The grant program was started to help growing CPG companies scale their operations through investment in manufacturing and packaging, and last year three brands were awarded $20,000 each.
Verbruggen brings a wealth of experience and expertise in corporate communications, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement within the cocoa sector to the role.
This year, scholarship funding is being awarded to 25 college students who are either dependents of Blue Diamond employees or are community members who are pursuing agriculture-related fields of study at U.S. colleges and universities.