New Jersey Policy Think Tank: For the Food Industry and Restaurants
Food Systems Department | Management Department
Mission Statement
New Jersey Food Policy Think Tank exists to help guide public policy towards a more sustainable and healthier food system for all and to help advise participants within the food system. This includes engagement of the food and restaurant industries with academia to promote effective operational strategies for now and the future.
About Us
The food industry in New Jersey is a vibrant contributor to the health, well-being, and economic lives of citizens. Thousands of people work in sectors such as farming, manufacturing, distribution, and food retailing. The New Jersey Policy Think Tank is an interdisciplinary group of industry experts and academics that offer insights as the industry changes and modernizes.
Our first area of focus is the restaurant industry in New Jersey, which employs thousands of workers. It is uniquely diverse and creative. Our restaurants cement communities as they are the gathering point for cultural and social exchanges. Operating a successful food service operation requires a multitude of business and hospitality skills and a steady flow of dedicated customers. Currently, workforce availability is affecting the efficiency of local restaurant operations, while environmental concerns are affecting the willingness of customers to eat out. Increasing operational costs are also hampering the saliency of these operations.
The New Jersey Policy Think Tank has established a panel to address the multiple issues that local restaurateurs face in contemporary and future environments. This panel provides a forum for operators who need advice or wish to share their concerns about current or emerging issues. Potential solutions and resources are offered through a commonality of efforts. The New Jersey Policy Think Tank engages in conferences, support sessions, and as a plenary link for support services. Our areas of focus include:
- Financial Literacy
- Human Resources, Workforce Management, Education and Training
- Marketing Management
- Purchasing and Supply Chain Issues
- Technological Development and Digital Skills
- Industry, Community, and Governmental Engagement
Charles Feldman, Ph.D., is a Professor of Food Systems in the Nutrition and Food Studies department at Montclair State University, New Jersey. He currently teaches research, quantity food, sustainability and practicum courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Feldman received his Ph.D. from New York University. He owned and operated foodservice operations. Dr. Feldman is a Fulbright Scholar, who has given many international scholarly and industry presentations on topics spanning the culinary, nutrition and foodservice fields. He has published international research in public health, culinary technology, food anthropology, food history, foodservice, food safety, food and culture and nutrition journals.
Ethné Swartz, Ph.D.,is Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship, a Fulbright Scholar and a research associate at the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science. Dr. Swartz joined the Feliciano School of Business from Fairleigh Dickinson’s Silberman College of Business where she was on the faculty from 2000 to 2018, holding the rank of full professor. She chaired the Marketing and Entrepreneurship Department and served as an associate dean in the Silberman College of Business. She earned a Ph.D. in Management from the University of Manchester, UK, and an MS in Information Systems from Manchester Metropolitan University. Her research and teaching interests include digital entrepreneurship, strategic management, entrepreneurship and innovation, and management of technology.
Craig Shelton has earned countless awards as Chef-Owner of his own restaurants including a James Beard Best Chef medal, NY Times 4-Stars ratings on four separate occasions, a 5-Star Forbes rating, the Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef title; and Number One Top Restaurant in America in 2004 from GQ. Mr. Shelton is also an instructor at Princeton University in the Princeton Environmental Institute. Mr. Shelton began his expertise in this area while an undergraduate of Yale where he earned his degree in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. He is a co-founder of the think tank, Princeton Center for Food Studies, the founder of King’s Row Coffee, and a co-founder of Aeon Holistic Agriculture, Inc. and Chef/Partner at Mountainville Manor.
Emmanuel LaRouche As VP of Marketing & Consumer Insights for Symrise, leads the Symrise Flavor Marketing initiatives in North America, both traditional and digital. In addition to leadership, my role includes so much more; I provide marketing vision, empower my team to try new approaches, facilitate learning through coaching and good feedback and build strong relationships with my team and customers alike. As the host of the ‘flavors unknown’, Emmanuel Laroche shares the true story, success, and failures of renowned culinary leaders and how their cultural identity shaped their creative process. Link to the podcast https://flavorsunknown.com/
Esther Psarakis is the creator of Foodpreneur®, a strategic sales/marketing & educational consultancy, with a comprehensive curriculum for launching a specialty foods company as well as international companies seeking to launch products in the US. An advisor with NJ SBDC, Rising Tide Capital & Rutgers Food Innovation Center, she focuses on food and beverage-centric companies. Her strong skill set on mentoring, concept development, business plan and sales strategies has been applied to a wide range of companies. With international companies, ranging from Tunisia, El Salvador, Ecuador, Brazil, Greece and other countries, she has created effective sales and marketing strategies for US launch. She is a popular speaker and presenter on television and radio.
Dr. Peggy Brennan-Tonetta is Director, Resource and Economic Development for the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. She is responsible for all NJAES off-campus facilities including research farms, marine research stations and business incubators. She is also the founder and administrator in charge of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center, an internationally recognized food business incubation program. Peggy has a distinguished record of developing and leading economic development initiatives. She is an economist with expertise in economic development strategies and impact assessment. She received a B.S. in Economics, M.S. in Agricultural Economics and a Ph.D. in Public Policy all from Rutgers.
Michele Joseph, MBA, Executive Director SGAP Leaders, is the executive director of the Student Global Ambassador Program (SGAP Leaders) – a nonprofit leadership program that empowers underserved youth (ages 13-18) to take action on real-world problems by using STEM to solve social justice challenges. It provides a vehicle for 4,500+ youth to address problems ranging from climate change, access to clean water, and food deserts. In the process, students develop leadership and soft skills for college/career. Ms. Joseph attained her MBA from Georgetown University, has over two decades of strategy, and branding experience, and is passionate about developing food-preneurship opportunities for those in underserved communities.
Anish Parikh, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Hospitality and Tourism Department at Montclair State University, New Jersey. He currently teaches courses in food and beverage management, service management, and managing diversity. Dr. Parikh received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University. He has over 15 years of foodservice operations experience, including institutional foodservice, restaurant operations, and consulting with developing multiunit restaurant concepts. He has published scholarly works in the areas of automation in foodservice, usage of electronic word-of-mouth by restaurant consumers and managers, and supporting foodservice employee well-being.
Alyssa Smolen, Think Tank Program Administrator is a Montclair State University graduate with a degree in dietetics and minor in journalism. Currently, she is a Montclair State University graduate assistant obtaining her Master of Science in nutrition and food science. Alyssa’s dietetic areas of interest include low-income nutrition, community nutrition and pediatric nutrition.