# Aaron Kennedy

> Aaron Kennedy founded Noodles & Company in 1995 after seeing an opportunity to bring noodle dishes from different cuisines onto one menu. A former consumer researcher and brand manager who helped develop Lunchables, he later served as Colorado’s first chief marketing officer and TitletownTech’s first entrepreneur-in-residence.

- **Role:** Founder and former CEO at Noodles & Company
- **Organizations:** Noodles & Company, Oscar Mayer / Kraft General Foods, PepsiCo, State of Colorado, TitletownTech, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Modmarket (historical board role), Larkburger (historical board role)
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree in English and journalism, Augustana College, MBA, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- **Known for:** Founded Noodles & Company in 1995., Conducted consumer research for the development and launch of Lunchables., Named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, as documented by Wisconsin School of Business.

## Career timeline

- **1985** — Graduated from Augustana College; subsequently worked as a sports editor in Galena, Illinois.
- **1989** — Earned an MBA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- **Before 1995** — Worked in consumer research at Oscar Mayer, in Pepsi brand management and in brand design.
- **1993** — Conceived a global noodle restaurant after visiting an Asian noodle shop in New York.
- **1995** — Opened the first Noodles & Company in Cherry Creek, Denver.
- **1996** — Opened in Madison and undertook an operational rethink following negative reviews.
- **2006** — Kevin Reddy succeeded Kennedy as CEO; Kennedy remained involved during the transition.
- **2008** — Left Noodles & Company, according to the company’s historical account.
- **2012** — Became Colorado’s first chief marketing officer.
- **2013** — Led the Making Colorado branding effort.
- **2019** — Appointed TitletownTech’s first entrepreneur-in-residence.
- **2023** — Completed his four-year entrepreneur-in-residence commitment in March.

## Achievements

- Founded Noodles & Company in 1995.
- Conducted consumer research for the development and launch of Lunchables.
- Named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, as documented by Wisconsin School of Business.
- Noodles entered the Inc. 500 Hall of Fame after five appearances during his tenure.
- Served as Colorado’s first chief marketing officer.
- Named an inaugural Noodles Legacy Award recipient.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — The company’s October 2026 birthday article marks 31 years since Kennedy opened the first location and credits him as the artist behind its old noodle doodles.
- **2023-03** — Completed his four-year entrepreneur-in-residence commitment at TitletownTech.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-kennedy-15139912
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/commotionfoods

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/aaron-kennedy
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-14