Alejandra Serna-Cardona is a culinary R&D chef who brings equal parts creativity, grit, and real-world kitchen experience to the table. With a background that spans high-volume banquets to cutting-edge product innovation, she thrives at the intersection of flavor, function, and execution.

She started her career in the fast-paced banquet kitchens of the Embassy Suites John Q. Hammons Convention Center, where she worked her way up to Lead Cook which helped lead teams through everything from intimate dinners to events feeding over 2,000 guests. That foundation taught her how to think on her feet, adapt quickly, and deliver at scale; skills she still leans on today.

Alejandra later transitioned into food science, earning her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas and joining Tyson Foods, where she discovered her passion for product development. Blending culinary intuition with technical precision, as a Research Chef embedded with DSM-Firmenich, she partnered closely with cross-functional teams to bring new products to life.

Today, as a Senior Chef I in Retail Innovation at Tyson Foods, she focuses on building bold, consumer-driven products for the Tyson and Buena Mesa brands. A highlight of her recent work includes supporting the launch of more than 20 Buena Mesa items; a passion project turned reality in bringing authentic, fresh-inspired concepts from idea to shelf.

Whether she’s in the kitchen, the test lab, or presenting on stage, Alejandra is driven by one goal: creating food that works in the real world—on the line, on the shelf, and on the plate.