People

The humans in the loop

The future of food won’t be decided just at the shelf edge. It requires the smartest of minds, diverse thinkers and fresh perspectives from the whole of the food industry. At 6 Seeds we’ve assembled a leadership team from the world’s of brand marketing, finance, digital advertising, entertainment, retail, agriculture and consumer packaged goods who's deep experience is complemented by a global network of subject matter experts, technology and advisors.

Leadership Team

Kate, Al, Digby and Andreas bring big experience and make up the leadership team at 6 Seeds. There’s not much left on the pass this team haven’t experienced when it comes to building brands.

Kate Burns, Founder & Chief Executive Officer Digital advertising pioneer. Linkedin

Kate has held senior leadership roles for a number of prominent tech companies, including Google, AOL, Bebo, and Buzzfeed. At Buzzfeed she launched the food channel phenomena - “Tasty”, and then its UK version “Proper Tasty”.  This recipe and hack channel redefined food content and is one of Buzzfeed’s flagship success stories. Throughout her career, Kate has been a strong advocate for cracking the code of scaling social content to global audiences. She has worked with global F&B brands such as Coca Cola, Diageo, Bacardi, Unilever and Nestle (to name but a few). Talk to Kate about: Clients, Digital Advertising, Sales, Partnership, New Business, Investment and Horses.

Al Berry FRSA, Founder & Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer Brand and customer engagement titan. Linkedin

Creative polymath Al was an early pioneer of branded entertainment and digital content back in the naughties, partnering with the likes of Red Bull, Puma and Vodafone. Prior to forming 6 Seeds he has spent 20 years working for and advising some of the most creative and progressive brands including MTV, Bacardi, Virgin Atlantic, Tesco and XPRIZE Foundation along with countless scale-ups both in the UK and California. His award winning work and accolades span creativity, effectiveness and innovation, including a BAFTA, the first academy award for a brand funded entertainment play. With a passion for food, customer experience and innovation when not building the next big thing, he resides in the prime agricultural lands of North Yorkshire with his wife Liz and their two small people - usually cooking up a storm / making a mess in the kitchen. Talk to Al about: Creative Commerce, Team Nurture, Digital Engagement, Brand Storytelling, Retail Entertainment, Agri-tech, Ad-tech, Creativity, GenAI, Brand Partnerships, (…and Gravy).

Digby Lewis, Founder & Chief Creative Officer Creative and content powerhouse. Linkedin

Digby is one of the UK’s leading experts in Food and Beverage content creation and distribution. While the medium has continuously evolved over three decades, from print journalism to TV and podcasts, online video to immersive social content, the power of great storytelling and a deep understanding of audiences, sits at the core of everything he makes. With the Bacardi group, he helped develop, broker and manage a three-year cross-portfolio deal with the Jamie Oliver media group to launch 'Drinks Tube', helping Bacardi secure the #1 organic search ranking for their top 20 serves, with zero ad spend. He launched Sainsbury’s YouTube and the original Masterchef app, the pioneer of modern food product integration. Digby is in constant demand as a non-exec, working with San Francisco-based SaaS platform Qurate, as an advisor for the Next 15 communications group and production companies seeking to connect with brands to create original entertainment IP. Talk to Digby about: The history and future of food publishing, building entertainment franchises, live social shopping, jazzy breaks, personalised nutrition.

Andreas Duess, Chief Operating Officer & Managing Director, North America Innovator in food, beverage and agriculture industries. Linkedin

Based in Toronto, Canada, Andreas is a highly-regarded expert and influential innovator in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry with a specialty in the food, beverage and agriculture sectors. With two decades of experience, Andreas has been instrumental in formulating strategic marketing plans for North America's most recognised food brands, dramatically impacting their market presence and perception. His work transformed Redpath, a commodity brand, into one of Canada’s top household names in food. He also successfully brought previously underserved food sectors into the mainstream Canadian retail market. At the Compass Group, he led significant change initiatives to deliver a comprehensive, holistic nourishment program benefiting all university students. Andreas is a sought-after speaker and has served on several boards, actively pursuing equitable food access. Talk to Andreas about: Psychology and behavioural science, GenAI, the power of storytelling, food safety, sailing and the benefits of medicinal mushrooms

Team 6 Seeds

Brenda Tjaden, Agriculture Advisor Commodities, market development, carbon pricing, or the intricacies of food supply chains, Brenda has the curiosity and the research savvy to make sense of the future. Linkedin

Brenda Tjaden is not just a seasoned market analyst; she's a force of nature in the world of agriculture and food economics. Starting her career as a grain trader in 1997, Brenda quickly realised she could make a bigger impact by going solo. She founded a groundbreaking grain marketing advisory, brokerage, and technology firm in 2004, based on her Master’s thesis model for maximising farm profits through optimised selling decisions. Passionate about agricultural policy, Brenda has been a tireless advocate for effective farm leadership and innovative approaches like monetising regenerative agriculture. Her latest venture, Prairie Routes, is a consultancy that dives deep into farmland management, supply chains, market development, and the economics of modern agribusiness, including hot topics like climate finance and ESG reporting. Over her 25-year career, Brenda has not only led businesses but also educated the industry. She's delivered hundreds of courses, keynotes, and panel discussions and has been the driving force behind numerous conferences, workshops, and focus groups. Whether you're interested in commodities, market development, carbon pricing, or the intricacies of food supply chains, Brenda has the curiosity and the research savvy to make sense of the future.

Are you the future of food? Hit us up: hungry@6seeds.co or follow us on

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