It’s only been about two weeks since the NCA State of the Industry event in Florida, but the world feels like a completely different place.

According to the Pew Research Center, “The Millennial generation is forging a distinctive path into adulthood. Now ranging in age from 18 to 33, they are relatively unattached to organized politics and religion, linked by social media, burdened by debt, distrustful of people, in no rush to marry— and optimistic about the future.

It was Debra Sandler’s remarks that stirred my soul the most. The recently appointed president of Mars Chocolate America reminded the audience that “consumers are redefining their relationship with food.”