Lisa Johnson is President and CEO of Gourmet Kitchens, Inc., a manufacturer of fresh, prepared foods headquartered in Chicago that under her leadership and innovative management has grown into one of the most successful organizations in the perishable industry. Ms. Johnson founded GKI in 1986 at the age of 26 and the company now manufactures an average of 400 different fresh food products sold to chain and independent retailers throughout the Midwest and as of fourth quarter 2008 began distributing nationwide with select frozen appetizers for the holiday season. The many hats Ms. Johnson wears include: taking an active role in the research and development of new products, serving as a key member of the sales team and acting as account manager to some of GKI’s top clients. GKI has experienced double digit growth since becoming manufacturers for retail as Ms. Johnson is always working to stay ahead of the curve and has traveled around the world to see what trends are developing in Europe and Asia in products, packaging and machinery.
Ms. Johnson and GKI have won numerous awards in recent years including The Business Ledger’s 2007 Influential Women in Business, the NAWBO/Wells Fargo Trailblazer Award in 2005, the National Association of Women Business Owners-Chicago Business Woman of the Year in 2005, the Industrial Council of NearWest Chicago’s Business of the Year Award in 2004 and a Best New Product of 2006 recipient from Stagnito’s New Products Magazine for the Just Toss It® salad. In addition, Gourmet Kitchens was recognized twice as a Corporate Partner of the Year by the NAWBO Chicago chapter and in 2006, Lisa was a finalist for the Mirrasou Optimist Award.
Ms. Johnson currently sits on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Women Business Owners, the Industrial Council of NearWest Chicago, and the Chicago advisory board of the Women's Leadership Exchange. She has been an active member of NAWBO for the past 15 years, and served on the local Chicago Chapter Board of NAWBO for 3 years. Ms. Johnson has been recently named as a finalist for the 2009 Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. Ms. Johnson served on the American Express Partners in Preservation Advisory Committee in Chicago and on the Price Waterhouse Coopers Trendsetter Barometer Panel, a panel of the nation’s fastest-growing businesses.
Lisa Johnson is President and CEO of Gourmet Kitchens, Inc., a manufacturer of fresh, prepared foods headquartered in Chicago that under her leadership and innovative management has grown into one of the most successful organizations in the perishable industry. Ms. Johnson founded GKI in 1986 at the age of 26 and the company now manufactures an average of 400 different fresh food products sold to chain and independent retailers throughout the Midwest and as of fourth quarter 2008 began distributing nationwide with select frozen appetizers for the holiday season. The many hats Ms. Johnson wears include: taking an active role in the research and development of new products, serving as a key member of the sales team and acting as account manager to some of GKI’s top clients. GKI has experienced double digit growth since becoming manufacturers for retail as Ms. Johnson is always working to stay ahead of the curve and has traveled around the world to see what trends are developing in Europe and Asia in products, packaging and machinery. 
