LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--sweetgreen, the seasonal restaurant with the mission of connecting people to real food, announced today the appointment of Valerie Jarrett, Businesswoman and Former Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama, and Cliff Burrows, Group President of Starbucks’ Siren Retail business, to its board of directors.

“Both Valerie and Cliff have shown that they challenge the status quo, know how to make an impact, and can create solutions where the customer, community and company wins. Their arrival to the board will be instrumental in evolving the way sweetgreen supports the communities we serve, and we couldn’t be happier to have them join us on our mission of connecting people to real food,” said Jonathan Neman, co-founder and CEO of sweetgreen.

Jarrett joins sweetgreen’s board of directors with more than 30 years of experience in a variety of sectors. She is a Senior Distinguished Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School, and a senior advisor to the Obama Foundation and Attn. With a background in both private and public sectors, Valerie has served as Chief Executive Officer for a number of companies, in addition to serving as the director of a variety of corporate and not-for-profit-boards. Valerie was the longest serving Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama and oversaw the Offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs and Chaired the White House Council on Women and Girls.

With nearly 20 years of experience at Starbucks, Burrows was most recently responsible for elevating the signature customer and employee experience for which the brand is known. Prior to this role, Burrows served as Group President of Starbucks’ Siren Retail business. Under his leadership, the coffee chain set records across almost every measure of sales and customer experience.

About sweetgreen:

Founded in 2007, sweetgreen passionately believes that real food should be convenient and accessible to everyone. Every day, across its 100+ restaurants, their team creates food from scratch, using fresh ingredients and produce delivered that morning. sweetgreen’s strong food ethos and investment in local communities have enabled them to grow into a national brand with a mission to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food.