Kara Nielsen, Trendologist, is an expert in food and beverage trends and the consumer values that drive trend growth and adoption. For nearly twenty years, she has translated trends for strategic brand growth and product development for food manufacturers, foodservice operators and other firms through her work at WGSN, CCD Innovation, Innova Market Insights, Sterling-Rice Group and CEB Iconoculture Consumer Insights.
Kara was the founding director of the Food & Drink vertical at trend forecasting firm WGSN, based in the UK. It offers global food and drink trend forecasts and reports to inspire new product design. During her two tenures at CCD Innovation (2006-2013; 2017-2019), she oversaw the publication of nearly 30 food and beverage trend newsletters for the company’s Trend Insights program and 40 bi-monthly trend reports in conjunction with Packaged Facts, a syndicated market research company. She has contributed food trend content and insights to food industry publications including Prepared Foods, Flavor & the Menu, Food Technology and Culinology. She is a frequent commentator on trends in the national media and speaks frequently on trends at food industry conferences and trade shows across the country.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nielsen began her career as a culinary professional, working in restaurants as a pastry chef and manager. Kara’s interest in food culture and education led her to manage a number of food, wine and culinary arts programs at Copia: The American Center for Wine Food & the Arts in Napa, Boston University and Sur La Table, Berkeley. Her writings on gastronomy have appeared in Gastronomica and the Sage Encyclopedia of Food Issues.
Kara holds a Master’s degree in Gastronomy from Boston University and a Bachelor’s in French Studies from Northwestern University. She also earned two certificates from the UK-based Wine & Spirits Education Trust. She is the current president of Les Dames d’Escoffier, San Francisco Chapter; a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals; and a past board member of the San Francisco Professional Food Society.
Kara Nielsen, The Sweets Professor, has been in love with desserts, baked goods, pastry and more since she was a child, choosing between a Chocolate Donut or a Hostess Cherry Pie for a Saturday night treat and baking dozens of cookies for her family. One of her favorite Christmas gifts was a Hamilton Beach Donut Maker, an early tell.
Kara discovered the world of French pastry and baking during her junior year abroad in Paris as a French major and has never really looked back. She trained as a pastry chef and worked in numerous restaurant kitchens, making fine-dining desserts for seven years in Berkeley and Oakland restaurants. She wrote on pastry and baking topics during her master’s degree work in Gastronomy at Boston University, and taught classes on donut and dessert making and chocolate tasting for the culinary program there.
During her years researching and writing about food trends, Kara took extra pleasure in sweet food category work - baked goods, pastry, ice cream, restaurant desserts. She added cultural and historical context to her work to bring the world of sweet foods alive. Her favorite activities with clients were trend tours, guiding a group to retail and foodservice spots, tasting along the way.
She is now offering programs and services focused on sweets of all kinds as The Sweets Professor.
Detailed Resume
Experience
WGSN Director, Food & Drink
CCD Innovation Vice President, Trends & Marketing
Innova Market Insights Sales & Engagement Manager
Sterling-Rice Group Culinary Director
CEB Iconoculture Consumer Insights Food & Beverage Strategist
CCD Innovation Trendologist
Boston University Gastronomy, Culinary Arts Program Graduate Student/Program Assistant
Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food & The Arts, Napa, California
Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker Customer Engagement, Berkeley, California
Sur La Table Cooking Program Coordinator, Berkeley, California
Fine Dining Pastry Chef Rivoli, Café Rouge, Citroen, Splendido, Lalime’s
Education
Boston University Master's in Gastronomy
Northwestern University Bachelor's in French Studies
Wine & Spirits Education Trust Intermediate, Advanced Certificates
Diablo Valley College Commercial Baking, Pastry Arts
Memberships
Les Dames d'Escoffier, San Francisco Chapter
International Association of Culinary Professionals