Award Honorees

The Social Impact Leadership Award honors individuals who have made outstanding efforts to be a source of positivity and stability for customers and organic community members. This year’s winner is Jyoti Stephens, Vice President of Mission and Strategy for Nature’s Path. She grew up listening to her parents—organic pioneers Arran and Ratan Stephens and founders of Nature’s Path—talk about the importance of growing food the healthy way and of contributing to the betterment of our communities and our planet.  

Stephens has launched and oversees multiple initiatives at Nature’s Path to make organic food more accessible to more people. She oversees the Gardens for Good program, which, since its beginning in 2010, has donated more than $500,000 and supported over 60 community organic garden projects to nourish local communities, and the Eat Well Do Good initiative, which provides healthy, organic food to those in need through annual community “foodraisers,” raising over $2.8 million in cash and organic food to date. Her team also coordinates the Love Crunch Bite4Bite program, which donates a minimum of $2 million worth of organic food to food banks annually. Stephens is the executive sponsor of Nature’s Path Sustainability and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) mission and is leading the development of goals around culture, consumers, and community to embed J.E.D.I. across the business. 

“This amazing award is not just for me but for the foundational legacy of sustainability and organic advocacy that my family and the team members at Nature’s Path have built and pursued over the last 40 years,” says Stephen. “It serves as a reminder of the positive impact we can have when we hold ourselves accountable to a collective sense of responsibility.” 

Her advice for individuals and businesses wanting to make a positive impact: “Start with a clear vision and values, build alliances, share knowledge, and engage with your community,” she says. “And never underestimate the importance of perseverance. Despite the challenges, resilience and dedication can lead to meaningful change to create a more just and equitable food movement.”