Audarshia Townsend
Audarshia Townsend’s Biography
For three decades, Audarshia Townsend has been a leading voice in food and beverage media, earning her stripes as an award-winning journalist, most recently, Informa Markets' "Star Storyteller of the Year” (2023), Folio/Eddie Awards’ Honorable Mention for “Best News Site” for SupplySide Food & Beverage Journal (2024), Tabbie Awards’ (Trade Association of Business Publications International) Honorable Mention for “Editor’s Column” for SupplySide Food & Beverage Journal (2025), Folio/Eddie Awards’ Honorable Mention for “Editor’s Column” for SupplySide Food & Beverage Journal (2025) and Marquis Who’s Who (2025-2029).
This lifelong Chicagoan blends visionary editorial leadership with a deep-seated passion for amplifying underserved business communities. Most recently, she served as the content director for SupplySide Food & Beverage Journal. The in-demand content strategy leader is president of Townsend Media Magic LLC, a company she founded in 2020 to focus on specialized high-level content development for major corporations.
Audarshia's insights have been regularly featured on major media outlets such as FOX-32 Chicago, WGN-TV and NPR-Chicago, where she breaks down the latest food and beverage trends. Her expertise is so valued that she's been a recurring judge for prestigious events like the James Beard Foundation Awards (2022-26), Organic Trade Association’s Organic Awards (2025-26) and New Hope Network's NEXTY Awards (2023-26).
Beyond her roles in content creation and media appearances, Audarshia is a dynamic speaker and moderator, having graced stages from the Black Women in Food Summit to SupplySide Global to Niche Media Conference.
Her extensive content portfolio includes writing for Chicago Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Essence, Esquire, Playboy, Time Out and The Huffington Post, and developing content for renowned brands like Lexus, MasterCard and Google. A true advocate for education, she dedicates her time to guest lecturing at universities like Columbia College Chicago, DePaul, Illinois Institute of Technology, Northwestern and Loyola, mentoring the next generation of journalists.