Chris Cornyn, CIA faculty, online Food Business Master's Degree.

Chris Cornyn

Faculty Bio

Further reading: Read about mastering sales and marketing with Chris Cornyn >


“There are three key words to success in the food business…new, new, and new.”

Course: Sales, Marketing, and Distribution.


Chris Cornyn currently serves as chief innovation officer at SpoonfulOne, a science and data driven Silicon Valley start-up developing a breakthrough wellness nutrition food platform to prevent food allergies in children. Prior to SpoonfulOne, Chris served as chief innovation officer of Revolution Foods, another Silicon Valley startup dedicated to creating healthy and nutritious foods accessible to schoolchildren to improve well-being and academic success.

In each instance, Chris built high-performing teams to grow the business through new product development, IP development, and operational efficiencies to drive shareholder value, top line growth, gross margin, and new channels.

Chris was previously founder and CEO of DINE, The Food and Drink Agency. DINE was founded to assist food startups and multinational companies launch and promote disruptive new food products, categories, and brands. As CEO of DINE, Chris developed a robust client portfolio and service offerings, then successfully sold the company to Mattson, the largest independent food and beverage innovation company in the country.

As a combined entity, Mattson/DINE assembled a team of 70 food professionals to create one of the richest environments in the food industry to innovate new products collaboratively with clients and consumers. During his tenure, Chris and his team launched more than 50 new food brands and 100+ SKUs for single entrepreneurs, as well as mid-tier and Fortune 500 companies.

Chris is a frequent speaker and lecturer at industry events including Food Vision, Fancy Food Show, Best of Food and Beverage Packaging, Next Level Summits, IFT, and the American Association of Advertising Agencies. In addition, he is a featured contributor to business and food publications, was a founding faculty member of Culinary Institute of America’s Food Business School, and has served as a judge on Lifetime’s Supermarket Superstar.

Chris began his career in marketing and advertising working with Klondike Ice Cream Bars, Betty Crocker, and Yoplait Frozen Yogurt. He graduated with a BA from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY, and studied at Wadham College in Oxford, England and École des Beaux-Arts in Lacoste, France.

Courses, Events & Writings

Beverage business employee inspecting bottles.
INNOVATION INTENSIVE: From Concept to Shelf: Rapid Innovation for Consumer Packaged Goods

From Concept to Shelf: Rapid Innovation for CPG Businesses is an inspiring, invigorating blend of short lectures, group discussion, and guided, hands-on teamwork to speed initiatives into market-ready products.

Chris Cornyn, CIA faculty, online Food Business Master's Degree.
Food Packaging is Your Responsibility, Too

Food packaging as we know it is dead. The days of filling a simple cardboard box with pancake mix, cereal or any other food product are over. Getting a consumer to select a package off the shelf is more difficult than ever before.