Corinna Bellizzi
Previous Degrees Obtained
University of California Santa Cruz, BA, Honors in the Major, Anthropology; Santa Clara University, MBA, Highest Honors, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Marketing
Research Topic
“* Exploring regenerative agriculture as a potential solution to feed people at scale while tackling the atmospheric carbon problem
Reducing waste in food and nutrition systems, especially as it relates to packaging”
Confronting the intersection of personal agency and food procurement and production systems as it relates to the true cost of foods
Tackling an earth-first approach to nutrition, and the possibility that feeding people in this way may also provide the most health promoting options
“I have spent my career in the natural products industry as a C-Suite executive and omega-3 pioneer. Having scaled Nordic Naturals over dozens of growth hurdles and challenges, I gained a full-circle understanding of wild fish stock sustainability, procurement, processing, and packaging. With a deep understanding of fish sustainability challenges, I shifted my focus to algae, leading the development and launch of Örlö Nutrition, a brand that features the world’s first carbon-negative algae-based supplements. On this journey, I learned that incrementalism can only get you so far, and that sometimes a radical shift is what’s needed to create viable nutrition sources that have true regenerative potential.
I launched my first podcast, Care More Be Better, to cover social and ecological issues. We often discuss incrementalism, and when big shifts are more appropriate. My second show, Nutrition Without Compromise, hones in on the intersection of health, nutrition and sustainability. These shows each provide the opportunity to interview subject matter experts about their research, deepening my knowledge base as I approach subjects with curiosity. One such guest, Dr. Joseph Maroon shared, “”my goal in life is to die young as old as possible””. When he shared this perspective, I not only agreed, but felt that everyone deserved the opportunity to enjoy that reality. My vision crystallized before me. I would work to reveal sustainable nutrition and health solutions that are accessible to all.”
Q&A
I learned about this PhD program by interviewing 3 professors from Prescott on my podcast, Care More Be Better. Dr. Emily Affolter, Dr. Sebastienne Grant, and Dr. Laird Christensen were amazing representatives of the college and they drew me right in! Since my passions are at the intersection of Sustainability, the future of food, and information access it felt like the perfect match!
Through this PhD program at Prescott College, I plan to craft my dissertation with a working title of: The Sustainable and Regenerative Food Frontier: Exploring how personal agency, food producers, and certifying bodies connect to create more sustainable food options for the future of humanity.
I come to this research with a fairly deep understanding of the nutrition issues we face on a global scale, and with clarity that the future of sustainable food will shift as we learn more and as our climate changes. This will be my continual work-in-progress, and I’m excited to take part in this journey, even though the future remains uncertain.
I love that it emboldens my innate curiosity and penchant for explorative learning.
My biggest challenge tends to be time management. I’m a working mom and I have two young boys (aged 6 and 9). By taking just one course at a time, I’m (mostly) able to balance my life.
I’m a natural products industry executive who specializes in building sustainable brands that define their respective categories. While I’ve spent a majority of my career at the executive, C-suite level, I now acknowledge that this type of work doesn’t feed my soul.
With the next phase of my work-life, I want to dive more deeply into content creation, writing books and articles that inspire people to be less compromising when it comes to their health and wellness and their environmentalism. I want to inspire people to understand they have agency. They can demand plastic-free options and packaging that doesn’t degrade our environment. I may work with an organization to help them access green consumers more, or to help them overhaul their business strategies on these fronts.
I LOVE podcasting, and having deep conversations one-on-one with a variety of subject matter experts. It scratches my critical thinking and curiosity itches and brings me so much joy. I LOVE cooking great food and entertaining people in my home. I LOVE being outside in nature with my friends, family, dogs, or all alone. I also LOVE coffee, hot sauce, and artisanal chocolate. While these last 3 aren’t exactly “hobbies” they bring me joy and offer daily rituals to color my life a little more. Plus, when I enjoy them with friends, life is even more rich!
Come to your coursework with a curious, open mind, and save every article that inspires you. You never know when you’ll need (or want) to revisit that research!