Sandi Ford

In 1992, Sandi Ford encouraged her brother-in-law to bring his family barbecue sauce to market, joining him as a partner in the brand that she named Bone Suckin' Sauce. To help grow sales, Ford merchandised the sauce from her and her husband's fourth-generation specialty food business, Ford's Family Fruits & Gourmet Foods. Thirty years later, the award-winning product line is sold in over 80 countries. The co-founder of the North Carolina Specialty Foods Association, Ford is a sought-after expert, authority, and advocate of specialty foods, agriculture, and locally-owned and operated brands.