Event description

What does storytelling have to do with sustainability? Everything.

At the Sustainability Storytelling Café, GFI’s Emma Ignaszewski, Associate Vice President of Corporate Engagement, will join global food and climate leaders to explore the power of narrative in driving institutional change.

Hosted by D Leader and the U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce, this live virtual session will spotlight how plant-rich diets, responsible sourcing, and food system innovation can accelerate measurable climate action and support ESG priorities.

Emma will bring GFI’s perspective to the table, sharing how food system transformation is central to building a sustainable, secure, and just future—and how companies and institutions can lead the shift.

Tune in live on LinkedIn and join the conversation in the comments.

Speakers include voices from Friends of the Earth, ESRAG, Greener by Default, and the U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce. Catch the replay later on YouTube.

GFI speaker

Emma ignaszewski

Emma Ignaszewski

ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT OF CORPORATE ENGAGEMENT

Emma Ignaszewski oversees the corporate engagement team’s direct outreach group and provides guidance to CE’s operations and support functions. Her work helps to ensure the seamless execution of GFI’s corporate strategy and stakeholder engagement initiatives.

The CE team conducts research and share insights to educate the public on alternative proteins and champion their adoption by the food industry, including manufacturers, retailers, restaurants, investors, and more. By 2050, the global demand for meat is projected to rise significantly. By reimagining how meat is made, we can meet consumers where they are. Our work makes it possible for alternative proteins to increasingly compete with conventional meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy on the key drivers of consumer choice: taste, price, and convenience. We analyze the market, uncover consumer insights, identify AP white spaces and opportunities, and build the community.

Emma has previously overseen GFI’s market and consumer insights zone, where she helped develop GFI’s alternative protein research agenda and its flagship State of the Industry reports. Before GFI, she worked in strategy, marketing, and communications in the design industry as well as in the health education and access sector. She has a background in the TED community, founding and curating regional TEDx events and helping thinkers hone their ideas worth spreading. She holds a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Cornell University.

Upcoming events

View all events
An overhead view of various beans
Virtual Event

The Science of Alt Protein: Bean breeding and genetics for sustainable protein production

Learn how advances in dry bean breeding and genetics can support both agricultural performance and food quality outcomes.

Https://gfi. Org/wp content/uploads/2026/02/sci26002 apply to join app event graphics header feature

Apply to join the Alt Protein Project

Applications to join the Alt Protein Project are now live! Attend our information session to discover how you can play a pivotal role in bringing the alternative protein movement to…

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

Future of Protein Production – Chicago

GFI is heading to Chicago! Join Bruce Friedrich, Patrick McAuley, and leading voices across science, policy, and industry for a solutions-focused summit on the future of food.

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

Sustainability Storytelling Café | Plate to Planet

From plate to planet: How our food choices shape the world.

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

Informational Hearing – How the Alternative Protein Industry Helps Cultivate California’s Circular Agricultural Bioeconomy

California’s agricultural future is circular—and alternative proteins are at the center of it.

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

Natural Products Expo West – Competing on Health: Insights for Plant-Based Brands

Event description Health isn’t just a trend—it’s reshaping the competitive landscape of food. At Natural Products Expo West, GFI will lead a timely conversation on how evolving definitions of “healthy”…

An illustration of the globe with two hands reaching towards one another.  third party event featured image.
San Francisco Marriott Marquis

Future Food-Tech San Francisco – Breaking Barriers to Scale: Cost, Efficiency, and De-Risking Bioprocessing

From modular systems to shared infrastructure, the future of bioprocessing is getting real. Join GFI’s Amanda Hildebrand at Future Food-Tech San Francisco as she moderates a dynamic breakout session on…