She Supply Chains – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Maria Villablanca, a prominent supply chain influencer and CEO, explains why 90% of transformations fail. As the co-founder of Future Insights Network and host of the Transform Talks podcast, she brings insights from over 200 interviews with global executives. Maria identifies the root cause of failure as a neglect of the human element and a lack of a clear "why" behind the change. She advocates for a strategy where technology is the final step, implemented only after defining outcomes and aligning people and processes.

The conversation also redefines the "leader of the future," prioritizing commercial savvy and people skills over technical abilities like coding. Maria encourages leaders to become vocal storytellers of their business value to navigate the current "flock of black swans".

✨ Connect with Maria!

📱LinkedIn | Maria

📱mariavillablanca.com

💻Learn more on the topics discussed here: 

• Corporate Ozempic: If you want to understand how AI is trimming corporate America
• Foot Locker COO names 4 skills crucial to supply chain leaders

Check out Arise Financial Coaching and their Financial Goal Accelerator program, and let them know She Supply Chains sent you!

✨ Connect with us!

📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/

📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/

📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast

🎧 Call to Action

• Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app
• Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show
• Share this episode with someone you think would love it

In this episode of the She Supply Chains Podcast, Kristy Ryan, Chief Operating Officer at Move for Hunger, breaks down how she transitioned from a diverse background in insurance into the world of logistics. She describes Move for Hunger as a logistics nonprofit that views waste and inefficiencies as underutilized capacity rather than failures.

A major focus of the conversation is the "Charity Freight" model, which Kristy helped launch to address the fact that 55 truckloads of food and beverage items are lost per shipper annually. This reverse logistics model captures value by redirecting surplus food through existing lanes without adding new trucks or emissions. Kristy also challenges the misconception that nonprofits are less efficient than the private sector, arguing that missions deserve discipline and that efficiency is the most compassionate option because it ensures resources reach those in need faster. 

✨ Connect with Kristy!

📱LinkedIn - Kristy

💻Learn more on the topics discussed here: 

• ReFED Insights: How Food Waste Reduction Is Taking Shape In 2026
• Food Logistics: Top 5 Food Waste Trends to Expect in 2026

Check out Arise Financial Coaching and their Financial Goal Accelerator program, and let them know She Supply Chains sent you!

✨ Connect with us!

📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/

📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/

📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast

🎧 Call to Action

• Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app
• Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show
• Share this episode with someone you think would love it

In this engaging conversation, Sofia Rivas Herrera shares her journey from a curious child in Guadalajara, Mexico, to a passionate advocate for supply chain management. She discusses the importance of creativity in engineering, her experiences in the supply chain industry, and her mission to amplify Latin voices. The conversation also touches on the significance of storytelling, cultural nuances in global teams, and the challenges women face in taking up space and building confidence in their careers.

Keywords: supply chain, Latin voices, storytelling, confidence, cultural nuances, engineering, creativity, women in STEM, global teams, problem-solving

✨ Connect with Sofia!

📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-rivas-herrera/

✨ Connect with us!

📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/

📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/

📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast

🎧 Call to Action

• Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app
• Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show
• Share this episode with someone you think would love it

Supply chain leadership is the focus this week as we welcome John Church, whose career at General Mills spans over three decades of guiding everything from product development to global strategy. Known for his servant leadership style, John excels at connecting business agendas with operational execution while mentoring the next generation of industry leaders.

In this conversation, John reflects on his journey from developing Multigrain Cheerios to leading massive integrations like the Pillsbury acquisition and ultimately serving as Chief Supply Chain Officer. He shares why the basics of the industry still hold true despite changes in technology and speed, the essential nature of servant leadership, and how his transition into board leadership has provided a fresh perspective on guiding complex organizations.

✨ Connect with John!

📱LinkedIn - John

💻Learn more on the topics discussed here: 

• Darden Ideas to Action (2026)
• Korn Ferry: Featured Insights (2025)

✨ Connect with us!

📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/

📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/

📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast

🎧 Call to Action

• Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app
• Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show
• Share this episode with someone you think would love it

This week, we welcome Erin Mitchell, Chief Operating Officer of YMX Logistics. Erin describes herself as a logistics and operations nerd, someone who thrives at the intersection of people, technology, and supply chain. Erin spent over two decades at Kraft Heinz, leading major transformation projects, overseeing logistics operations, and even spearheading the design and execution of an automated Mega Distribution Center.

After building her career inside one of the world’s largest consumer packaged goods companies, Erin made the bold decision to step into the unknown. Leaving the comfort of a global enterprise to become employee number two at a startup. 

✨ Connect with Erin!

