Supporting a Fresh Solution

With classes, extracurriculars, work, and more, there’s a lot on students’ plates. But fresh food isn’t always one of them. 

As an undergrad, Sherri Johnson, ’02 BSB, ’11 MBA, experienced the “food desert” students still encounter on campus. The lack of grocery options required her to get rides to a supermarket miles away. “Once you’re out of the dorms, it’s pretty hard to eat fresh,” she says. So when Johnson, who’s now senior director of media and measurement strategy at Ovative Group, a Minneapolis-based integrative marketing firm, heard about the Fresh Fruit Initiative in 2023, she didn’t hesitate to set up a monthly sustaining gift to the initiative. 

Established in November of that year by the Carlson Business Board, which represents the school’s undergraduates, the Fresh Fruit Initiative addresses one of the top concerns of students—easy access to fresh fruit on the West Bank. Through the initiative, students can pick up produce, like apples or bananas, for free in Hanson Hall. 

Johnson, who has contributed regularly to the Carlson School for several years, learned about the initiative when the Business Board presented it to the Carlson School Alumni Board, which Johnson has served on since 2022. 

Gifts like Johnson’s have helped make the Fresh Fruit Initiative “a huge success,” says Business Board president Niko Vasilopoulos, a senior. Currently, the Business Board spends about $150 a week on fruit. “We never have any leftovers,” he says. “There’s more demand than we can supply.” Last November, the board’s Give to the Max campaign generated enough donations to fund the initiative for at least two more semesters. “In my four years on the Business Board, this is one of our most impactful initiatives,” says Vasilopoulos, who places the fruit order each week. “We’re providing tangible support for students, whether that’s a quick energy boost before class or a treat to take home.” 

As philanthropy chair of the Gophers of the Last Decade Board (GOLD), Matthew Burandt, ’18 BSB, ’23 MSF, has helped lead young alumni efforts to support the campaign. “We can all relate to that undergrad lived experience” of needing snacks when studying, says Burandt, a quantitative analyst for Minneapolis-based Ameriprise Financial. Carlson School alumni donated more than $7,000 to the initiative on Give to the Max Day in 2024.

“What I love about the initiative is that it was an idea that originated from the students,” Johnson adds. “My experience at the Carlson School has helped me to be successful. It’s important for me to help today’s students be successful.”