PRESS RELEASE: April 16, 2020 – Today, the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) is thrilled to introduce its 2020-2021 class of Fruit and Vegetable Ambassadors in Action (FVAA). PBH continues to enhance its efforts to inspire Millennial and Gen Z consumers, expanding the Ambassador Network to include 24 diverse experts, who bring creativity, energy and leadership to promote fruit and veggie benefits across a range of platforms. PBH is introducing these 24 change makers virtually given its annual Consumer Connection Conference was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“At PBH, we’re 100% focused on helping consumers enjoy eating more fruits and vegetables for greater health and happiness as well as inspiring lasting behavior change,” says Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, PBH president and CEO. “We’re thrilled to grow our Fruit and Vegetable Ambassadors in Action (FVAA) Network to include 24 passionate influencers who have the keen ability to tap directly into consumers’ emotional connection to food, helping them ignite a new relationship with fruits and vegetables. These advocates are a powerful asset to amplify the goals of PBH and our members with meaningful partnerships.”
This year’s impressive roster holds major Millennial- and Gen Z-appeal. With strong digital and social media presence – collectively reaching more than 1.5 Million consumers with PBH – their click-worthy content helps turn online fruit and veggie love into real behavior change. With tailored partnership plans already in place with PBH, the FVAA are eagerly working hard for PBH members, by advancing the Have A Plant® Movement through their individual brand platforms. In addition, they are fueling PBH’s digital ecosystem with unique and inspiring content in-kind as well as embracing PBH member partnerships. This best-in-class expert network also has expertise to engage with PBH and its members beyond digital media, from co-hosting educational symposia and events to generating top-tier media placements and supporting retail promotions.
“Consumers crave an authentic, no-nonsense approach when they look to brands for leadership and advice,” says Katie Toulouse, PBH marketing and communications director. “This is precisely what the Ambassadors offer to PBH and its members – a non-prescriptive, engaging and inspiring way to communicate the powerful role fruits and vegetables play in fueling healthy, happy lifestyles.”
After a highly competitive application process, the 2020-2021 FVAA class was carefully selected based on their significant consumer credibility, digital and social media reach, media-savvy smarts, endlessly compelling expert content, and most importantly, their genuine passion for promoting fruits and vegetables in everyday life. Launched in 2019, the FVAA continue to bring a range of expertise to the table – from food, agriculture and culinary to school nutrition, fitness and lifestyle skills. Bios for each of these elite Ambassadors, along with links to their digital and social platforms, can be downloaded here.
Meet the PBH 2020-2021 FVAA Class!
- Valerie Agyeman – Flourish Heights (Washington, DC)
- Joan Salge Blake – Joan Salge Blake – SpotOn! Podcast (Boston, MA)
- Leslie Bonci – Active Eating Advice (Pittsburgh, PA)
- Kristen Carli – Mostly Green (Scottsdale, AZ)
- Neva Cochran – Eating Beyond the Headlines (Dallas, TX)
- Beau Coffron – Lunchbox Dad (Edmund, OK)
- Stephen and Elise Compston – Straight Outta Compston’s Kitchen (Reno, NV)
- Andrew Dole – Body Fuel (Castle Rock, CO)
- Mandy Enright – Food + Movement (Jersey Shore, NJ)
- Abbie Gellman – Culinary Nutrition Cuisine (New York, NY)
- Cara Harbstreet – Street Smart Nutrition (Overland Park, KS)
- Dayle Hayes – School Meals that Rock (Bozeman, MT)
- Kelly Jones – Kelly Jones Nutrition (Philadelphia, PA)
- Kristina LaRue – Love and Zest (Winter Park, FL)
- Andrea Mathis – Beautiful Eats and Things (Pinson, AL)
- Megan McCarthy – Healthy Eating 101 (Atlanta, GA)
- Nicole Rodriguez – Enjoy Food Enjoy Life (New York, NY)
- Sarah Schlichter – Bucket List Tummy (Washington, DC)
- Kelli Shallal – Hungry Hobby (Phoenix, AZ)
- Lori Taylor – The Produce Moms® (Indianapolis, IN)
- Jonathan Valdez – Genki Nutrition (New York, NY)
- Manuel Villacorta – Manuel Villacorta (San Francisco, CA)
- Elisabeth Watkins – Farm Girl Chef (Reno, NV)
- Liz Weiss – Liz’s Healthy Table (Boston, MA)
For more information on how to engage with PBH and its FVAA class, as well as PBH’s broad-based retail and foodservice influencer network, please contact Katie Toulouse, PBH Marketing and Communications Director.
About the Produce for Better Health Foundation
Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), a nonprofit 501(c)(3), is the only national organization dedicated to helping consumers live happier, healthy lives by eating more fruits and vegetables, including fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice, every single day.
Since 1991, PBH has invested decades into developing trended insights on attitudes toward all forms of fruit and vegetable consumption, in addition to campaigns and partnerships with government, food industry stakeholders, health professionals and other thought leaders to collaborate, facilitate and advocate for increased intake. Campaigns included first, the 5-A-Day program, and then, the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters public health initiative. While five fruits and vegetables each day is great advice, and more will always matter, PBH’s new behavior-based call-to-action is Have A Plant™. Rooted in behavioral science, PBH’s transformative Have A Plant™ movement is an invitation that will inspire people with compelling reasons to believe in the powerful role fruits and vegetables can play to create happy, healthy and active lives.
Be sure to join the Have A Plant™ movement and get new recipes, snack hacks, meal ideas and other tips from chefs, registered dietitians, as well as food and wellness experts by visiting www.fruitsandveggies.org. Follow us on Facebook @fruitsandveggies; on Twitter @fruits_veggies; on Instagram @fruitsandveggies; on Pinterest @fruits_veggies; and on LinkedIn at Produce for Better Health Foundation. And remember to #haveaplant.
