Charlie Lucas brings over 20 years of diverse food industry experience to his role as Senior Food Scientist at AURI, where he leads food innovation efforts across Minnesota’s value-added agricultural ecosystem. He supports product development, commercialization, and regulatory compliance while fostering collaboration with entrepreneurs, co-manufacturers, and researchers to accelerate the path from concept to market.
Throughout his career, Charlie has driven breakthrough innovations for nationally recognized brands such as Annie’s, Pillsbury, and EPIC—pioneering sustainable ingredient sourcing, alternative processing techniques, and product reformulations. His work spans categories from refrigerated baked goods to jerky and snack foods, always rooted in a commitment to quality, efficiency, and consumer appeal.
Charlie is known for his practical leadership in pilot-scale production, scale-ups, and first production runs, as well as his ability to streamline operations, yielding significant savings. He builds bridges between culinary creativity and food science, backed by formal training in both disciplines. His passion lies in empowering Minnesota’s food ecosystem through applied research, strategic insight, and hands-on technical support.
