Nicole is the R&D Category Director of the Health and Nutrition categories for Cargill Food Solutions North America. Nicole’s talented R&D team is focused on innovating to new heights in the Meat and Dairy Alternatives and Specialized Nutrition categories, using Cargill’s global capabilities and local relationships to develop novel solutions for our customers and partners. Nicole earned degrees in Animal and Poultry Sciences from Virginia Tech and Meat Science from the University of Arkansas before she joined Cargill in 2011. She spent eight years with the company’s protein business with roles spanning food safety research, customer facing R&D, product development, and commercialization. Prior to her current role, Nicole provided direct strategic support to Cargill’s Chief Technology Officer where she led R&D functional strategic projects and was an integral part of the global alternative proteins strategy work. Nicole is passionate about solving challenges and nourishing the world through great tasting, nutritious, and sustainable solutions in food and agriculture.