Expo West Reflections from Petra and Elan
Elan: Between reconnecting with some of my favorite people on this planet, getting stuff done at AHPA board meetings and watching my excellent sales team do what they do best, I think I have said this out loud at least 26 times before, but this latest Expo West was the best one yet. What made it even better than the previous 26 of them was stepping on stage at the AHPA breakfast meeting to introduce the winner of their Herbal Insight Award, my father, our CSO and founder, Sidney Sudberg.
I identify as a marketing guy with a chemistry degree and while I have been working hard to commercialize Alkemist Labs, Sid has spent the last 27 years in the background playing rhythm guitar for quality for nearly every reputable brand in this industry. His concern for ingredient quality has been foundational to the success of the dietary supplement industry. His eyes and the eyes of his mentees have assessed over a million chromatographic fingerprints of herbal and fungal raw ingredients and finished products.
To the perpetuators of ‘testing by input’, it’s time to put your calculators away. Because of Sid Sudberg, HPTLC methods exist to find botanicals in gummies and are being regularly deployed by this industry’s top companies. Sid Sudberg doesn’t make the products this industry sells; he helps to make them safer and more effective one test at a time.
His award is sweet validation of his/our tireless efforts to help improve the safety and efficacy of this highly regulated beloved industry.
Petra: Elan was certainly right when he described the highlight of Expo being his presentation of Sidney’s AHPA Herbal Insight award. It was an emotional moment for all of us Alkemist die-hards – not just us Alkemist employees – in the audience. As I will celebrate nine years working with Sid and Elan in just a few days, I find myself reflecting what is truly different and special about our company. It always comes down to this: our foundation is the fervent belief that HERBS WORK and we help ensure high quality product so that consumers can experience that truth themselves. It’s so gratifying to have Sidney recognized for his role and legacy.
In the midst of that busy week, with so many fun social and work events, was a deeply personal highlight. I celebrated my long-time friend and mentor Mark Jost’s birthday in person on his actual birthday! How often do we get to do that with work friends we just see at trade shows? At my previous job, Mark became my boss upon my return from my maternity leave 15 years ago, and we’ve been close ever since. It was a great night, joined by Amber Bennett, Rob Wildman, Jane Wilson, and Elan, celebrating Mark’s birthday and election to the AHPA board.
Another gratifying part of Expo for me personally was having several women seek me out for help connecting with Women in Nutraceuticals, and the Science committee on which I’m active in particular. Our committee has collected a passionate group of industry leaders on the science side. We are together on a mission to connect and support women in STEM and advance much needed scientific research specific to women’s health. It is a true pleasure to work as the Marketing chair within the group. As with all of WIN’s endeavors, it’s not for women only, and we embrace diversity. If there is anything that I can do to offer connection or guidance, please let me know!
