Katie Brenner ’04 is helping shape how consumers experience high-protein food products nationwide. As a sales and marketing executive for Stryve Foods, she leads national strategy, oversees multiple product categories and has helped guide a strategic transformation more than two years in the making. Her ability to navigate change, build trust and deliver results reflects the applied, relationship-driven education she received at UW-Stout.
Originally from Lakeville, Minnesota, Brenner chose UW-Stout for its specialized programs and close-knit campus community. She initially enrolled in the apparel design program, drawn by an early interest in fashion.
After realizing that her strengths lay elsewhere Katie ultimately found the retail merchandising & management program, a move that proved transformative. Brenner credits UW-Stout faculty for helping her identify her strengths and for offering the kind of individualized support that shaped both her confidence and career direction.
“The professors always felt like they had time for you,” she said. “I remember one professor could tell I was struggling before I even asked for help. She took extra time with me, and that experience really stuck with me. That’s how the whole campus felt.”
Once she found the right academic fit, Brenner thrived. Her coursework emphasized applied learning, analytics, leadership and communication — skills that would immediately set her apart after graduation. That advantage became clear in her first role at Dayton’s (Marshall Fields), where she joined a merchandising training program alongside peers from a wide range of academic backgrounds. “I realized right away I was a step ahead,” she said. “That came directly from my schooling.”
She advanced quickly, earning multiple promotions in her early career. When corporate restructuring led to mass layoffs in Minneapolis, Brenner viewed the disruption not as a setback but as an opportunity to expand her perspective. She transitioned into the broker world and later into manufacturing, gaining a rare, full-spectrum understanding of retail from buyer to supplier.
“That experience made me stronger,” she said. “I wouldn’t be the leader I am today without seeing the business from every side.”
Over the next decade, Brenner continued building her expertise in sales and leadership, including 11 years at The Hain Celestial Group, where she led sales across major national accounts. Relationships she built along the way proved pivotal. When a former colleague stepped into the CEO role at Stryve Foods, he reached out as the company prepared for a strategic transformation.
Brenner joined Stryve Foods more than two years ago and now oversees national sales and marketing for the public company. Known for pioneering air-dried beef snacks, Stryve operates in a rapidly evolving consumer goods space where innovation, agility and collaboration are essential.
“Our entire company is built on innovation,” Brenner said. “But before you can innovate at scale, you have to get your operations, teams and strategy aligned.”
Under her leadership, Stryve has expanded product lines, entered new categories and launched High Steaks, an air-dried pet treat brand. Brenner draws heavily on lessons first learned at UW-Stout, from understanding shelf impact and consumer messaging to leading cross-functional teams through complex launches.
Equally influential has been her leadership philosophy. Brenner prioritizes trust, open communication and accountability, creating environments where teams feel empowered to contribute and learn from mistakes.
Her advice to current UW-Stout students is simple but powerful: build relationships early and often. “Don’t do it alone,” she said. “Every opportunity I’ve had came back to relationships I built and maintained.”
Today, Brenner remains deeply StoutProud, carrying forward friendships, professional confidence and a leadership foundation shaped in Menomonie.
“I think being StoutProud is really honoring the school and campus. The moments that you had, the friendships that you made there and the education that you got,” she said. “I have come into an executive role in the field that I wanted to be in, and I plan to lead a company. Because of Stout, I have the education and foundation to be able to do that.”
