Chloe Brubaker: Living the Dream

While interning with the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL) last fall, Ohio-native Chloe Brubaker quickly realized it was a place she hoped to return to as a full-time employee. As of October 3, that wish became reality when she joined the team as its newest Food Scientist. 

“It really has been a dream come true,” Brubaker says. “By the end of my internship, I had spent nearly a full year in North Carolina and had fallen in love with the area. With NCFIL being so new, I could see there would be plenty of room for growth.”

But it was the variety of projects and team dynamic that sealed the deal for her: “Everyone I’ve worked with has been awesome. I learn something new everyday.”

Executive Director Bill Aimutis says, “We noticed a passion and tenacity in Chloe after just a few weeks with us at NCFIL–Chloe brings not only a strong technical presence but also a personality the whole team enjoys.”

Mixing Things Up

Brubaker’s semester-long internship with NCFIL solidified her passion for food science. That experience, combined with her nutrition science degree from Bowling Green State University and her summer research position in a rheology lab at NC State, has prepared her for this new role. 

“My summer experience really helped build my foundation of protein chemistry, how proteins react in different conditions and with other substances. Knowing how ingredients interact with one another is crucial,” she says.

As a food scientist, Brubaker spends most of her time on product development. “My favorite part of the job is formulation, mixing things up in the test kitchen. I get into such a flow when I get in there; it’s like there’s no such thing as time!” she explains. 

Her love of cooking and naturally adventurous personality certainly play into this: “I have no reservations when it comes to trying something novel or testing a new technique. I love to try ‘off the wall’ things. And since so many things in the plant-based industry are new, solutions need to be too.” 

Building Relationships

In addition to formulation, Brubaker is responsible for sourcing ingredients, checking them for regulatory and safety metrics, and extracting proteins. She also gets to interact with clients, keeping them informed of progress and working through challenges and potential solutions. 

“Working closely with clients is my second favorite part of the job,” she says. “Some entrepreneurs come in with an idea but not as much industry knowledge. It’s fun to work with them and watch them grow. It becomes a mentoring relationship where we’re able to educate them while helping create the products they want.”

NCFIL has a unique role of assisting clients with ingredient sourcing as well. “I can direct them to local, in-state, and domestic supplies,” says Brubaker. “That leads to tremendous downstream benefits.”

Those benefits include an efficient production process, environmentally sustainable products, and a lower cost to consumers. “Having a good formula is good for the economy. It also produces a cleaner label with higher-quality ingredients,” she adds. 

A Collaborative and Supportive Team

With nine full-time staff members, nearly double the size since Brubaker’s internship, the NCFIL team is thriving. “I think the most valuable part of being on this team is the mentorship and collaboration. Bill Aimutis does a great job of putting teams together, so they’re cross-functional. We have a wide variety of backgrounds and come from different parts of the country, so we each have unique talents, skills and perspectives to bring to the group.”

As NCFIL is still in what Brubaker calls its “infancy stage,” there is plenty of room for everyone to grow. “I’m really blessed to kick-start my career here. Everyone is willing to share their knowledge, so I’m just trying to soak it all up.”

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Our team is growing alongside our growing number of clients. If you’re interested in working with our expert staff to bring your product to life, complete our online form, and let’s get started.