📱LinkedIn - Erin

💻Learn more on the topics discussed here: 

• Transportation Today: Kraft Heinz to Invest in Automated CPG Distribution Center
• First Round Review: Read This Before Joining as Employee 1 to 20 at a Startup

✨ Connect with us!

📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/

📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/

📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast

🎧 Call to Action

• Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app
• Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show
• Share this episode with someone you think would love it

This short and sweet episode is a reminder that gratitude doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether you’re leading a team, supporting colleagues, or simply connecting with friends and family, appreciation is free and powerful.

Join the Movement! Share your gratitude stories on Instagram or LinkedIn with #SheSupplyChains

💻Learn more on the topics discussed here: 

• Sid Meadows: Why Gratitude Is a Leadership Strategy (2026)

• ADAA: Gratitude - A Mental Health Game Changer

•  

✨ Connect with us!

📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/

📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/

📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast

🎧 Call to Action

• Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app
• Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show
• Share this episode with someone you think would love it

This week, we're diving into a powerful and transformative principle that applies to every facet of your professional and personal life. You get what you tolerate.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, frustrated by inefficiencies, or like you’re settling for "good enough," this episode is for you. Inspired by a thought from Dr. Julie Gurner, we're challenging you to reflect on where you might be tolerating "less than" in your career, from vendor relationships and team performance to your own personal growth. We’ll also cover how women leaders can model elevated expectations while maintaining empathy and inclusivity.

💻Learn more on the topics discussed here: 

• HBR: Why Good Managers Let Bad Behaviors Slide

• Forbes: How Women Leaders Can Set High Standards Without Losing Their Team

✨ Connect with us!

📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/

📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/

📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast

🎧 Call to Action

• Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app
• Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show
• Share this episode with someone you think would love it

 This week, we welcome Val Mack, a supply‑chain leader who’s worked across operations, logistics, and now people and culture. Val calls supply chain the “heartbeat” of a business, with people and leadership its heart. In this episode, Val tells the story of stepping straight from a development program into supervising factory shifts, explains the lessons of leading across generations and diverse teams, and shares practical leadership habits that keep teams healthy and productive.

✨ Connect with Val!

📱LinkedIn - Val

💻Learn more on the topics discussed here: 

• ReFED Insights: How Food Waste Reduction Is Taking Shape In 2026
• Food Logistics: Top 5 Food Waste Trends to Expect in 2026

✨ Connect with us!

📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/

📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/

📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast

🎧 Call to Action

• Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app
• Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show
• Share this episode with someone you think would love it

This week, we welcome Kathy Fulton, Executive Director of the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN). Kathy leads the nonprofit that connects private-sector logistics capacity with disaster-impacted communities to get food, water, medical supplies, and critical services where they are needed most.

Kathy explains how ALAN decides when and where to activate, why donated services like transportation, forklifts, and warehousing often deliver far more value than boxes of unsolicited goods, and how simple supply‑chain thinking can prevent wasted effort and landfill-bound donations. She shares hard lessons from Hurricane Harvey, Puerto Rico, Maui, and recent U.S. storms, and offers practical ways individuals and companies can strengthen community resilience.

✨ Connect with Kathy!

📱LinkedIn - Kathy

💻Learn more on the topics discussed here: 

• USAID CIDI: The Critical Role of Logistics in Humanitarian Aid
• FEMA: Partnering with the Private Sector for Emergency Management

✨ Connect with us!

📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/

📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/

📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast

🎧 Call to Action

• Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app
• Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show
• Share this episode with someone you think would love it

This week, we welcome Shelley Smith, Senior R&D and Lab Operations leader at Boston Beer Company, a chemical engineer turned brewer, one of only 28 Master Cicerones in the world, and the creator of the marathon-inspired 26.2 brew.

Shelley walks us through how a new beer goes from idea to shelf, the surprising upstream supply-chain constraints that shape production, and the R&D tactics her team uses to test quickly and scale thoughtfully. We talk yeast and flavor, the booming extremes in beer (high-alcohol flavor bombs and sophisticated non-alcoholic options), leadership lessons from long study hours to asking for help, and practical advice for founders on getting scrappy without over-scaling. 

✨ Connect with Shelly!

📱LinkedIn - Shelly

💻Learn more on the topics discussed here: 

• IFT: Scaling Up - The Intersection of Food Science and Brewing Operations
• IWSR: The Evolution of No- and Low-Alcohol Transitions in Craft Brewing

✨ Connect with us!

📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/she-supply-chains/

📱INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/shesupplychainspodcast/

📱TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@shesupplychainspodcast

🎧 Call to Action

• Follow She Supply Chains on your favorite podcast app
• Leave us a review — it helps more listeners find the show
• Share this episode with someone you think would love it