A new era for TFF, and for me...

To My Beloved TFF Community & the World,

I am writing to share some bittersweet but exciting news: after a decade of pioneering and driving forward the most transformative approach to next-gen innovation for better food systems, I am dissolving my position as CEO of Thought For Food.

TFF will now become a global, decentralized, community-led movement.

I couldn’t be more proud or thrilled for this step. The values and leadership we've cultivated over this last decade have?matured into a generation of leaders ready to collaborate, cooperate, and build the?future of this incredible organization.

Community is - and always has been - core to our ethos of how to make lasting change, and this move will ensure that TFF will continue to be an unstoppable force within the industry.

Passing the torch???

In October, I invited?some of TFF’s most dedicated Regional Coordinators, Community Organizers, and Core Team members to?Valencia, Spain for a working retreat?to foster this important transition. Together, we plotted the future of the TFF movement.

What emerged from our?intense, joyous, and challenging discussions was the “TFF Valencia Declaration,” which you can find here.?This set of guiding principles will continue to unite us as a global community and guide our work as next-gen innovators and change-makers going forward.

Embracing Shrek & 'The Swamp' ??

The TFF Valencia Declaration showed me, once again, the willingness of our community to see the world differently. At first, I laughed nervously at the suggestion by our regional leaders to describe the future of TFF as a marsh or a “swamp” - but, actually, the symbolism is perfect.?These types of environments are abundant and valuable sources of freshwater and oxygen for all life, teeming with diverse ecosystems that serve as breeding grounds for a wide variety of species.

Then, as part of our retreat experience, we visited the Albufera Nature Reserve to witness local rice production in one of the most important wetlands and freshwater lagoons in all of Europe. We learned about ancient irrigation practices - developed more than 1200 years ago - that are still being used to ensure that agricultural production can flourish in the face of climate challenges. We saw how farmers are growing diverse varieties of rice alongside "forgotten" crops like tigernut (which we at TFF have always described as "future crops" given their nutritional, taste, and sustainability profiles).

We sat together experiencing a shared magical moment of watching the sun set, listening to the sounds of migrating birds and realized that TFF's comparison to flourishing wetland ecosystems is undeniable.

The future of TFF?is?beautiful, vibrant, and ever-changing - just like a 'swamp' or marshy wetland. Our people and ideas provide a nutrient-dense broth of possibility where new solutions emerge, grow, and evolve. It’s not always pretty - even a little messy - but that’s what global, decentralized, systems-change actually looks like.?

And you know we never do anything halfway. Taking the analogy even further: the king of the swamp is that lovable character Shrek. He’s the perfect hero for all of us 'misfits' who strive to be authentically ourselves in a world that doesn’t often “get it.” We realized it's time to embrace our ‘inner Shreks,’ the messy beauty of 'swamp life,' and our TFF superpowers of transformation.

We are ready to rise! ??

Feeling Deep & Sincere Gratitude???

As I am writing this, I am overwhelmed with incredible amount of emotion. Creating and running TFF has been a truly life-changing experience. I literally think of it as my child - I love TFF that much and that unconditionally. Nothing can compare to this opportunity of being able to build a powerful change-maker community from the ground up, together with you.

Now, my 'baby' has grown up and is leaving the house. There’s lots of tears of course, because I am feeling that perfect mixture of proud, sad, excited, and scared all in one. Most of all, I am looking forward to staying part of the TFF community as a peer - working alongside all of you to bring food systems change through the next-gen values, attitudes, and approaches we stand for.

THANK YOU for making our shared dreams of changing our food systems, and the world, possible. Over the past decade, our work together has inspired millions of people to get excited about the topic of food and agriculture. We've propelled the trajectories of thousands of talents.?We've boosted the success of countless early-stage companies, enabling them to grow and scale by connecting them with partners and investors - all the while teaching the world how to solve complex problems with purpose, courage, integrity, and even some fun!

We have done this. We ARE doing this.

I have grown so much from this journey and have formed deep and authentic friendships that will last a lifetime. No matter where I go in the world, no matter which city I am in, there's always an amazing TFFer to meet. We connect virtually, we meet up locally, and we always find ways to bring ourselves together globally.

There is nothing like TFF. There is nothing like this community, nothing like our vibe.

Through many challenges and obstacles, I have leaned on your support and have found the courage to stick to my vision in order to build something that didn’t exist before. I've had the chance to unleash my creative spirit and to be my fully authentic self in ways that I haven't experienced in any of my previous roles.

By rejecting the idea of being professional robots and carrying out "business as usual" with interchangeable, standardized skill-sets, attitudes, and approaches, we have casually overturned some of the fundamental assumptions underpinning this industry. At TFF, we don't optimize for efficiency, we?optimize for creativity. This is simply awesome.

Through working with and learning from all of you, I have deepened my understanding of what it takes to lead change-making in a world that is deeply invested in the status quo. That’s why I have documented as much as possible about this in my book, with hopes that it will help to inspire and guide you in your change-making journey too.

?? Sign up here to get your copy on December 15th when it is released. ?

?I am proud and humbled by the tangible impact we have made, and I am confident that our shared vision of abundant, accessible,?inclusive?food systems will continue to flourish in the?incredibly capable, creative hands of our global community leaders.?

To enable?this handover, a?transition team has been established, comprised of superstars from all regions.

?? Meet the Transition Team ??

If there is one thing that anyone who knows me can attest to, it’s that I strive to be 'larger than life' in everything that I do. Stepping out of my CEO role in TFF is the beginning of another adventure for me. The new visions I have, combined with the needs I see in the world, are bigger than ever. I am filled with anticipation for this new chapter - and you know that I am making no small plans. I will share more with you about all of this very soon.????

In the meantime, I would like to invite you to:

• Join us on December 15th for our End-of-Year celebration where we will look back and look ahead - register here.
• Watch our 10-Year video, a moving tribute to the impact we have made together.
• Download my book “The Change-makers Guide to Feeding the Planet" - release date: Dec 15th, 2023.
• Sign up for our new mailing list?to be informed about what’s coming from me.

I sincerely treasure our friendship and I am ALWAYS here to support you with every part of me. Rest assured, I will be carving out more opportunities to make a positive impact at giga-scale - always with you close in my heart and in my mind.

Let's cheers to a new beginning as we move forward towards a brighter, more delicious future filled with so much love, passion, dedication - and, of course, an epic dance party! ??

Your friend and TFFer forever,

Christine