Nicole Sopko is Vice President of Upton’s Naturals, where she has worked since 2010 and manages the development, marketing, sales, and production of its meat alternatives, meals, and other plant-based products. Upton’s Naturals is an independently owned natural foods company with a focus on vegan values. Since its launch in 2006, the Chicago-based brand has grown from a regional business to an international name, selling in dozens of countries globally.

An ethical vegan of more than 20 years, Nicole is also a founding Board Member and current President of the Board for the Plant-Based Foods Association, the first trade association of its kind in the United States. She takes a cooperative approach to the industry, working to create more opportunities, reduce challenges, and provide education in the industry, for the public, and in governmental spaces.