Lauren Augenstein

- Responsible for a team of food scientists focused on ideating, conceptualizing, developing, and commercializing hydration beverage products to maintain and grow Liquid I.V.’s position as a leader in the hydration industry; led and supported team in maintaining optimum and effective workflow, meeting all launch deadlines on time and improving speed to market - Collaborated with cross functional teams to identify unique and compelling story-telling opportunities and conceptualize innovations that fit strategically into the 3-5 year product pipeline - Identified functional ingredients that fit with new product pipeline, considering functional synchronicity, base formula alignment, and cost structure; and developed an associated ingredient, flavor and format library - Developed and continuously optimized a product development and flavor design process (including integration of sensory science and clinical science assessments) and established associated tracking systems, forms, workflow instructions, and SOP’s to support organization-wide implementation of stage-gate methodology - Scouted, interviewed, onboarded, and cultivated skills of three direct reports to solidify their full integration into the R&D team and processes; this effort contributed to 85% departmental growth and supported the annual revenue goal of $1B+ - Represented team in weekly project management meetings; created corresponding R&D timelines, and delegated, supervised and supported direct reports to meet all project milestones and deadlines - Coordinated with Scientific Affairs to initiate clinical studies to gather robust data to support structure/function claims of new functional formulas - Collaborated with Sensory Science team to incorporate internal and external tastings at key points of the PD process - Attended industry trade shows to remain up-to-date on industry trends and identify innovation opportunities including new functional ingredients, flavors, and experiential formats

- Promoted in the midst of initial departmental expansion from a team of two to a team of eleven in one year to support the company’s rapid business growth and product reach - Conceived and formulated innovative products for new functional benefit spaces; engaging in technical planning discussions with key internal and external stakeholders to ensure comprehensive alignment on ingredient interaction and shelf-life stability, product positioning, functional claims, clinical studies, product development milestones, as well as consideration of intellectual property protection with regard to third party participation - Led development of the first ever, clinically studied, sugar-free oral rehydration solution (ORS) formula with five flavors, generating over $100 million in revenue within the first six months and the most successful product launch in Unilever’s 73 year history - Achieved goal of ten flavor and formula matching projects to establish supply chain resilience; scientific evaluation of secondary and tertiary suppliers of core ingredients - Collaborated with external flavor houses by effectively and comprehensively articulating sample feedback based on internal sensory evaluation data and artistic flavor design - Led flavor development and execution of annual new product launches, including concept development, formulation, flavor design and development, scale-up, and commercialization - Participated in project charters and created associated project briefs and formulation sheets for initial project kick-off; managed and ensured timely delivery of critical project milestones through creation of internal tracking systems and weekly meetings with external partners - Crafted flavor language for product storytelling which was used as copy in marketing collateral and training materials; participated in artwork review and approval process for primary and secondary packaging

- Create new formulations (bulk blends, capsules, tablets, bottles and stick packs) and formal quotations for enzyme, probiotic, and other digestive health supplement products based upon customer expectations and internal capabilities - Regularly meet with existing customers and new prospects to identify trends and conceive new formulations utilizing innovative ingredient technologies - Craft descriptive marketing language for customer formulations which has been used in national brand roll-outs - Designated to participate on multi-department internal team to identify efficiency issues and to establish new modules, templates, and operational process flow; Initial results achieved reduced new product setup time by 60%, thus reducing errors, internal frustration, and overall improving customer communication - Collaborate and knowledge transfer with sales team to increase awareness of new processes, align knowledge of internal capabilities, and establish consistent training across departments - Serve as a liaison between sales, sourcing, quality, and production teams to provide interdisciplinary knowledge of operations from product conception to commercialization of finished good products to ensure customer objectives were delivered upon - Lead the setup of new finished good products including composing product specifications and other internal documentation in order to align new products with specific customer expectations and requirements - Utilize CRM, ERP and Quality Management systems on a daily basis

- Developed and implemented a holistic Quality Assurance program for ice pop processing, including Quality Control, data collection protocols, process controls, and corrective actions to ensure that products consistently meet specifications and high quality standards - Established key performance indicators, introduced process visuals and training techniques along with personnel assessments and recommendations for promotion to significantly reduce quality incident occurrences - Co-led advance preparation, documentation, participation, and subsequent remediation of internal and third-party compliance audits; this was essential for revenue expansion and retention for such notable customers as Mercedes Benz Stadium and Whole Foods - Developed batch research and internal taste test methodology; reduced cost of most popular product by 5%, simplifying the batching process and significantly increasing overall product likeability by ingredient replacement (cocoa powder instead of chocolate disks); cross-functional coordination to introduce new ingredients into production - Coordinated departmental celebration to recognize production achievements and key personnel, and to encourage team morale

- Managed production crews of 8 to 10 ‘Frosty Freaks’ to produce ice pops on an industrial scale; responsibilities included initial and advanced personnel training, preparing batches, pouring, freezing, and packaging pops; implemented standard GMPs, SOPs, and SSOPs, and supported adherence to HACCP and Food Safety plan compliance - Assisted with product modification, specifically related to a transition from fresh produce to pasteurized fruit purees, and supported ongoing product development - Optimized process flow resulting in increased production volume of 50% in pre-existing facility; established an efficient process flow in a new facility with an additional 67% increase in production volume - Conceived, recommended, initiated, and established a program to determine product shelf life for labeling purposes - Attended annual company management symposium and invited to participate in Servant Leadership training program - Invited to participate in travel festival ‘Slinger’ training to gain exposure to other departments within the company

• Participated in intense introduction to corporate headquarters including exposure to key commercial accounts, product design laboratory and processes, and production facilities • Evaluated and modified existing formulations to create three Frozen Carbonated Beverage prototypes considering various sweeteners and machine performance • Designed and executed a central location, consumer-based test conducted by a third-party research organization to evaluate taste, texture, and acceptability differences • Prepared and delivered an executive briefing summarizing the methodology and conclusions from the project

• Assisted with product development of new cookie flavors and subsequent processing techniques • Maintained clean and organized working environment, handled customer relations, and baked cookies to precise standards

• Taught children team building activities and guided ropes course activities • Required to work with and lead a team of other counselors

Zell Miller Academic Scholarship