157. Sarela Herrada on Creating Food Transparency Across Borders

How does an international food to table operation actually get food to tables?  Today we have Sarela Herrada, co-founder of Simpli, on the show. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Sarela grew up around farmers; her parents ran an organic chicken coop. She moved to the US at the age of 14, and later studied and gained relevant experience in food supply chains. In 2019, she co-founded Simpli. Simpli works directly with international farming communities to streamline the traditionally complicated supply chain process and create a true farm to table model. Their process allows for 100% traceability and serves people with products of integrity. With Sarela’s experience building and leading the supply chain for a national food brand, and her partner’s finance and business background, the adventurous pair is on a mission to connect people around the world through food. Join us to learn all about how Sarela runs this thriving supply chain operation!   You’ll hear: About Sarela’s background 1:05 The problem with the supply chain today 4:17 How Simpli negotiates contracts 10:17 How Simpli finds the right people to work with 14:41 About the training process for regenerative organic 16:27 What a farmer interested in selling wholesale needs to think about 20:21 What quantities are typically seen coming from an individual farm 22:29 How Simpli’s prices compare to the competition 28:13   About the Guest:Sarela Herrada is the co-founder of SIMPLi, an ethically-sourced ingredients company with a larger mission of transforming a fraudulent international supply chain. Sarela focuses on domestic and international operations, marketing and sales, and has contracted over $150M+ in purchasing spend and developed relationships with more than 200 suppliers. Born and raised in Peru, Sarela’s family owned and operated a chicken coop in the outskirts of Lima, where she experienced at a young age the hard work and unfairness in the farming industry. In 2006, her move to the US sparked her passion for fighting food fraud and helping farming communities, leading her to eventually co-create SIMPLi. With over a decade of experience in the food industry, she most recently led the Food & Beverage and Supply Chain Team for CAVA, the largest US Mediterranean restaurant group. Previously, she held roles at Mayorga Organics and Manhattan Associates. Sarela is a graduate of Penn State University with a degree in Industrial Engineering.   Resources:Website - https://eatsimpli.com/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/simpligood/