Erin Newkirk

Erin Newkirk is an award-winning innovator with rich leadership in tech, food, retail, consumer packaged goods, and healthcare; spanning start-ups to growth companies to billion-dollar brands. She currently serves as the chief brand and marketing officer for Caribou Coffee. Newkirk and her team hold themselves accountable for how Caribou's brand comes to life across all touchpoints while keeping team, guests, and global responsibility as central guideposts.

Newkirk’s brand-management career began at General Mills, after earning an MBA at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. In 2005, Newkirk co-founded Red Stamp, a correspondence platform on a mission to make relationships stronger, one card/tweet/text/post at a time.

With more than two million users and ten million cards sent, Red Stamp was best known for its award-winning app. It was acquired in 2013 by Taylor Corporation, one of the largest privately held companies in the United States. Newkirk, who stayed on as Red Stamp CEO until 2016, credits long and productive hours at her local Caribou coffeehouse while building her venture.

After leaving Red Stamp and before coming to Caribou, Newkirk served as the founding chief marketing officer at Minneapolis-based health insurance startup Bright Health, advised meal-kit company Local Crate, and helped startups achieve success and alignment through her consultancy, Satya. She is also an active speaker and advisor to entrepreneurs and women in business and technology.