Lou is a globally-recognized expert in food innovation, technology commercialization, and business incubation.   During his 35-year career in the food industry, Lou has led cross-functional teams in a wide array of settings including:  new business startups, mid-sized and family-run companies, multinational corporations, foodservice and retail operations, university entrepreneurship and innovation centers, and industry trade associations.   Most recently, he served as a founder and the Executive Director of the Rutgers University Food Innovation Center, President of the New Jersey Business Incubation Network, Executive Director and Past-President of the New Jersey Food Processors Association, and on the Board of Directors of the International Business Innovation Association.  He has also testified at the US Congress, spoken at numerous industry conferences, and consulted on best practices in food innovation, incubation, acceleration, and industry clustering strategies.

As CEO of Food Spectrum, LLC, Lou has provided a broad array of strategic consulting and business management expertise to the food industry, focusing on corporate development, business transformation and organizational assessment, and assistance with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures.   Previously, Lou served as President & COO of F&S Produce, a leading regional provider of value-added refrigerated foods; and as Co-Founder, President and CEO of MenuDirect Corporation, a unique health, wellness, and medical nutrition company.    Earlier in his career, Lou held senior leadership positions at Campbell’s Soup, ConAgra, Nestlé-funded Culinary Brands, and Idle Wild Farms in areas of business development, product development, quality assurance, and operations.   As a result, he has broad experiences with a wide array of food technologies, and culinary and technical insights for optimizing product quality and maximizing consumer acceptance. Lou received a MS in Food Science and BS in Microbiology, both from Rutgers University, and has served as an Adjunct Professor at the Rutgers Business School.