FoodMinds
FoodMinds is a Chicago-based food and nutrition communications and consulting agency (division of Padilla/AVENIR GLOBAL) serving food manufacturers, commodity boards, and trade associations with science translation, food policy, crisis management, and stakeholder engagement services via a 20-person registered-dietitian team and a 40+ expert Global ExpertBench network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What FoodMinds does
FoodMinds is a food and nutrition communications and consulting agency that operates as a division of Padilla (itself owned by AVENIR GLOBAL since 2016). Founded in Chicago in 2006 by Laura Cubillos, Bill Layden, and Sue Pitman, the firm provides strategic communications, science translation, food policy navigation, crisis management, and stakeholder engagement services to food and beverage manufacturers, agricultural commodity boards, trade associations, and producer organizations. Its client roster includes Nestlé, Dole Food Company, Land O'Lakes, Welch's, the Almond Board of California, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (Beef Checkoff), the Hass Avocado Board, the Alliance for Potato Research and Education, the American Dairy Products Institute, and the Produce for Better Health Foundation, among more than 30 commodity boards, brands, and associations.
The firm's core differentiator is its in-house team of registered dietitians — described on its own website as the only agency with 20 RDs on staff — supplemented by a Global ExpertBench™ network of more than 40 nutrition affairs experts across 20+ countries. Beyond pure agency services, FoodMinds has productized several IP assets: the annual Conscious Consumption Index and Food Temperance Survey research reports, the Food Values Project™ (14-factor framework across global markets), the Crisis IQ™ online assessment tool launched in 2018, and the upwaRD™ annual recognition program for emerging registered dietitian nutritionists (2018–2025). It has no proprietary software platform; delivery is human-led professional services.
FoodMinds generates revenue through enterprise-level retainer-based engagements and project work with food-industry clients, sold directly via Padilla's multi-office U.S. sales infrastructure and through thought-leadership content, industry events, and award recognition. Marketing channels include an Insights blog, Twitter and Instagram organic social, industry conference sponsorship (FoodNavigator-USA, ASN, Sustainable Brands), proprietary research reports, the Crisis IQ assessment as a lead-generation tool, and the upwaRD program for community engagement. Go-to-market is sales-led, leveraging Padilla's six U.S. offices, the Worldcom Public Relations Group network for international reach, and FoodMinds' specialized positioning at the intersection of nutrition science, food policy, and consumer communications. The firm maintains offices in Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
FoodMinds firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FoodMinds
- Legal name
- FoodMinds, LLC
- Website
- https://foodminds.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- FoodMinds is a Chicago-based food and nutrition communications and consulting agency (division of Padilla/AVENIR GLOBAL) serving food manufacturers, commodity boards, and trade associations with science translation, food policy, crisis management, and stakeholder engagement services via a 20-person registered-dietitian team and a 40+ expert Global ExpertBench network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FoodMinds industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Food and Nutrition Communications Consulting
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Nutrition Coaching (HSADAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Food Systems & Value Chain Development for Nutrition (BPADAJAG)
Keywords
Where FoodMinds is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
FoodMinds business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Professional Services — Strategic Communications & Consulting: FoodMinds generates revenue by providing strategic food and nutrition communications, science translation, policy affairs, crisis navigation, and consulting programs to food and beverage companies, commodity boards, trade associations, and other clients in the food industry. Services span research insights, branding, creative, digital, and marketing communications. Revenue is derived from client engagements and retainer-based professional services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
FoodMinds product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FoodMinds is a food and nutrition communications and consulting agency that provides strategic communications, science translation, food policy affairs, crisis navigation, stakeholder outreach, and consumer research services to food and beverage companies, agricultural commodity boards, trade associations, and producer organizations. The firm is differentiated by maintaining the only agency staff of 20 registered dietitians and a Global ExpertBench of 40+ international nutrition affairs experts.
Product overview
FoodMinds is a food and nutrition communications and consulting agency that operates as a division of Padilla. The company offers a suite of services centered on strategic communications, science translation, policy navigation, and crisis management for food, beverage, and nutrition clients. Key offerings include the Global ExpertBench™ network of international nutrition experts, the Food Values Project™ research initiative, the annual Conscious Consumption Index, and the Crisis IQ assessment tool. The company also operates the upwaRD™ recognition program for emerging registered dietitian nutritionists. The portfolio also includes dietary guidelines analysis and issues & crisis navigation services. FoodMinds primarily serves commodity boards, food companies, associations, and healthcare organizations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- upwaRD: Professional recognition and development program for emerging nutrition communicators, specifically registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) who demonstrate creative, credible and effective nutrition communication.
Products and services
- Food and Nutrition Communications Services Core strategic communications consulting practice delivering science translation, policy navigation, stakeholder outreach, thought leadership programs, media relations, and content development for food, beverage, and nutrition industry clients.
- Issues & Crisis Navigation Crisis management advisory services helping food and agriculture organizations prepare for and respond to food safety, reputational, and regulatory challenges.
- Crisis IQ Online assessment tool measuring organizational crisis preparedness across four areas — plan, training, team skills, and response habits. Provides immediate scoring and recommendations for improvement.
- Food Values Project™ Global research initiative using a panel of nutrition experts (Global ExpertBench™) across 20+ countries to assess how food values influence food choices and policy decisions worldwide, producing 14 value factor dimensions.
- Conscious Consumption Index Annual global report tracking consumer behaviors and attitudes related to conscious consumption, food values, and sustainability preferences.
- Global ExpertBench™ Network of more than 40 senior nutrition and communications experts from 20 countries and six continents providing global expertise for food and nutrition consulting assignments.
- upwaRD™ Professional recognition and development program for emerging registered dietitian nutritionists. Provides mentorship, networking, brand spotlight opportunities, and exclusive community membership.
Quantifiable outcome
- 3rd-largest food and beverage group among independent agencies in the U.S. (combined with PadillaCRT post-acquisition)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use FoodMinds
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
FoodMinds technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
FoodMinds partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core client relationship, minor / tactical partnership, minor / network partnership and flagship (parent division relationship).
- American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI)core client relationshipADPI chose Padilla and its FoodMinds division to lead a multiyear communication campaign to promote dairy proteins as ingredients. The integrated strategic communication program encompasses research-based consumer campaign development and positioning of dairy protein ingredients in foods and beverages.
- Produce for Better Health Foundationcore client relationshipProduce for Better Health Foundation selected Padilla and its FoodMinds division as Agency of Record. FoodMinds provides strategic food and nutrition communications to advance produce consumption and public health objectives.
- EAS Consulting Group, LLCminor / tactical partnershipEAS Consulting Group, LLC and FoodMinds offer strategic solutions to food industry nutrition marketing challenges. EAS provides FSMA, regulatory, and food safety consulting expertise while FoodMinds contributes nutrition communications capabilities.
- Dole Food Companycore client relationshipDole Food Company selected Padilla as its Digital and Social Agency of Record (AOR), with FoodMinds collaborating on food and nutrition communications aspects of the relationship.
- Almond Board of Californiacore client relationshipAfter a competitive national search, the Almond Board of California selected Padilla with its FoodMinds division to lead its industry communications program. The program is aimed at reaching California almond growers, processors and allied industry members, focusing on advancing production practices, food safety, sustainability, and the changing California regulatory environment.
- Hass Avocado Boardcore client relationshipHass Avocado Board is served by both FoodMinds and PadillaCRT. FoodMinds provides food and nutrition affairs, science, and communications services while PadillaCRT handles other marketing functions.
- Worldcom Public Relations Groupminor / network partnershipPadilla (parent of FoodMinds) is a founding member of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, a partnership of independently owned partner offices in cities on six continents. This network provides FoodMinds with global reach for international client assignments.
- Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE)core client relationshipFoodMinds was named Agency of Record for APRE's nutrition research programs after a competitive review. Services include establishing research priorities, managing the research pipeline in coordination with APRE's Scientific Advisory Committee, providing strategic analysis on key nutrition topics, and supporting communication of research to scientific forums and the broader research community.
