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Lena Kwak is co-founder and VP of product at Starday Foods, an AI-powered food product innovation company.
How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I drive product innovation at Starday Foods and help decide which CPG products we launch based on my background founding food companies and leading the R&D department at the three-Michelin star restaurant, The French Laundry. I combine my culinary experience, food science, and nutrition background to help turn Starday’s trend insights into flavorful, practical products that fill gaps in consumer demand.
One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? In the tech world, “product” often feels dehumanized and overly data-driven. A big part of my role is to reintroduce the human element and advocate for the complexities of real behavior behind the numbers. When I analyze these numbers, I’m not just looking at trends; I’m forming hypotheses on what is driving this human behavior—often through the lenses of identity. At Starday, we like to understand all these trends together to know the full network of problems we need to address. Instead of responding to each trend that comes up, we see how the trends interact with each other, match the patterns and create the product that matches those patterns the best.
What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? Our chickpea protein toppers, All Day, is my favorite product to date—and it pretty perfectly shows the power of what we can develop by understanding the complexity of human decision-making. Our data was starting to show a rising desire for more vegan protein options, while also a matching interest in cleaner vegan alternatives at the same time. Because of that, we chose to use a chickpea base for our toppers to satisfy both intersecting trends. People want convenience and nutrition, but they also crave variety and excitement. That insight led us to develop All Day—it’s an easy, seamless way to add flavor, protein, and novelty to meals.
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Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? While it is certainly not the sexy macronutrient on the market, fiber is a tried and true supplement that most Americans need more of. With growing awareness of the importance of blood sugar control and digestive system diseases, more products are on the market with increased fiber. Though these are less popular than products that promise silver-bullet solutions, fiber offers a wide range of proven health benefits and should not be overlooked.
What’s your go-to coffee order? Oat milk latte.
Worst piece of advice you’ve received? “Never give up.” I think it’s important to understand where to let go and pivot sometimes.
What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? Tortilla chips—it stands the test of time, and I’ll always love a good tortilla chip.