Kari Underly

A third-generation meat cutter, Kari was introduced to the trade by her father at Underly’s Market, a butcher shop and ice cream parlor in South Bend, Indiana. As an adult, she entered a three-year meat cutting apprenticeship program and became a journeyman meat cutter with Martin's Super Market in South Bend. Over time, Kari continued to develop her cutting skills and product knowledge as well as her business savvy and instincts for merchandising and marketing. Today, retailers, foodservice operators, associations, chefs, and farmers across the country regularly tap into Kari's expertise. Based in Chicago, Kari is the founder of Range®, Inc. specializing in meat industry innovation. She speaks frequently on the topic of meat marketing and conducts training and education seminars for retailers, foodservice operators, trade associations, culinary students, as well as food and meat enthusiasts. Kari is also the author of The Art of Beef Cutting: A Meat Professionals Guide to Butchering and Merchandising which is short listed for the 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards and is a finalist for the IACP Annual Awards and is a highly sought contributor for other books and articles on the subject of meat, butchery and the industry. Kari holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University. She is a faculty member with the IGA Coca-Cola Institute's International Supermarket Management Class and a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.