Lauren Jans is the R&D and Innovation manager at SmartSweets where she oversees all new product development, product quality and reformulation initiatives. Lauren joined SmartSweets in 2018 after seeking an opportunity to combine her passion for wellness and entrepreneurship with her childhood love of candy and science. She has led the brand’s innovation portfolio through an extensive range of low sugar confections for Canadian and US markets including gummies, fruit chews and twists. Prior to SmartSweets, Lauren was an R&D scientist at Mondelez where she was responsible for innovation under the iconic Cadbury brand including Dairy Milk, Mini Eggs and Caramilk.