Quinn, a Boulder-based natural foods company known for reimagining classic snacks, has announced that Kristy Lewis will elevate to chief visionary officer and chairwoman of the board, as Mike Keown steps in as the company’s new chief executive officer.  

Since 2010, Kristy has successfully shaken up the snack industry by delivering multiple industry firsts including the 1st microwave popcorn in a patented PURE POP BAG made with compostable paper, the 1st whole-grain gluten-free pretzels, the 1st gluten-free Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets, and its recently launched gluten-free Maple Almond Filled Pretzel Nuggets and Plant-Based Cheezy Filled Pretzel Nuggets. 

After successfully building Quinn into the #1 driver of growth in the pretzel subcategory and the 5th largest driver of growth in the entire salty snack category in both the Natural Channel and Whole Foods Market, Kristy is transitioning into the CVO role so she can exclusively focus on innovation, mission, and the vision of the company. Quinn launched its Farm-to-Bag transparency policy in 2012 and its Be Better. Do Better. mission in 2019, an initiative that aims to make a critical impact in our food industry by supporting and helping farmers take the first steps towards a more regenerative farming approach.

Kristy’s new role as chief visionary officer and chairwoman of the board will allow her to dive back into why she started Quinn in the first place, to challenge the status quo in the food industry. She founded Quinn with a passion to reimagine nostalgic classic snack categories, with a bold mission to remove the synthetics and pesticides from the conventional supply chain. A mission that will not only better our soil and planet, but also our families and our farmers. This vision has driven Kristy to start Quinn from nothing and build it into a company that stands for positive change.

 “After 11 years of leading Quinn this is a chance for me to lead where my heart is and to exclusively focus on turning Quinn into a company that stands for the greater common good,” said Lewis. “I am beyond grateful to be in a position where my job is to help build Quinn with a primary focus on Being and Doing Better in everything that we do. I am thrilled that Mike believes in our vision, and I am really looking forward to working with him as we continue to lead as innovators and game changers in this space.”  

Mike Keown is the former chief executive officer at Honey Stinger, a fast-growing sports nutrition brand in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. He brings over 30 years of CPG leadership experience with a successful track record at companies such as Farmer Brothers, WhiteWave Foods, and Minute Maid. He started his career at Procter and Gamble in sales and marketing. Within this, he has consistently driven sustainability often starting with the first step in the supply chain, the farmers. Keown said, “When I first met Kristy, it was clear we shared many of the same values and I was excited to see her vision for the future.” He added, “I could not be more excited to help bring that vision to life, lead the terrific team she put together, and do so in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, a town we love!”    

For more about Quinn, see "Snacks reimagined—Quinn Snacks, 2017 Snack Producer of the Year" on the SF&WB website.