VP of Marketing and Development / Age 30
United Manufacturers, Inc./Faris Gourmet Popcorn
Jennifer Faris’s first job was working with her dad at the family business, United Manufacturers, Inc., where she learned “that there is never a job too little for even the most senior position to be doing, the importance of establishing long-lasting relationships from the start, how to be diligent and … so much more.”
Through her companies’ partnerships with local school districts, Faris supports youth education and entrepreneurship. Faris knows something about that, as Faris Gourmet Popcorn was launched out of a high school business project, inspired by her dad making the favorite treat each night after work.
Since then, she and her family have built it into a nationally recognized, award-winning gourmet popcorn brand with 300 flavors sold in 3,500-plus stores throughout the country.
Faris says she hopes to see their businesses “at least double” in production capabilities. “At the same time, echoing my parents’ practices, I want to make sure my family is kept at the forefront so that I’m present for life’s big and little happenings.”
