Salma Fotovat is the Co-Founder & Sourcing & Procurement Director at Riverside Natural Foods, Ltd. - Home of MadeGood. They are a Canadian-owned company that specializes in creating healthy, allergy-friendly snacks

She shares her insights on the complexities of product development in the dairy industry. She discusses the importance of collaboration, the challenges of optimizing established products, and the innovative processes involved in launching new products. Pratisha emphasizes the significance of curiosity, human connections, and networking in her career journey, providing valuable advice for aspiring product developers.

---

Shownotes: https://foodgrads.com/podcast/Salma-Fotovat

---

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Introduction 03:15 – What Is a Sourcing and Procurement Career? 07:30 – What This Job Actually Looks Like Day to Day 12:00 – How a Single Ingredient Takes Months to Approve 18:00 – Why "Right Price, Right Place" Is Harder Than It Sounds 22:00 – What Happens When 50% of Your Main Ingredient Disappears 27:00 – How Strong Relationships Saved the Business 31:30 – What Makes a Supplier Actually Want to Work With You 36:00 – How Procurement Can Support Farmers and the Planet 40:30 – The Future of Supply Chain Careers and Sustainability 45:30 – Skills Students Should Start Building Now

---

📙 Career Guides: https://foodgrads.com/career-paths-food-and-beverage/ 💭 Career Advice: https://foodgrads.com/blog/

---

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

💼 Salma Fotovat LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salmafotovat/ 💼 Riverside Natural Foods LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/riverside-natural-foods/ 🌐 Riverside Natural Foods Website: https://www.riversidenaturalfoods.com/ 📸 MadeGood Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madegoodfoods/

---

CONNECT WITH US 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodgrads/ 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@foodgrads.com 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/foodgrads/