- PadillaCRTflagship (parent division relationship)FoodMinds was acquired by PadillaCRT in June 2016 and operates as a division of PadillaCRT. The acquisition extended PadillaCRT's food and beverage experience and created the third-largest food and beverage group among independent agencies. FoodMinds collaborates on joint assignments with PadillaCRT's Food and Beverage Practice including clients like U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, and Wines from Rioja.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
FoodMinds competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Innvolution (formerly FoodMinds-adjacent nutrition consultancies): Smaller nutrition-focused consultancies and content shops that compete in adjacent nutrition communications niches, often serving emerging CPG brands and ingredient suppliers. Partial overlap with FoodMinds' strategy and science-translation work.
Broad incumbents
- Ketchum Food & Beverage Practice: Ketchum is a global Top-10 PR network with a large food and beverage practice serving many of the same multinational CPG brands FoodMinds targets. Overlapping capabilities from a broader agency platform with greater scale but less nutrition-science specialization.
- APCO Worldwide Food & Consumer Practices: APCO Worldwide is a global communications consultancy with food and consumer product expertise that overlaps FoodMinds' policy-affairs and corporate-reputation work. Broader portfolio than a pure food specialist.
- Weber Shandwick Food & Beverage: Weber Shandwick is a Top-5 global PR firm with an established food, beverage and nutrition practice. Competes with FoodMinds on enterprise assignments while operating a much broader multi-sector portfolio.
- Edelman Food & Beverage: Edelman operates a major global food and beverage practice that competes for high-profile CPG and commodity board mandates alongside FoodMinds. Large incumbent with broader category portfolio.
- FleishmanHillard Food & Agriculture: FleishmanHillard operates a significant global food and agriculture practice serving multinational CPGs and trade associations. A broad incumbent competitor rather than a food-only specialist.
Direct peers
- Carmichael Lynch Relish: Carmichael Lynch Relish is a food and beverage marketing communications agency — a direct competitor to FoodMinds with a similar specialization in CPG and commodity food clients. Both are mid-sized, food-only independent agencies serving brand marketers with strategic communications programs.
- Morgan & Myers: Morgan & Myers is an independent food and agriculture-focused communications agency. Comparable to FoodMinds in serving commodity boards, food manufacturers, and ag associations with strategic, science-rooted communications.
- 360PR+: 360PR+ is an independent communications agency with deep food, beverage, and nutrition practice expertise. Directly competitive with FoodMinds for CPG and nutrition-science client programs.
- CRT/tanaka: CRT/tanaka is a food and beverage PR agency that is now a sister division to FoodMinds inside Padilla under AVENIR GLOBAL. Both compete for and jointly serve food industry AOR assignments with comparable specialty positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
FoodMinds social profiles
Digital presenceFoodMinds financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FoodMinds leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
FoodMinds funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FoodMinds M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FoodMinds
What does FoodMinds do?
FoodMinds is a food and nutrition communications and consulting agency that provides strategic communications, science translation, food policy affairs, crisis navigation, stakeholder outreach, and consumer research services to food and beverage companies, agricultural commodity boards, trade associations, and producer organizations. The firm is differentiated by maintaining the only agency staff of 20 registered dietitians and a Global ExpertBench of 40+ international nutrition affairs experts.
Is FoodMinds a public or private company?
FoodMinds is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was FoodMinds founded?
FoodMinds was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is FoodMinds based?
FoodMinds is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does FoodMinds make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Services — Strategic Communications & Consulting.
Who are FoodMinds's main competitors?
Innvolution (formerly FoodMinds-adjacent nutrition consultancies) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Ketchum Food & Beverage Practice, APCO Worldwide Food & Consumer Practices, Weber Shandwick Food & Beverage, Edelman Food & Beverage and FleishmanHillard Food & Agriculture. Direct peers are Carmichael Lynch Relish, Morgan & Myers, 360PR+ and CRT/tanaka.
Does FoodMinds have an API?
No public API is recorded for FoodMinds.
What industry is FoodMinds in?
FoodMinds's product category is Food and Nutrition Communications Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSADAFAA, General Nutrition Coaching, with a secondary code of BPADAJAG, Food Systems & Value Chain Development for Nutrition.