Mary van Hoek-Hendriks

About
Mary

I believe that impactful innovation creates stories. A good fuckup is a fucking good story: a story that connects people, inspires action and ultimately shapes a better, more sustainable world for future generations.

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Mary van Hoek-Hendriks

CREATIVITY

Generating bold, original ideas that break through the ordinary.

STRATEGY

Crafting clear, actionable roadmaps to turn ideas into viable business solutions.

HANDS-ON EXECUTION

Making things happen in the real world, from concept to launch.

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Mary van Hoek-Hendriks

wizard & reality checker

Mary van Hoek-Hendriks is a force of nature in the food innovation world: part strategist, part creative wizard and part reality-checker. Through Start a Food Story, she helps start-ups turn ambitious ideas into sustainable business cases and guides innovation teams in bigger companies to move faster, think smarter, and actually get things done. Her secret sauce? A mix of creativity, strategy and hands-on execution that leaves lasting impact. And occasionally, a trail of delighted taste buds.

Claim to fame

Mary’s work has earned her a shelf of prestigious awards, including Duurzame Dinsdag (Dutch Sustainability Award), the Gezonde Innovatie Awards (Health Innovation Awards), the FlavorFlav Food Top 100, and the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA). She’s also been named in the Food100, basically the “who’s who” of the food world.

Her latest adventure? Sharing all her insights in her new book, Mastering Food Innovation, a must-read for anyone who wants to turn complex food challenges into solutions that actually stick, while keeping an eye on evolving markets, trends and the occasional kitchen disaster. With Mary, innovation isn’t just a process, it’s a story worth tasting. Available on Amazon.

Mary van Hoek-Hendriks

Launched innovations

launched talent

Publications of which 2 books on food innovation

burpees last year

About Start a Food Story

Start a Food Story is built on one simple belief: food innovations should turn into impactful stories that inspire others to think differently, act faster and create change. From the first idea to real-world execution, it’s the story that gives direction, energy and meaning to innovation. That’s what I help create: innovations that don’t just work, but resonate and inspire. Curious about the story behind the name? Listen to the Dutch podcast interview of naming expert Floris Hülsmann of Namarama.

PRESS RELEASE New book Mastering Food Innovation puts innovation in motion, how to make an impact in the food sector

With the publication of Mastering Food Innovation | Impact by Design, innovation strategist and food impactor Mary van Hoek-Hendriks introduces a powerful new standard for anyone working on the future of food. The book offers both a strategic and practical guide for entrepreneurs, food professionals and innovation teams from startups to multinationals  to innovate faster, smarter, and with greater impact.

Press Release

Expert onthult de succesfactoren van duurzame foodinnovatie

Mary van Hoek-Hendriks shares key success factors for sustainable food innovations and explains that food innovation goes beyond product development and often requires rethinking entire value chains. Sustainable innovation only succeeds when creativity, market potential and practical execution come together.

Change Inc

Do's & don'ts in food innovatie met expert Mary van Hoek-Hendriks

Food innovation is the driving force behind renewal in our food system. But what are the do’s and don’ts? Mary van Hoek-Hendriks has been active in the field for 20 years and wrote a book about it. We spoke with her about the importance of perseverance, having a thick skin and why it’s essential to celebrate milestones.

Food Inspiration

Kus de food innovators in je klas wakker

Mary van Hoek-Hendriks is helemaal thuis in voedselinnovatie. Ze werkte jaren in de foodindustrie én in het onderwijs.  Als innovatiestrateeg helpt ze starters, scale-ups en studenten om hun ideeën niet alleen te bedenken, maar ook echt bij de consument te krijgen. Onlangs bundelde ze haar ervaring in het Engelstalige boek Mastering Food Innovation | Impact by Design.

H@P Magazine Groenpact

Met ziel en zaligheid in food

Food innovator Mary van Hoek-Hendriks is living proof that “you miss every shot you don’t take” and that “every experience counts.” As an innovation director, mentor and advisor, she draws on more than 20 years of experience to support other food entrepreneurs and pioneers.

EVMI

Innovation is a fight against the urge to give up

Successful innovation calls for a fool: a court jester. Someone who walks into closed doors and still gets back up. Mary van Hoek-Hendriks is that person. Throughout her career, she’s encountered resistance more than once. Fortunately, she brings plenty of perseverance and enthusiasm to the table. In her new book, Mastering Food Innovation, she offers support for the fool: the one brave enough to keep going.

Food Industry Magazine
Mary van Hoek-Hendriks