Fueled by coffee (with vanilla-flavored cream, thank you) and relentless curiosity, Monica Cohen brings energy, insight, and hard-earned lessons to every corner of the business world...from boardrooms to brainstorms.
After three decades in the dairy industry (a category that went from adored to fighting for relevance) Monica knows what it means to lead through disruption. Her sharp wit, killer instincts, and no-nonsense attitude earned her a seat in the C-suite and a reputation as a change agent inside a $24-billion global giant, Dairy Farmers of America.
When things got messy, Monica got the call. Her philosophy? Question what is. Reject the norm. Make bold moves and bring people with you.
Because for Monica, leadership isn’t about being fearless. It’s about having the courage to act and the clarity to make it stick.
When being bold is your superpower...
Maybe Monica Cohen’s boldness started the moment she entered the world as a “blue baby” with a serious heart defect. Maybe it came from growing up in a household where women were expected to marry, not lead. Or maybe it began when she stepped into a male-dominated industry right out of college and decided that “you can’t” didn’t apply to her.
Wired for boldness: Meet Monica
Whatever the source, Monica turned guts and grit into a career-long habit. Over more than three decades, she worked her way from intern to C-suite leader at Dairy Farmers of America, a multibillion-dollar global dairy cooperative with 20,000 employees, a broad customer network, and a diverse portfolio of consumer brands.
There, she helped steer daily operations and wore many hats, including Executive Vice President, Chief of Staff, Chief Innovation Officer, Sustainability Lead, Communications and Crisis Lead, Executive Sponsor of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and trusted thought partner to the President and CEO.
Today, as CEO of the American Cider Association, Monica is once again driving transformation, helping a growing industry make bold moves and think bigger.
A sought-after keynote speaker and advisor, Monica brings her fearless, no-BS approach to leaders and organizations ready for real change. She helps them act with courage, challenge the status quo, and lead with humor, humanity, and a whole lot of heart.
Workshop, panel, keynote...whatever the format, Monica shows up with high energy, real talk, and solutions your team won’t just hear, they’ll want to run with.
- Alysha, coaching recipient
"...you've made a huge difference!"
