We recently connected with Vedas Burkeen and have shared our conversation below.

Vedas , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about your team building process? How did you recruit and train your team and knowing what you know now would you have done anything differently?

No, I started my business in 2010. Originally, it was just me taking on projects for organizations. It was a lot of work and difficult to manage while working full-time.
Fast forward to early 2022, my business Excel Science shifted to full-time consulting focused on supporting food manufacturing companies in food safety and occupational safety. At the beginning of this new journey, I contracted an HR person and an accountant part-time to make sure that I was able to focus on the technical work. I was the only science consultant for the first 6 months of 2022. Eventually, we had to expand and hire part-time project-based consultants. I hired chemists and microbiological scientists I already knew, scientists who worked for me previously, and specialists (auditors and occupational health SMEs) who were interested in taking on more projects. They are highly experienced with a proven track record of great work ethic and a spirit of excellence. I believe in hiring people part-time first, then offering them full-time positions as we expand.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My love for science started in high school. I went on to obtain a B.S degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Alabama A&M University. I received a doctorate in Food Microbiology from the University of Georgia. Excel Science is a group of minority technical professionals with backgrounds in science, academia, and industry. We support food manufacturing corporations in the areas of food safety and occupational safety. We also support Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math initiatives (STEAM) as science experts and educators.
Our services:
– Microbial Risk Assessment
– Hygienic Zoning
– Food Safety Plan Development
– Food Safety System Review
– Record Review & Development
– Standard Operating Procedures
– Environmental Monitoring
– Program Development
– Occupational Safety Enhancement
– Safety Training
– Mock FDA Audits
– Audit Readiness
-Training and curriculum development

We are renowned for our exceptional communication skills and our capacity to simplify complex scientific concepts. Our commitment lies in delivering innovative solutions to our clients.
We are also known for technical capacities serving as SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) and technical writing. We are very familiar with FDA and OSHA laws and regulations. Our academic instruction experience gives us the ability to train learners with different learning styles and a variety of levels with excellence. In addition, we develop training materials and curricula to enrich comprehension and boost productivity. We also provide services for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and math} such as program development and program assessment.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

There was a major pivot when we had to shift our business scope to focus solely on Food Safety and Occupational Safety. I was deep into science academics as an Associate Science Dean at a local university prior to the shift. I had very little time to focus on projects in the business because I was engulfed in running a department, managing faculty, and dealing with students. However, I knew it was time to move on. I was looking to start fresh when a colleague in the food industry reached out. They needed assistance from a food microbiologist at a major beverage corporation. So, I started the journey to become a vendor and provide consultant services to the organization.
After many months of prayers, paperwork, legal tape, and believing, the door finally opened. This door opened at the exact moment that a major door closed. The same week I sent out my first contract to a major corporation as a food safety consultant, there was a massive layoff at my job at the university. I was one of the people who was let go. That was a scary moment. However, I knew it was a phenomenal “God moment”. The timing of it was aligned and I had to go off on faith moving forward. I never looked back after that and here we are growing and thriving 2 years later.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best way to get new clients is through word of mouth and recommendations. You always need an advocate to speak your name and your abilities in rooms and meetings you are not in. So, we work hard to deliver highly technical solutions that are easy to implement for our current clients. We strive to produce the best solutions so that people will recommend us to others.

How do we keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
We listen to our clients! We pay close attention to their vision and assess their needs. Then, we bring it back to the Excel Science team. We try very hard to ensure that we get the whole goal and vision so that our clients can focus on the other things that are demanding their attention.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.excelscience.net
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vedas-burkeen-ph-d-00252b19/