Karen Pendergrass
Founder, Certified Paleo, Keto Certified, and Heavy Metal Tested | We certify food & supplement brands trusted by billion-dollar CPGs | Stricter-than-FDA standards for Paleo, Keto & Heavy Metals.
- Role
- Co-founder at Paleo Foundation
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Karen Pendergrass
I work in the blind spot between public health science and consumer marketing, where emerging risks are real, regulation is slow, and trust is everything.I founded and operate certification platforms that define safety and integrity for Paleo, Keto, and Heavy Metal–Tested foods— before federal agencies do. My standards don’t just tick boxes. They shape purchasing decisions, retailer acceptance, and brand defensibility.Here’s what I actually do:Build third-party certification systems that codify complex health risks (e.g. metals, toxins, gut disruption) into actionable standards.Advise CPG brands on how to anchor their product claims to data—not trends—and speak credibly to regulators, buyers, and smart consumers.Translate scientific uncertainty (e.g. microbiome effects, cumulative metal exposure) into brand-safe, marketable proof points.My expertise isn’t in science and research for its own sake. It’s in identifying where science becomes reputation risk, and creating the frameworks that brands use to pre-empt it.If you’ve got a functional food brand that’s growing faster than the rulebook, or you’re trying to cross the credibility threshold with major retailers, or simply just trying to increase your sales through leveraging consumer trust—I can help.
Experience
Co-founder
Jan 2010 — Present · US
1 in Paleo, Keto, and Grain-Free Certification for CPGs worldwide.
Education
University of Missouri-Kansas City
BA, Business Administration
2007 — 2009
UMKC Henry W. Bloch School of Management
Business Administration and Management, General
2002 — 2010
Lincoln College Preparatory
Highschool
1999 — 2002
Skills
- Organic Farming
- Food
- Creative Solutions
- Marketing
- Holistic Health
- Highly Dedicated
- Connectivity
- International Networking
- Community Organizing
- Management
- Team Building
- Nutrition
- Farms
- Social Networking
- Social Media Marketing
- Customer Service
- Connecting People
- Food Industry
- Farmers Markets
- Dedication to Work
- Opinion
- Analysis
- Social Media
- Online Social Networking
- Business Networking
- Creative Strategy
- Hobby Farms
- Leadership
- Fitness
- Strategic Planning
- Time Management
- Entrepreneurship
- Politics
- Food Safety
- Start-Ups
- Food Quality
- Foreign Languages
- Forecasting
- Sales
- Organizational Development
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