Name: Karina Sudenyte
Age: 25
Job title: Co-founder & CMO
Company & location: Flawsome, Cardiff
Education: University of South Wales, Business management/HR
Why did you decide to go for a career in food? I always had a keen interest in social dynamics and an appreciation of mother nature, having grown up intrigued by my grandmother’s stories about wildlife and sustainable living. I love anything that speaks food, exploring new cuisines, shopping my fruit & vegetables at the local markets. I was brought up helping my grandmother run her orchards and vegetable plots. When I moved to London I was shocked to see supermarkets selling fruits of uniform size, usually wrapped in plastic. Myself and my partner then investigated, visited farms, and were shocked at the waste we discovered. So, inspired by our nans’ tasty recipes, we started saving imperfect and surplus fruit and transforming it into perfectly crafted cold-pressed juices.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): Inspiring the world to reimagine its perception of waste. At Flawsome we all believe in a world where food isn’t wasted needlessly, by offering juices made from weird, wonky or surplus fruit & vegetables. So my job really is to make other people as passionate about sustainable craft drinks as I am and encourage consumers to reduce waste in all its forms by reimagining waste creatively.
What does a typical day look like for you? I am generally responsible for developing and implementing the overall business marketing strategy. I listen to the trends of the market and direct the market research efforts of the company. Being part of creative process with my marketing team is my favourite part, where on a daily basis we come up with Flawsome and good-for-the-planet ideas.
“I am grateful to be able to play my part in making a positive impact”
What’s the best part about working for a food company? It is so fascinating to watch the food and beverage industry changing its patterns on consumer awareness. Specifically exploring new trends towards health, wellness and sustainability. I am grateful to be able to play my part in making a positive impact, because simply there is no planet B. It’s great to see people joining our mission and making a positive impact together with us: helping farmers, tackling food and plastic waste.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? The food and drink industry is full of flavour and there are plenty of opportunities for someone looking to dive in. This industry is fast-paced and will always keep you on your toes. You should’t limit yourself by your background; explore opportunities within food and drink companies that you’re passionate about and share the same vision.
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? Everything always seems to be sweet and blossom!
What’s your ultimate career dream? I love Flawsome too much! Definitely I see myself being part of this journey for as long as it will exist! I’m super-excited to see what we can do in the next three years and I am sure we can make an even better positive impact moving forward.
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