June Jo Lee

June Jo Lee is a food ethnographer and the founder of Food Ethnographer LLC. She specializes in studying and analyzing food culture, consumer behavior, and the intersection of food with various aspects of society.13

Background and Education

June Jo studied medical and food anthropology at Harvard University.12 Her upbringing was transnational, spanning Seoul, Palo Alto, and Austin, Texas, which exposed her to diverse culinary traditions, including her mother's "alien" kimchi.12

Professional Experience

June Jo has had a diverse career in the food industry:

• Founder of Food Ethnographer LLC: She established this company to address modern issues of disconnection and dislocation through food-centered research.1
• Resident Food Ethnographer at Google: For the past 9 years, she has been providing insights for Google's Workplace Services.14
• Vice President of Strategic Insights: She held this position at The Hartman Group, leading qualitative consumer research for food brands.1
• Consultant: June Jo has worked with various consumer packaged brands (e.g., Nestle, General Mills), retailers (from Walmart to Whole Foods Market), and food services (university, corporate).1

Other Ventures

• Co-founder of Readers to Eaters: An education platform that publishes stories about food culture for children.15
• Wunderland Lab: A project exploring the edges of food culture and taste-making.1
• Author: She has co-authored picture book biographies, including "Sandor Katz and The Tiny Wild" (2022) and the award-winning "Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix" (2017).1

Expertise and Approach

June Jo's work as a food ethnographer involves:

• Conducting fieldwork in kitchens to understand modern consumer culture.3
• Bridging 'what we eat' with 'who we are becoming' for businesses.1
• Providing strategic insights on culture, technology, and sustainability in relation to food.1
• Observing how people shop, cook, and eat in their everyday lives.4

June Jo Lee is based in San Francisco and continues to be a prominent voice in the food industry, speaking at national conferences and contributing to various food-related projects.1