌐 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters Website

CONNECT WITH US 📸 Instagram 🎵 TikTok 💼 LinkedIn