After earning a business degree and moving to Italy to pursue a master's in World Food Cultures, Carli gained a profound understanding of the cultural, political, and social forces that shape our global food systems. Upon returning to New York City, she honed her skills in brand, operations, and training at industry leaders like Eataly and Hot Bread Kitchen. Seeing a need for a dedicated space for connection and collaboration, she set out to carve her own path.

This journey led to the creation of The Libi Project, a mission-driven culinary community and creative studio. The Libi Project is all about uplifting early-stage entrepreneurs, creatives, and farmers through industry programming, educational workshops, and storytelling. At its heart are Culinary Industry Nights—quarterly events that gather hundreds of food and beverage professionals to connect, collaborate, and build genuine partnerships across the food world, from urban farmers and pastry chefs to CPG founders and fermentation experts.

Inside the Episode:

• How Carli's international education and New York food industry experience sparked the idea for The Libi Project.

• The power of peer-to-peer learning and cross-disciplinary exchange in strengthening the food industry.

• What emerging founders can learn about creating intentional, impactful industry events that lead to genuine partnerships.

Connect here!

This podcast episode was made possible by Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds is the go-to platform built for creator-powered retail activations—connecting everyday creators with CPG brands to spark shelf-level awareness, drive in-store momentum, and generate authentic content in the markets that matter most. Learn more!