SEATTLE – April 12, 2022 – Retail technology executive Sophi Kim has joined grocery artificial intelligence leader Shelf Engine as head of product management. In this newly created position, Kim will play a critical role in Shelf Engine’s expansion drive, directing a fast-growing team of product managers, technical project managers and designers. She will oversee a team dedicated to translating customer feedback into product innovations that further increase client gross margins and reduce food waste.

Kim joins Shelf Engine from Amazon, where she held a variety of lead product roles over the past 4.5 years. Those spanned retail supply chain optimization, information system design, and Just Walk Out store launches (the same technology powering Amazon Go stores). Kim led the development and launch of a unified data pipeline between Amazon and Whole Foods Market that powers core retail use cases, including perishables supply chain. She also served as product lead for the international expansion of Amazon physical stores inventions.

“I’m stunned and saddened by the sheer amount of food waste, especially when so many people don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” said Kim. “I’m very inspired by the wonderful work Shelf Engine has done in a short period of time to prevent 4.5 million pounds of retail food waste. Shelf Engine’s mission of reducing food waste through automation energizes me, as does the prospect of working with so many smart, committed teammates.”

“With Sophi in place, our product team will be able to scale more effectively as Shelf Engine extends into new highly perishable categories,” said Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder Bede Jordan. “She will be a key player in helping us grow our footprint at the more than 3,000 retail locations we currently serve and attract new customers. With accomplished new talent such as Sophi on board, we’re poised to continue our strong track record of customer success.”

Kim is based at Shelf Engine’s Seattle headquarters and reports to Jordan. A US Navy veteran, she holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Northwestern University. 

With Kim’s addition, women comprise half of Shelf Engine’s leadership team—rare in the technology world. According to IDC, women at tech companies hold only 24 percent of leadership positions. Six women, including Kim, now head Shelf Engine teams. 

Shelf Engine’s automated forecasting and ordering technology applies AI and machine learning to deliver the ideal order for perishable products. Retail customers benefit from dramatically lower food waste and average gross margin dollar growth of more than 15%. For more information on Shelf Engine, please visit https://www.shelfengine.com.

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About Shelf Engine

Shelf Engine forecasts and orders highly perishable foods for grocers at scale. Using AI, Shelf Engine’s platform predicts consumer demand with high precision and automates ordering for every SKU, every day, in every store. Shelf Engine simplifies grocery operations by automating the purchase orders sent to suppliers and distributors, paying them directly for the products they deliver, and only charging retailers for what they sell. Shelf Engine’s performance-based model reduces labor requirements, eliminates inventory risk, and guarantees profit expansion from day one. Launched in 2016, Seattle-based Shelf Engine has more than 200 employees and manages orders for leading retailers at thousands of locations nationwide. For more information, visit shelfenginestg.wpengine.com.