Event description

Many Americans have tried plant-based meat and even more express interest, but a minority are eating it regularly. To expand beyond early adopters and increase frequency, it is imperative to better understand the unique segments of consumers that exist in the market and their needs and attitudes toward the category. Tune in April 8 for an overview of GFI’s new plant-based meat consumer segmentation that provides a framework to understand opportunities to grow plant-based meat consumption.

Meet the speakers

Jody kirchner

Jody Kirchner

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF MARKET INSIGHTS

Jody Kirchner leads GFI’s market and consumer insights team, delivering data-driven analysis to educate industry leaders and key stakeholders on the opportunities around alternative proteins. Prior to joining GFI, Jody worked as a strategy consultant for over 15 years, helping companies better understand their customers and develop and execute growth plans. She supported companies from startups to Fortune 100 as well as those looking to invest in or launch new businesses. Her work focused heavily on the food industry, while also touching a diverse range of other sectors. Earlier, Jody led marketing for an airline maintenance startup and worked as a design engineer in the aerospace industry. Jody holds an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an MS in Aeronautics from MIT, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from The University of British Columbia.

Taylor leet-otley

Taylor Leet-Otley

CONSUMER RESEARCH LEAD

Taylor Leet-Otley oversees GFI’s consumer research, keeping the organization and the industry in touch with consumers’ needs & beliefs in the fast-moving alternative protein category. Taylor joined GFI with a background as a consultant focused on market research, consumer insights, and strategy. He worked in a diverse range of industries including CPG, energy, recycling, healthcare, and consumer tech, with a focus on brand management, B2B strategy, and market entry. He graduated from Wesleyan University with a BA in Neuroscience and Religion.

Upcoming events

View all events
An illustration of the globe with two hands reaching towards one another.  third party event featured image.
Johns Hopkins University

Bruce Friedrich at Johns Hopkins University: Meat — a homecoming conversation

Event description Co-hosted with the Center for a Livable Future (based at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health), this event is a chance to connect the dots between…

An illustration of a person speaking at a podium
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law

The Future of Innovation, Sustainability, and the Law Symposium

GFI’s Madeline Cohen joins Northwestern Pritzker Law’s 2026 Animal Law Symposium for a timely conversation on the legal and policy questions shaping the future of food innovation.

An illustration of the globe with two hands reaching towards one another.  third party event featured image.
NC State University

Alternative Protein Symposium: Bridging Science and Society

Join Bruce Friedrich and our Alt Protein Project leaders from NC State, Duke University, and Virginia Tech at the Alternative Protein Symposium: Bridging Science and Society.

A family grocery shopping
Virtual Event

The Business of Alt Protein: Messaging to drive consumer adoption of plant-based foods

Join CEO of People for Better Food, Emilie Fitch, and GFI’s Associate Director of Market Insights, Jody Kirchner, to explore new research on the messaging strategies that effectively resonate with…

Https://gfi. Org/wp content/uploads/2026/03/sci26008 byapc april webinar graphics header featured
Virtual Event

Building Your Alt Protein Career: Gastronomic science

Join us to learn how gastronomic science can be translated into high-impact food solutions.

An illustration of the globe with two hands reaching towards one another.  third party event featured image.
Virtual Event

Animal-Free Meat: The Next Agricultural Revolution

Come learn how science, policy, and industry can work together to satisfy the world’s soaring demand for meat, no animals required.

An illustration of the globe with two hands reaching towards one another.  third party event featured image.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The Climate Challenge & Protein Diversification for the Global South

Food systems sit at the center of the climate challenge. This DC Climate Week session brings together development finance leaders, researchers, and industry experts to explore how diversified protein production…