JOINT CNJ & NY IFT DINNER MEETIN
NYIFT Presents
The Pros & Cons of Using A.I.: How Artificial Intelligence Can Be Used
As A Tool For Product Development
Date: Tuesday, November 14, 2023
Venue: Grain House Restaurant at Olde Mill Inn, 225 Morristown Rd, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
Time: Networking 5:00 – 5:45 pm | Panel 5:45 – 7:00 pm | Dinner 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Speakers: Moderator Dr. Mohamed Badaoui Najjar , Sr. Director – R&D Strategy & Portfolio Sector Food & Beverage at PepsiCo
Panel Speakers:
Vinay Indraganti – Founder, BCD iLabs (former Global VP, Digital Transformation and Strategy for Ingredion)
Alexia Ciarfella – Product Manager at Capital One (former AI Sr. Product Developer for Mondelēz)
Dr. Jing Shen, AI/ML Director – PepsiCo
Fee: $55 Members | $60 Non-members | $30 Students, Retired & Unemployed
*NYIFT Excom Meeting 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm at The Grain House – All Members are welcome to attend*
Click Here to View the Dinner Menu | Transportation Policy for NYIFT Student Members
About the Speakers:
Moderator – Mohamed Badaoui Najjar, Ph.D.,
R&D Strategy & Portfolio Management Senior Director – PepsiCo
Dr. Mohamed Badaoui Najjar is the R&D Strategy & Portfolio Management Senior Director at PepsiCo. He partners with all international teams across food and beverage to setup the future R&D strategy as well as build the future of R&D across people, programs and assets. Dr. Najjar has 14 years global industry experience in leading and shaping new platforms and strategies from ideation to launch. He is passionate about new innovation, trends, and understanding different generational consumer behaviors. Dr. Najjar believes that motivated engaged and empowered people drive exceptional results. He is passionate about building high performing teams and mentoring of talent. He is a Member of IFT and he believes in the critical role IFT plays in the future of our profession. He had been a volunteer for 17 years leading across sections, divisions, award jury and AMSPAP.
Dr. Najjar received his BS & MS from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon and his doctorate in food science from Rutgers University. He enjoys playing sports, exercise and fitness, the outdoors as well as experiencing new food & beverage innovation.
“AI in the Food Industry – A View Across the Product Lifecycle”
Vinay Indraganti,
Founder & CEO – BCD iLabs
Mr. Indraganti has, over the course of his 24-year technology career, held multiple roles, from Chief Technology Officer to Global Practice Head and Solution Architect. He has co-founded three startups in the past with successful exits. Prior to founding BCD iLabs, Mr. Indraganti led the global Digital Organization at Ingredion Inc., a Fortune-500 food ingredient multinational corporation as their Global Vice President of Digital Transformation and Strategy focusing on R&D and Manufacturing transformation.
At BCD iLabs, he focuses his knowledge and expertise to improve food production yield at all stages of the food lifecycle, from food formulation, food manufacturing, food logistics and sustainable food production. At BCD iLabs, he is responsible for go-to-market and product development for these cutting-edge, AI-powered products and solutions for the Food & Beverage industry.
“Advantages and Limitations leveraging AI in Product Development”
Alexia Ciarfella,
Product Manager – Capital One (former AI Sr. Product Developer for Mondelēz)
Alexia Ciarfella was previously a Senior Scientist at Mondelez International, developing an Artificial Intelligence tool to optimize the Oreo cookie recipe development process. Her team’s work on this generative AI tool led Mondelez to win the “Best of Business AI” award from Microsoft in 2021, as 1 of the top 10 global organizations expertly using AI as a catalyst for business innovation. Alexia has since left Mondelez to gain experience in the Tech industry, currently working on banking software at Capital One. With 4 years of experience in the food industry and 2 years in the tech sector, Alexia is passionate about enhancing product development using AI and identifying the right business problems to solve using AI. Alexia holds a B.S. in Food Science, a B.S. in Nutritional Science, and an M.S. in Food Science, all from Rutgers University.
“Change management – how can we make AI stick?”
Jing Shen, Ph.D.
AI/ML Director – PepsiCo
Dr. Jing Shen is a PepsiCo R&D AI/ML Director with a focus on enhancing product development, improving customer experience, and driving sustainability by leveraging cutting-edge AI/ML technologies. With over 13 years of experience in PepsiCo, she has developed a unique perspective in designing, building, and deploying data-driven solutions for multiple functional groups, including R&D, supply chain, sales, insights, marketing etc., in PepsiCo. Jing is passionate about leveraging the latest advances in AI/ML technologies to solve complex, real-world problems with measurable business impact. Furthermore, she is deeply committed to growing talents in the data science and food science communities through mentorship and knowledge sharing.
Register Below – SORRY, This event is sold out
If you want to attend, please call or text Gerri at 201-657-1989 to be placed on the waiting list.
Already registered? Don’t forget to make your payment: New York Institute of Food Technologists, Inc. (square.site)