Supply Chain Expert Exchange Recap: Freight, Fresh, and the Power of Peer Networks

In this special recap episode of Grounded, host Lauren Mitchell sits down with a powerhouse panel of supply chain leaders to unpack the biggest insights from this year’s Supply Chain Expert Exchange. Joining Lauren are:

Jen Silveira, Vice President of Supply Chain, CAVA

Owen Brady, Executive Vice President, BEP Fresh (Buyers Edge Platform)

Adam Hing, Director of Supply Chain, Noodles & Company

Sara Burnett, Senior Director of Supply Chain, Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Michelle Elwonger, Vice President of Supply Chain, Metro Diner

Together, they break down the sessions, roundtables, and hallway conversations that sparked action back at their organizations—from navigating new EPR regulations to rethinking freight and leveraging AI, fresh produce insights, and peer networks.

🔑 5 Key Takeaways

EPR and ESG are now urgent, not optional.
Jen shares how Chloe Kappen’s session on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging turned a “someday” sustainability topic into an immediate compliance and financial priority—prompting KAVA to launch a cross-functional working group with legal.

Freight should be managed like a portfolio, not a commodity.
Owen highlights Dr. Kaplis’ freight session, emphasizing that freight doesn’t behave like a traditional “buy more, pay less” commodity. The real value comes from optimizing lanes, reducing friction, and focusing on the 20% of lanes that drive 80% of cost—illustrated by his memorable “taxi vs. bus” analogy.

Roundtables turn conferences into working think tanks.
Michelle walks through how the Expert Exchange curates ~20 roundtable topics—like AI, tariffs, LTO planning, risk management, and fresh supply chain—based on attendee surveys and real-time trends. Operators swap practical tactics (like Crumbl’s weekly LTO discipline) and walk away with playbooks they can actually use.

Fresh supply chains demand visibility—and courage.
Adam and Lauren dive into the “fresh thinking” table, where leaders explored blind spots in produce and protein: weather disruptions, country-of-origin transitions, receiving practices, and back-of-house handling. The message: don’t be afraid of fresh—lean on your partners, your data, and your network to manage the volatility.

Trends, tariffs, and AI: we’re aligned on challenges, mixed on comfort levels.
Sara recaps the interactive “hot topics” session with live polling on AI usage, tariff mitigation, LTO management, and 2026 priorities. Cost management ranks high across the room, while comfort with AI is more cautious. The tech-enabled anonymity revealed honest, unfiltered perspectives operators can take back to their teams.

💬 Quote of the Episode

“It’s more like a think tank than a conference, which is what makes it stand out.”
— Michelle Elwonger, Vice President of Supply Chain, Metro Diner

🔗 Connect with Today’s Guests

Find and connect with our panelists on LinkedIn and learn more about their brands:

Jen Silveira – Vice President of Supply Chain, CAVA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-silveira-180a237/

Company: CAVA – https://cava.com/

Owen Brady – Executive Vice President, BEP Fresh (Buyers Edge Platform)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owen-brady-b897a75/

Company: Buyers Edge Platform / BEP Fresh – https://buyersedgeplatform.com/

Adam Hing – Director of Supply Chain, Noodles & Company

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhing/