Elizabeth Hemphill-Burns

Chief Executive Officer @ PLANTVERSE™

About

CEO and Founder of PLANTVERSE, I bring over a decade of leadership experience driving revenue and innovation in the natural and specialty foods industry. At PLANTVERSE, we empower plant-based brands through expert consulting, fractional sales leadership, and strategic retail services. With a sharp eye for opportunity and a passion for food as medicine, I specialize in launching disruptive products, rebuilding brands with purpose, and accelerating market expansion through data-backed strategies.Known for cultivating strong buyer relationships and delivering high-impact presentations, I thrive in fast-paced, competitive environments. I’m a charismatic, culturally attuned leader who adapts quickly to shifting market conditions and inspires teams to exceed goals. My strengths lie in translating insights into action—leveraging P&L management, sales process optimization, and category growth expertise to scale purpose-driven brands and deliver sustainable growth.

Country

City

United States

Industry

Food & Beverages

Skill

Experience

Chief Executive Officer

PLANTVERSE™

2024-7 - Present · 2 yrs 3 mos

Ardmore, PA

Strategic Advisor

Port Jersey Logistics Network

2026-2 - Present · 8 mos

Board of Directors

Specialty Food Association

2024-7 - 2025-8 · 1 yr 2 mos

Senior Director of National Sales

BRAINJUICE®

2023-3 - 2024-7 · 1 yr 5 mos

National Account Manager

Pressed Juicery

2022-2 - 2023-3 · 1 yr 2 mos

Senior Account Manager (Kings & Balducci's)

KeHE Distributors

2021-2 - 2022-2 · 1 yr 1 mo

Senior Account Manager (Albertsons-ACME Markets)

KeHE Distributors

2019-4 - 2021-1 · 1 yr 10 mos

Malvern, Pennsylvannia

Regional Promotions Manager, Northeast

KeHE Distributors

2017-8 - 2019-4 · 1 yr 9 mos

Northeast

National Sales Director

Mavuno Harvest

2017-2 - 2017-5 · 4 mos

Greater Philadelphia

Director of Sales

Co.Exist Nutrition / 22 Days Nutrition

2014-8 - 2016-3 · 1 yr 8 mos

Washington DC-Baltimore Area

Regional Sales Director-East

Co.Exist Nutrition / 22 Days Nutrition

2014-3 - 2014-8 · 6 mos

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Regional Account Manager

Vega

2013-2 - 2014-2 · 1 yr 1 mo

Virginia

Whole Body Associate Team Leader

Whole Foods Market

2012-5 - 2013-2 · 10 mos

Greater Philadelphia

Whole Body Buyer

Whole Foods Market

2010-8 - 2012-5 · 1 yr 10 mos

Greater Philadelphia Area

Education

Wharton Executive Education

2023 - 2024 · 1 yr

Fox School of Business at Temple University

Human Resources Management and Services

2008 - 2012 · 4 yrs

Harvard Business School Online

Leading with Finance

2020 - 2020

We learned to understand key financial levers that drive financial performance. We discovered how and why finance is concerned with cash flow versus profits. We identified ways to create and measure value through deep financial intuition and analytics of key performance indicators and capital market trends.

Harvard Business Analytics Program

2021 - Present · 5 yrs

Coursework Included: Digital Strategy and Innovation We learned to speak the language of data scientists; and leverage data and analytics to drive strategy and innovation across the firm. Explore how to gain competitive advantages in a data-centric world. Apply data-driven strategies to lead organizational change and inform managerial practices effectively.

Cornell University

Professional Food Buyer

2020 - 2020

-Learned the principles and best practices for purchasing and merchandising specialty foods -Gained knowledge about industry trends, vendor relations, and product sourcing strategies -Understand the importance and value that specialty foods bring to the marketplace -Acquired the training necessary to help stores, chains, and distributor communities meet their business objectives