Michele Thorne

Michele Thorne, Executive Director of the Good Meat Project, is a dynamic educator, graphic designer and strategic marketer by trade, a zealous good food advocate by choice, and a small livestock producer by destiny. With over twenty years of impactful strategic marketing and graphic design experience, Michele drives the GMP’s mission forward to support and expand its programmatic work, by connecting stakeholders across the meat value chain as well as across diverse communities, upholding the organization’s shared values of transparency, collaboration and inclusivity. She spent her early career as an entrepreneur and educator, eventually discovering the direct impacts of food on human health outcomes, the economy and the environment. As a data driven creative, Michele is an authentic and active listener, life-long learner and enthusiastic participant of transformative change, especially in food systems. She is fueled by curiosity and uses a unique approach to problem solving rooted in game theory. Michele earned her MBA in Sustainable Business, is a published author, and proudly walks the walk, “putting her money where her mouth is”, as often and abundantly as she can to support local producers by purchasing meat directly from them. She is a mother, has two shepherd dogs and enjoys being a fiber artist, creating beautiful things when time allows.

Plenary

Radical Collaboration: Building Resilience and Profitability (with Intent) in Regenerative Meat and Food Supply Chains

As environmental challenges intensify and supply chains face increasing volatility, the need for resilient, regenerative food systems has never been more urgent. Yet, meaningful transformation in the meat sector—often seen as environmentally and ethically fraught—requires more than just innovation at the farm level. It demands radical collaboration. This talk explores how independent producers, processors, butchers, chefs, retailers, and stakeholders across the food supply chain can break silos and co-create regenerative food systems that are resilient, profitable, and ecologically sound. Drawing on real-world case studies and emerging models, we’ll examine how trust-based partnerships, shared data, and innovative financing can empower meat producers to lead the transformation toward sustainability and ethical meat production.