Holly Long

Holly Long is the Principal Forager for Local & Emerging Brands at Whole Foods Market, where she’s spent more than two decades nurturing her passion for food and mentoring the next generation of culinary innovators. Her journey began in restaurant kitchens in high school and evolved through culinary school at Johnson & Wales University, where she earned degrees in both Baking & Pastry Arts and Foodservice Management. 

Since 2012, Holly has been a familiar face at the Fancy Food Show, which she first attended as a culinary student and now views as one of the industry’s best stages for discovery and connection. In her current role, she scouts out standout small brands and provides hands-on guidance to help them scale and succeed. “What drives me is the opportunity to support passionate founders and help share their stories,” she says. 

At the time of Holly’s Leadership Award win announcement, she was reviewing applications for the 2025 LEAP Early Growth Cohort—an accelerator program that gives emerging brands a platform, education, and the potential for game-changing support through Whole Foods Market. Outside of Whole Foods, Holly serves as a founding board member of Naturally New England and a corporator at Walden Mutual Bank.