Student Spotlight: NRAEF Supply Chain Scholarship Recipient Christopher Danner

The National Restaurant Association Supply Chain Expert Exchange, in conjunction with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, created a scholarship to help develop the next generation of Supply Chain leaders in the restaurant and foodservice industry.

Goals of the 2020 program were as follows:

• Attract foodservice focused students to careers and organizations related to industry Supply Chain Management
• Empower individuals invested in restaurants and foodservice through financial and programmatic support
• Advance skills and retention of current industry professionals to support retention

These scholarships are available to undergraduate students pursuing degrees related to foodservice and the restaurant industry who express a deep interest in supply chain management.

A total of eight $5,000 scholarship and one $1,000 scholarship were recently awarded and we are featuring each of them individually.

NRAEF Supply Chain Scholarship Recipient Christopher Danner

Home: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Class Status Fall 2020: College Senior

College: University of Minnesota – Twin Cities

Major/Field of Study: Food Business Management

Years Working in Restaurant Industry: 5

Longest Restaurant Employer: Levy Restaurants

Award Amount: $5,000

What are your plans in the industry?  I hope to develop a career that leverages the expertise I have gained in my Supply Chain & Operations Management and Food Systems majors and work for a major food/beverage or restaurant company in a supply management role where I can take a bird’s eye view of their sourcing strategy and optimize it to be more sustainable and efficient.

Quote: I hope to grow the sustainability of our industry by reducing food and packaging waste, lowering our carbon footprint, and evaluating the impact of the ingredients we use. We must recognize climate change's threat to our ability to feed the world and, by translation, produce the variety of food that our customers enjoy. Through simple solutions such as back of house composting, working with mindful suppliers, and investing in the future of agriculture, we can protect the value we add to the food system for the future.