Village Fresh Appoints Helen L. Aquino as New VP of Innovation
February 3, 2026 
Vice President of Innovation Helen L. Aquino. | Village Fresh Greenhouse Grown
Village Fresh Greenhouse Grown has announced the appointment of Helen L. Aquino as Vice President of Innovation, reinforcing the company’s focus on consumer relevance and customer-driven innovation.
Helen has been with Village Farms, now Village Fresh, since 2008, bringing more than 20 years of experience across agricultural research, brand strategy, product development, and CEA. During her tenure, she has contributed to varietal introductions, packaging innovation, category management, sustainability communications, and retail-focused go-to-market strategies.
In her new role, Helen will lead innovation strategy across varietal development, packaging, and positioning, working closely with seed partners, R&D, operations, and commercial teams to ensure greenhouse advancements translate into products that perform at retail.
“Understanding how consumer lifestyles continue to change helps guide our innovation,” said Aquino. “That insight drives better varieties, improved packaging, and clearer choices that reflect how people shop, cook, and eat.”
Prior to joining Village Fresh, Aquino served as a Research Analyst with the Rutgers University Food Policy Institute.
