Keynote Speakers
Jon Steinman is a food systems thinker, author, and educator with a 25-year career shaping how communities engage with food. From the soil to the shelf — from community farms to co-operative groceries — his work revolves around a single question: what if our food supply chains put people, health, and communities first? As the author of Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants, Jon’s work continues to strengthen and amplify the importance of community stewardship of independent grocery stores.
A former board president of the Kootenay Co-op — Canada's largest natural foods co-op — Jon now leads Grocery Story Press — publisher of This Could Be Ours, the Food Co-op Finder app, and a growing suite of webinars and resources for retail grocery co-ops across the U.S. and Canada.
Jon is also known as the voice behind Deconstructing Dinner — once Canada's most-listened-to food podcast and radio program, and later an award-winning television series. From grain co-ops to cohousing communities, to food documentary film festivals, Jon's many projects all share one ingredient: a belief that food can bring communities together.
In his opening keynote for the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit, Jon will explore how rural grocery owners and stakeholders can more effectively communicate their essential value to customers, communities, policymakers, funders, and partners. In a sector shaped by increasing consolidation, shrinking margins, and shifting consumer habits, how do we preserve and strengthen independent grocery stores—not just as places to buy food, but as foundational community assets? Jon’s presentation will trace 125 years of grocery retail history to reveal how competition law, price-driven culture, and policy neglect have made it nearly impossible for independents to thrive by playing the same game as the dominant grocers. If rural grocers are to survive and flourish, they must stop trying to win on the same terms—and instead, change the terms of engagement.
Rebecca Undem has always been passionate about two things: people and talking to people. As an inspirational speaker, community advocate, and host of the podcast The Growing Small Towns Show, she's put her gift of gab to good use.
As Founder and Executive Director of Growing Small Towns, a regional non-profit organization, Rebecca helps the communities in southeast North Dakota be places people love to call home through programs that grow their human, social, and cultural capital.
Not one to let people down, Rebecca still lives up to her childhood label of drama queen. She binges on Netflix shows, coffee, and anything that makes her feel verklempt—her self-declared favorite feeling. Rebecca went against her youthful declarations and married a farmer, Jeremiah, and together, they have three amazing kids: Andrew, Carter, and Brynlee. They love their small town and the crazy-good life they get to live there.
In her keynote at the 2026 National Rural Grocery Summit, Rebecca will explore how grocery stores serve as community hubs. Local grocery stores are critical to the success of small communities. Access to high-quality food is a huge determining factor in guiding a person's decision to choose a place to live. Today, more than ever, rural grocery stores have unique opportunities to position themselves as community hubs, offering more than simple food access. In her keynote, Rebecca will explore the connections between the store and the broader community. By attending, you will rediscover the competitive advantages of being small and locally owned, explore the generational shifts at play in the workforce, learn strategies to engage the newest generation of workers and residents, and explore new ways of collaborating within your community.