When you think of cultural anthropologists, do you picture them working for a food company?

It makes perfect sense once you meet Tanya Rodriguez of Hormel Foods. Tanya, whose official title is Senior Human Experience Research Manager, uses ethnography and storytelling to uncover diverse consumer insights. By identifying product pain points and uncovering consumer's desires, she guides Hormel teams on renovating existing products or creating new ones to improve consumer food experiences. As a former social worker, Tanya is also a fierce advocate for food equity and food sovereignty.

We invited Tanya to speak about the nature of her role and how learning directly from consumers impacts Hormel’s food while ensuring products reflect equity and representation.