Jennifer Waxman
Executive Director, The Villages Grown™ Together With Seed2Source™
Director of New Business and Innovation, Media Relations
Founder; Managing Partner, Sustainable Synergy™, Seed2Source, Corporation
Jennifer Waxman coined the phrase, ‘Conscious Consultants, We Live It!’, to express that she doesn’t just talk-the-talk, but walks-the-walk. This reflection of growing up with strong, matriarchal family values that began with her mother and her grandmother. Fond memories abound of her grandmother refusing to own a microwave or eat anything out of a can, while also having her dairy and other fresh products delivered straight to her doorstep from a local farm. Her mother was also a major influence whom would make many of her clothes and accessories, bring her to U-Pick farms for produce, encourage her to tend to the backyard garden. She challenged Jennifer to create meals from the mason jar bounty of canned produce her mother created so that the family had convenient, local, hand-picked, whole foods. Other memories include being embarrassed as a kid when her mother only served healthy snacks that none of her friends wanted. However, becoming of age allowed her to realize how fortunate her upbringing was, which was certainly not ‘typical’ in her generation at this time as she was born in 1976.
Today, Jennifer Waxman is responsible for Strategy, Marketing & New Business Development for companies involved in the Local Food System(s). She has been a strategic business planner for over 15 years and is the Founder of Sustainable Synergy, Inc. and Seed-2-Source, Corporation. Her focus is creating a truly sustainable and synergistic Local Food System from the Seed to the Source with an emphasis on closing the loop within this system and bridging Agriculture with Optimal Wellness through a Food-as-Medicine Approach.
Jennifer entered the Eco-Sustainable industry in 2000 as a marketing specialist for an innovative project focusing on a sustainable, commercial, hydroponic watering system. This led her to become a Global Marketing Manager for Antelco Corporation, an international manufacturer specializing in water conservation technology for agriculture and horticulture. During this time, Jennifer was responsible for new product development for the hydroponics division as well as assisting growers in both the field and the greenhouse to create new and advanced products and systems. This experience has been leveraged by her understanding of the entire process from the field to the whole produce or finished product. At this time she was also involved in the development of natural products from the growing of the botanical plant ingredients, to the sustainable processing and manufacturing of these finished products.
As a leader in the Sustainable Agriculture industry, Jennifer has consistently led large, strategic consulting projects focused on sustainable agricultural and food-centric business models – from the ‘Seed to the Source’. She continues to consult on Agrihoods and Commercial Agricultural developments, while also working directly with Developers and their extended teams of Architects, Designers, Builder, Marketing and Operations to integrate agricultural wellness and living components into unique, branded and competitive business models. Her support includes the creation of Agricultural Business Plans that are supported by pro-forma. Her business plans, along with federal grant submissions, have raised millions of dollars for both public and private companies.
The assembled team of consultants have been leaders in both the Wellness and Agricultural sectors and Jennifer is the facilitator of this innovative and intelligent group of dynamic Seed2Source consultants. Jennifer works directly with recognized Greenhouse Manufacturers and Farm Operators as well as all touchpoints within the Local Food System Models including sales, marketing, and distribution, educational programming and agri-tourism. The ultimate goal of her consultancy is to ‘Save the Family Farms’ to ensure that these small farms are woven into each new development in some capacity.
Jennifer has been at the forefront of the Local Food Movement in Central Florida as a leading food system advocate, expert and educator and continues to participate in the distribution of these local products to the Central FL community marketplace. She has served on the board of Slow Food Orlando – participating in the first Slow Food Nation in San Francisco; as a mentor for young leaders and non-profits in the local food movement; and as a host for ongoing educational programs among some of the most prominent organizations in Central Florida. Recently, she joined as an advisor to the UCF Culinary Medical Program as a Local Food-as-Medicine Educator; the launch of the Parramore Farmers Market (in partnership with the City of Orlando and Orlando City Soccer); the 2018 Central Florida Farm Tour as a co-sponsor through her work with Good Food Central FL; a mentor to FLEET Farming; the Haddock Foundation at Kaley Square Community Center; and Seminole and Orange County Health Departments.
As the grassroots Producer of the “2008 Green Earth Expo”, she introduced the concept of ‘sustainability’ to Central FL. This Expo was the first of its kind in the Southeast and was held at the Orange County Convention Center, of which attracted 150+ Sustainability Leaders / Speakers, 350+ Exhibitors and 15K attendees.
Jennifer holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College. She graduated with honors and earned both a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Merchandising from Florida State University. Waxman was able to leverage her experience at Crummer to land a paid Marketing Internship position with Disney World®, Orlando, FL that focused on branded Merchandising and thematic storytelling for the theme parks. She was involved in two business-oriented, study abroad programs in France, the United Kingdom and Germany that focused on the International Business Development.
Jennifer has been published in several magazines including the nationally distributed Extraordinary Health Magazine and has appeared as a guest speaker on local television, radio, podcasts and events relating to green living and/or sustainable business. Further, she served as an adjunct Marketing Professor and Visiting Speaker for Local Food Systems and Agricultural Business Practices at various Universities.
(*Many online publications and media references can be found under, Jennifer Waxman, Jennifer Waxman-Loyd.)
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