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Kevin R. O'Rell shared thisWe are still #hiring! Know anyone who might be interested?
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Kevin R. O'Rell shared thisGreat work, Erica Boyle. I am excited to see our NEW plantmilks at Fresh Thyme Market in the City I was born and raised in! Our low-carb, dairy-free milk has 800mg of plant-based Omega 3, calcium, and vitamins A, B12 & D. #letsdogood #goodkarmaKevin R. O'Rell shared thisGood Karma Foods, Inc. is excited to launch our NEW Plantmilks at Fresh Thyme Market ! Thank you for the partnership and opportunity Kenneth Hausmann. Now available at all Fresh Thyme locations! #letsdogood
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Kevin R. O'Rell reacted on thisKevin R. O'Rell reacted on thisDelighted with Eclair Partners’ investment in Petit Pot, leading their Series A round. Eclair’s investment decisions always start with people and products: people we trust, products we love, and vice versa. So Petit Pot was a natural fit. I have known Maxime Pouvreau and Eric Lallart for years, and since we first met, I have always enjoyed spending time with them while eating their delicious little jars. As a Frenchman who grew up with crème au chocolat and riz au lait, I believe in their ambition to scale a premium refrigerated dessert category in the US, bringing to American consumers indulgent products made with real, high-quality ingredients, that simply taste great. This ambition resonates with consumers who think about indulgence in a more intentional way: seeking products that are better crafted, in the right portion, genuinely satisfying and worth savoring. Thank you, Max and Eric, for your trust. I am thrilled to partner with you at this exciting expansion time! See in comments for more info.
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Kevin R. O'Rell liked thisKevin R. O'Rell liked thisThis summer, I had gained industry chemistry experience at Jogue Inc. as an R&D and QC Chemist Intern. One of my biggest takeaways was learning how different chemistry can look in an industry setting compared to a traditional research lab. Rather than conducting experiments to answer a research question, I learned how to develop novel flavor profiles around real customer needs, preferences, and market demands. From there, I worked cross-functionally to help formulate flavors that were brought to life for the IFT FIRST Annual Event & Expo. What made the experience especially valuable was seeing how lab science translates into real products. I gained hands-on experience with GC-MS, pH, Brix, and density measurements while working on benchtop formulations and helping scale them to the manufacturing floor. That process taught me that successful formulation isn't just about creating something that works in the lab, it also requires balancing equipment capabilities, available resources, timelines, scalability, and cost. This operational perspective also gave me the opportunity to work directly with CEO Anil Sastry, where I developed and pitched new manufacturing SOPs to help reduce material waste. Seeing an idea move from the lab into an operational setting showed me how chemistry, innovation, and business strategy can intersect. I am incredibly grateful to everyone at Jogue who made this experience possible, especially Mima Iovchev and Jessica Thoms, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP . Thank you for your mentorship, guidance, and willingness to let me learn by doing.
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Kevin R. O'Rell liked thisKevin R. O'Rell liked thisToday marks my last day at Nature’s Fynd, and I’m leaving with a full heart. Two years. That’s how long I’ve had the privilege of working at the intersection of science and sustainability, helping bring Fy™ protein to life through fermentation-based innovation. It’s not every job that lets you say you worked on something genuinely breakthrough, but this one did. I learned what it means to build products from the ground up, to push the boundaries of what alternative protein and dairy-free can taste, feel and perform like. I leave a better scientist, a sharper thinker, and someone who deeply believes in what this technology can do for the future of food. To my team and collaborators, thank you for the curiosity, the debates, the wins and the late-stage reformulations. You made the work meaningful. I’m ready for the next chapter. More details soon — stay tuned. 🚀 #FoodScience #AlternativeProtein #NaturesFynd #FoodInnovation #NextChapter
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Kevin R. O'Rell liked thisKevin R. O'Rell liked thisOne of the most important leadership lessons I’ve ever learned didn’t come from a boardroom, it came from within. Most impactful book #7 ~ Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins In Awaken the Giant Within, Tony Robbins makes a simple but powerful point: The quality of your life, is shaped more by your decisions than your circumstances. I first read this book in 1996, and over time I’ve come to believe this applies just as much to leaders as it does to individuals. 5 Key Lessons 1- Your decisions shape your destiny. Progress accelerates when you raise your standards and consistently act on them. 2- Beliefs either limit or unleash performance. What you believe is possible determines what you attempt. 3- Emotional mastery matters. Leaders who manage their emotional state think more clearly and lead more effectively, especially under pressure. 4- Behavior follows pain and pleasure. Real change happens when long‑term growth matters more than short‑term comfort. 5- Identity drives sustainability. The most powerful shifts occur when change becomes part of who you are, not just what you do. Main Takeaway Lasting success and fulfillment are the result of self‑leadership; consciously choosing beliefs, emotions, standards, and habits that align with the life you want to create. When you take control of what happens within, you gain influence over everything that follows.
