Fireside Chat with Oobli

The Food and Wine Leadership Club is pleased to present the next session of our speaker series: a fireside chat with Abby Wonnacott, people partner at Oobli, a pioneering startup at the intersection of food, biotechnology, health and sustainable innovation. This virtual discussion will give students a behind-the-scenes look at how culture, operations and organizational strategy combine to build fast-growing organizations in today’s food and beverage industry.

What to Expect

Wonnacott offers a strong background in people operations, talent development and workforce strategy. She plays a key role at Oobli in fostering team growth, cultivating culture and establishing the practices that allow a high-potential firm to scale effectively. During the fireside chat, she will discuss her career path—from joining the people and culture field to becoming a strategic partner to leadership at a mission-driven food innovation company. Attendees will learn what it takes to develop successful teams, how culture drives operational decision-making and how individuals can prepare for careers in the food, consumer packaged goods and biotech industries.

The session will begin with a brief introduction from the Food and Wine Leadership Club, followed by a moderated discussion about Wonnacott’s experience, the challenges and opportunities in talent-focused roles and Oobli’s mission and success story. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions during an open Q&A session at the end of the program.

Whether you’re curious about people operations, organizational leadership or food innovation, or want to understand the inner workings of a startup, this fireside chat offers an engaging and informative opportunity to learn directly from an industry professional shaping the future of work in food technology.

Food and Wine Speaker Series

This event is part of the Food and Wine speaker series, which brings together industry professionals from food, agriculture, sustainability and innovation to speak with UC Davis students. The series introduces students to real-world leadership experiences, current industry trends and the diverse range of multidisciplinary career options in the food and beverage industry.