Her Story
About Tamanna
Tamanna Ramesh is the Founder and Executive Coach of Spark Academy, which she launched approximately three years ago. In this role, she leads innovation and digital transformation initiatives in the food industry while coaching mid-career women to advance into leadership positions and assisting international professionals with talent-based visas in the U.S. food sector. She maintains a day job at Coca-Cola, where her responsibilities include bringing product and technology innovations to life and leveraging digital tools for knowledge management. Ramesh began her career at Nutritional Resources Incorporated before moving to Kraft Heinz Company and then to Coca-Cola. Her educational background includes a bachelor's degree in food process engineering from India, a master's degree in food science from the University of Maine, and a Global MBA offered through a partnership between Cali Business School, Indiana University, and the University of Manchester. She is an active member of the Institute of Food Technologists, where she recently received the INCLUDE Award for her inclusive leadership, and she also participates in the Women's Foodservice Forum. Ramesh serves on the Atlanta NextUp Atlanta board, leading corporate sponsorships, and volunteers actively with IFT. She attributes her success to a drive to improve the industry for others, drawing from her own experiences navigating immigration and career growth to create supportive resources and coaching.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tamanna
01What do you attribute your success to?
The drive to leave the industry in a better place than I found it. I have really enjoyed growing as an individual, both professionally and personally, and a lot of what I do is driven by, oh, I wish I had this sort of support when I was in this situation. A lot of what I did was recreate my own journey, but with all these different guides and courses and self-paced resources, as well as personalized coaching that would help somebody going through similar paths with a little bit less stress.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
It's better to be overwhelmed by the possibilities than be underwhelmed by the lack of opportunities. There's always been moments in my career where I've had multiple opportunities come at once, and I'd get into this decision-making paralysis. So a mentor of mine told me once that it's always good to be overwhelmed with the possibilities than be underwhelmed with the lack of opportunities.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Dream really really bigger than what your actual dream is. A lot of times, we tend to underestimate the extent of our capabilities and ambitions. Be bold enough to ask for more, whether it's promotions, raises, salary, or even opportunities. The worst you can get is a no, which is what you already assume you're going to get, so there's no harm in pushing for more.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The opportunities are digital acceleration and AI fluency, and sustainability in packaging, energy, engineering or circular economy. The challenge is that the food industry is not a very high-profit, high-margin business so salaries are relatively lower, requiring career pivots for growth.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
People-centered leadership is very critical. Prioritizing quality time with loved ones, being fully present. Growth and impact are huge values, to continue to grow businesses and people in the food and beverage industry while maximizing the impact I create.
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