Jenny Buettner, founder of Buettner Global Services, has taken an unconventional path to tackling food insecurity. With a background in fashion and a successful career in manufacturing, she found herself pivoting during the COVID-19 pandemic when she overheard a conversation about food distribution challenges. That moment set her on a mission to transform the way food reaches those in need, ensuring not just access but also variety and nutrition.
A Career Pivot Born from Crisis
For over a decade, Jenny worked in fashion, designing and patenting fashion solutions while manufacturing products for high-end boutiques and discount retailers. However, when the pandemic brought the fashion industry to a standstill, she discovered a new opportunity in food service. Large food distributors like Sysco faced a significant hurdle—they could only supply food in bulk, making it difficult to serve food banks and shelters that required smaller, shelf-stable portions.
Recognizing her expertise in manufacturing and supply chain logistics, Jenny stepped in, leveraging her connections with discount retailers to secure smaller food quantities. Her experience in scaling production from boutique fashion to large discount chains provided her with the knowledge needed to transition seamlessly into the food industry.
Addressing Food Fatigue and Nutrition Gaps
As Buettner Global Services expanded, Jenny noticed an overlooked issue—food fatigue. Many food programs offer repetitive, low-nutrient meals, leading to frustration and lack of dietary diversity among recipients. Determined to make a difference, she focused on sourcing healthier, more varied food options to better serve communities in need.
By building direct relationships with manufacturers and distributors, she ensured that the food reaching shelters, food banks, and emergency programs wasn’t just filling stomachs but also contributing to overall well-being. Her approach bridged the gap between food security and quality, offering people meals they actually wanted to eat while maintaining affordability.
Scaling Success: From Vendor to Trusted Partner
Entering the food industry as an outsider came with challenges. Established players hesitated to trust a newcomer, questioning her ability to deliver on large-scale contracts. However, Jenny’s business strategy—committing to significant purchase volumes over time—helped her earn credibility. By consistently fulfilling orders and proving her reliability, she built strong partnerships with major distributors and food banks.
Unlike those who enter the industry for quick profit, Jenny saw this as a long-term mission. She didn’t just want to supply food—she wanted to innovate how food aid was distributed. This commitment led to deeper relationships, positioning Buettner Global Services as an essential player in the fight against food insecurity.
Revolutionizing Food Aid Through Technology
Jenny’s latest innovation is a game-changer: Serv-Vending, a vending machine program designed to provide emergency food and essential supplies in a more efficient and transparent way. These vending machines, currently being piloted in Orange County, California, offer not just food but also hygiene products like toothpaste, aspirin, and laundry detergent—items that are often overlooked in traditional aid programs.
At the core of this initiative is the Wishes Platform, a donation-based system that enhances transparency in giving. Unlike traditional donation models where funds disappear into large organizations with little accountability, this platform allows donors to track exactly where their money is spent. For example, if someone donates $100 to assist wildfire victims, they can see precisely which food or essentials were purchased with their contribution.
This level of data-driven transparency is groundbreaking in the world of charitable giving. It ensures that donations are used as intended, helping build trust between donors and recipients. The vending program also allows for personalized nutrition, offering gluten-free, low-sodium, and high-protein options based on the dietary needs of those accessing the machines.
Building a Sustainable Future for Food Security
Jenny’s approach goes beyond short-term food aid. By collaborating with local businesses and emphasizing community-based solutions, she is creating a sustainable ecosystem for food distribution. The Serv-Vending program, coupled with real-time data collection, is poised to revolutionize how communities tackle food insecurity, ensuring that meals reach those who need them in a way that is efficient, nutritious, and dignified.
Her journey from fashion entrepreneur to food security innovator is a testament to adaptability, resilience, and a deep commitment to social impact. As Buettner Global Services continues to grow, Jenny remains focused on expanding access to healthy, locally sourced food while using technology to enhance transparency and efficiency in aid distribution.
With her trailblazing initiatives, she is not just feeding people—she is reshaping the future of food security in the U.S. To learn more about Jenny, visit https://bgs-corp.com/ and listen to her full journey on Women in Motion now: https://businessradiox.com/podcast/women-in-motion/ending-hunger/
About Women’s Business Enterprise Council-West (WBEC-West)
WBEC-West is a regional partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), a coalition of corporations, WBEs, and regionally focused women’s business organizations. As an affiliate organization, WBEC-West implements the certification standards of WBENC throughout Arizona, Colorado, Southern California, Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, Hawaii, and Guam. WBENC is the largest certifier of women’s business enterprises in the U.S. and a leading advocate for women business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs. WBENC certification is nationally recognized and accepted by more than 10,000 major corporations. We also support corporations in their efforts to include WBENC Certified WBEs in their supply chain.