Olivia Burca

About Olivia Burca

At the intersection of sustainability, AI, and systems-level innovation, I help organizations move from intent to impact, even when the path forward isn\'t obvious. With 10+ years leading cross-functional programs across large corporates and startups, I translate complexity into strategy, and strategy into things that actually get built.At PepsiCo, I work on one of the harder problems in any large organization: making it move like a startup. That means leveraging AI to cut through process, staying close to the consumer, and finding the whitespace others walk past.At Logitech, I drove a portfolio-wide sustainability transformation helping teams eliminate tonnes of CO₂e annually.At Sustainable Future Lab, I bring that same lens to EPR policy, GHG accounting, circular economy, and AI-integrated sustainability strategy, helping businesses find genuine competitive advantage, not just compliance.I\'m known for asking the questions others don\'t, connecting dots across disciplines, and building momentum in rooms where the answer isn\'t settled yet.What I bring- New-to-world innovation & whitespace strategy at portfolio scale- EPR policy, life cycle analysis & circular design expertise- AI & emerging technology integration for sustainability programs- Cross-functional leadership across R&D, supply chain, marketing & policy- Human-centered design thinking, rapid prototyping & program executionWhen I\'m not rethinking how to build products or systems that make people\'s lives better, I\'m out on hiking trails, rolling out a yoga mat, cooking a meal for friends, spending time vibe coding or learning how the things around us are actually made.I learn by doing, I think with my hands, and I\'m most alive when I\'m solving a hard problem in a new way. If you\'re building something that puts people and planet at the center, let\'s talk!

Experience

1. Design Innovation Manager, Whitespace

   PepsiCo

   Oct 2024 — Present

   Led new-to-world, scalable whitespace innovation across brand, product, packaging, applying human-centered design to identify and develop consumer-driven growth opportunities- Partnered cross-functionally with Marketing, R&D, Insights, Supply Chain, and Operations to translate early-stage concepts into validated prototypes and scalable design strategies- Applied AI-enabled tools and emerging technologies to accelerate opportunity identification, concept development, and innovation throughput- Introduced innovation frameworks and ways of working that improved project velocity, decision quality, and alignment with sustainability and long-term growth goals- Supported senior leadership in shaping long-term innovation pipelines (3–5+ year horizon) tied to strategic growth priorities.

Education

• Central Saint Martins, University of The Arts London

  Bachelor of Fine Arts - BFA, Textile Design, Exchange Student

  2014 — 2015

• Parsons School of Design - The New School

  Bachelor’s Degree, Fashion Design

  2012 — 2016

• Harvard Online

  The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking + Exercising Leadership: Foundational Principles

Skills

• Microsoft Word
• Adobe Photoshop
• Digital Photography
• Cnc Machine
• Creativity Skills
• Arduino
• Adobe Creative Suite
• Customer Service
• Innovation Development
• Product Innovation
• Social Networking
• Sketching
• Sewing
• Pattern
• Research and Development (R&D)
• Wearable Tech
• Design for Manufacturing
• Entrepreneurship
• Processing
• Apparel
• Autocad
• Pattern Making
• Zero Waste
• Textiles
• Optitex
• Fashion
• Microsoft Excel
• Powerpoint
• Product Development
• Indesign
• Research
• Graphic Design
• Public Speaking
• Microsoft Office
• Sales
• Fashion Illustration
• Windows
• Tech Packs
• Activewear
• Illustrator