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Kevin R. O'Rell liked thisKevin R. O'Rell liked thisIYKYK Kush is the legend behind the PURIS proteins that you love. He keeps building the future today. His team here in Minneapolis hosts countless tasting proving what’s possible with sustainable proteins at scale. My favorite part of every tasting is the joy the team brings to trying protein plain in water and commercial applications underway. For me, working hard has to be fun and Kush and his team unapologetically has a good time while being unmatched in capability and execution. Shoutout to Leslie Loehr-Kicklighter, MS Graham Stallmann Caleb Denney for amplifying the impact!
Experience & Education
Volunteer Experience
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Official Product Judge
Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest
- 45 years 7 months
Education
Annual contest open to collegiate students for competing in the sensory evaluation of yogurt, milk, cottage cheese,cheddar cheese, butter and ice cream.
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Board member and past Chair
Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Board
- 9 years 1 month
Education
The Board promotes and oversees all aspects of the CDPEC to enhance working relationships between educational institutions and industry. The Contest represents the culmination of student training by college professors who are experts in dairy product evaluation. During the competition, the students utilize their method honed sensory skills to evaluate the quality of and score selected dairy products.
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Former Board Member and past Chair
National Organic Standards Board
- 6 years
Environment
The National Organic Standards Board is a 15-member Federal Advisory Board that makes recommendations to the United States Secretary of Agriculture on organic food and processing. Kevin was appointed by Secretary Ann Veneman to serve a 5-year term. The NOSB advises the Secretary of Agriculture and makes recommendations on a wide range of issues involving the production, handling, and processing of organic products.
Publications
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Manufacturing Yogurt and Fermented Milks
Wiley-Blackwell
Other authors
Organizations
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IFT
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- Present
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Thom King
https://lnkd.in/gKwHqZDn great post by Will Newton for Food Business News. Fiber is having its moment. And honestly, I think it’s about time. For years the industry chased protein like it was the only macro that mattered. Meanwhile fiber sat quietly in the corner doing the real metabolic heavy lifting. Now formulators are waking up. Gut health. Blood sugar management. #GLP1 era satiety. Consumers are looking for products that actually do something, not just taste sweet. The tricky part? Adding meaningful fiber without turning your product into a chalky science experiment. That’s where we live. At Icon Foods we work with brands every day to build #cleanlabel, functional fiber systems that actually behave in the real world of beverages, bars, bakery, and confections. If fiber is on your product roadmap, you should probably be talking to Icon Foods.
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The Beef Podcast Show • by Wisenetix
"Sensory science provides measurable ways to evaluate what consumers perceive when they eat beef." Sensory science transforms subjective experiences into measurable data, enabling the beef industry to standardize what was once purely anecdotal. By systematically evaluating how people experience meat through controlled studies, producers gain powerful insights into what drives preference and satisfaction. Hear how sensory science guides beef decisions with Dr. Rhonda Miller on The Beef Podcast Show. Stay updated—subscribe now! https://lnkd.in/dT6rApEj
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