Think Global, Act Local: The Secret Sauce behind Nestle’s R+D Accelerators

Innovators Insight with

Joanna Yarbrough & Aya Ibarra

Head of R&D Accelerator Zone North America at Nestle / Head of Consumer Goods and Retail at Board of Innovation

1 November 2022, 1:45-5:15pm

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About the session

Joanna Yarbrough, Nestlé leader of R+D accelerators in the United States and Aya Ibarra, Board of Innovation’s Head of Consumer Goods and Retail share the magic formulation behind Nestle’s R+D accelerators in the United States. Learn how Nestle accesses new technologies, startups, markets, and academic communities through a consumer-centric approach guided by Board of Innovation

About the speaker

Aya has deep experience in navigating the changing roles between humans and computers as enabled by artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, and other emerging technologies especially in the areas of retail, consumer experience, and supply chain. In other words, she’s a recovering technologist and is proud to be human-first. She’s passionate about responsible design, bringing to the forefront the responsibilities our designs have and its impact to our environment, our fellow humans of diverse abilities, and future generations. As Head of the R&D Accelerator for Zone North America, Joanna is responsible for leading the innovation of consumer-driven product solutions beyond Nestlé core products, to identify opportunities for future growth. The R&D Accelerator works closely with Nestlé’s operating divisions, utilizing a test & learn approach to rapidly develop and test disruptive new ideas in real market conditions. Working with internal employee teams, as well as engaging students and start-ups, the Accelerator aims to bring an entrepreneurial approach to innovation and leverage the vast capabilities of Nestlé’s global R&D network. Under Joanna’s leadership, the R&D Accelerator was established in 2021, with a focus on Nestlé USA businesses, and is part of Nestlé’s global R&D Accelerator ecosystem. Operating across 3 sites in the US, including the Nestlé USA Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, the Accelerator has taken on strategic projects in Coffee, Frozen Foods, Dairy and Confectionery categories, which will lead to commercial launches of new products in the months to come. Over Joanna’s 19 year career at Nestlé, she has held various positions within Nestlé USA’s Technical & Production organization, responsible for product and packaging development of strategic beverage brands, such as Coffeemate and Nesquik. In addition, Joanna’s tenure included an international assignment in R&D, where she led the strategy for packaging innovation and technology for Nestlé Waters global portfolio. Prior to joining Nestlé, Joanna was a Packaging Engineer at PepsiCo and supported packaging innovation for beverage brands such as Gatorade and Tropicana. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Packaging Engineering from Michigan State University.

Would you like to attend this session as part of Innov8rs Austin? Apply to join the conference here. Contact us for any questions about the conference or our application process.

If you are a member of Innov8rs Community, you can skip the application and register at members-only discounts... (just ask for further instructions).

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