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Vivian Barad
Partner, San Francisco
Understanding people’s food behaviors
Been at IDEO since
January 1, 2007
What you won’t learn from my bio
I made my first prototype when I was six. It was a phone system to communicate with my best friend who lived across the street. In my free time, I garden and trail run.
As an IDEO Partner and Executive Director, I work with the food & beverage and CPG industry to find growth opportunities that create climate-positive impact in the world. My work includes launching new offers, creating strategic visions, and building innovation capabilities. I leverage my industrial design training and creativity to find growth opportunities for clients like Suntory, Alicorp, San Francisco Unified School District, Northern Illinois Food Bank, and Plum Organics.
I am an expert in understanding people’s deeply-rooted food behaviors and food systems challenges like food insecurity and food waste.
I have spoken on these topics and more at TedX, SXSW, and Feeding America.
I am a graduate of California College of the Arts, with a BFA in Industrial Design. I received a BA in English from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and worked as a New York-based print and online journalist. In my free time, I enjoy canning tomatoes and family hikes.