ABOUT US

A Decade of Impact. A Future of Prosperity.

The Leading Collective of Industry Veterans, Founders, and Operators

We scale conscious CPG with passion, purpose, and proven results.

For over 10 years, we’ve been more than just an agency. We’re a collective powerhouse of entrepreneurs, executives, and industry leaders consistently achieving category-defining success.

We connect brands with the right insights, stakeholders, and resources to accelerate growth at any stage. Whether you’re launching, scaling, or preparing for an exit, we bring first-hand experience, strategic expertise, and a passion for supporting founders and brands that create lasting impact.

Passion • Purpose • People • Planet • Prosperity •

Passion

We partner with brands that lead with heart, turning vision into reality.

Purpose

Every decision we make is rooted in impact-driven growth and innovation.

People

We empower founders, teams, and communities to create lasting change.

Planet

Elevating sustainable business practices to protect the environment.

Prosperity

Growth isn’t just about revenue - it’s about building success that fuels positive change.

AGENCY FOUNDERS & PARTNERS

A curated network of industry veterans, executives, and operators with proven leadership.

Marci Zaroff

Founder, Chairwoman

Eric Schnell

Founder, Chief Executive Officer

Mark Doskow

Co-Founder, Managing Director

Veronica Park

Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer

Larissa Hrabec

Partner, Chief Brand Strategist

Ashley Ferguson

Partner, Enterprise Partnerships

Steven Kessler

Chief Sales Officer

Errol Schweizer

Co-Founder, Partner, Advisor for Natural Retail

Vincent Biscayne

Partner, Finance Chair

Mary Anne Madonia

Partner, VP Channel Expansion

Rodd Willis

Partner, President Channel Expansion

Mirran Raphaely

Co-Founder, Beauty Chair

Michael Marrotte

Partner, VP Sales

Derek Webber

Partner, Supplement Co-Chair

Cynthia Tice

Partner, Entrepreneur in Residence

Zachary Watson

Partner, Senior Director of Accounts

Raul Pero

Partner, VP Marketing

Birgit Coleman

Partner, Connections Explorer

David Tsiang

Partner, Finance

Kenn Israel

Co-Founder, Partner, Supplement Co-Chair

50+ Collective Members

A curated network of best-in-class CPG experts ready to align with your mission.

Luis Camino

Specialty Grocery Sales & Distribution (Northeast)

Simone Luke

Sales Leadership & Distribution Networks (U.S. & Canada)

Teddy Heidt

Creative Director & Social Media Strategy

Lauri Maerov

Award-Winning Fiction Writer Verbal Branding, Naming & Storytelling

Iryna Estevez

BBA in Accounting, Financial Operations & Systems

Megan Moore

Finance & Fundraising, NYU Food Studies Graduate

Matt Reynolds

Strategic Advisor

Elizabeth Borges

BBA, Bookkeeping & Financial Strategy

Tracy Kahley

Bookkeeping & Financial Reporting (Diverse Industries)

Justin Prochnow

Regulatory Compliance & Litigation Defense (Food, Beverage, Cosmetics)

Zak Zaidman

Product Development & Supply Chain (Food & Beverage)

Michael Berro

Food Broker Networks & CPG Brand Founder

Kammy Chahal

Brand Management & Market Entry Strategy

Maria Burdick

Strategic Advisor

Elysabeth Alfano

Strategic Advisor

Sunshine LeMontree

Brand Building & Social Media

Marc Meyers

R&D & Technology Innovation (35+ Patents, Supplements & Functional Foods)

Margie Adelman

Nutraceutical Brand Building & PR (B2B & B2C)

Julie Nelson

Strategic Advisor

Ryan Boland

Strategic Advisor

Loick Fenaux

Strategic Advisor

Andrei McQuillan

Creative Director

Adam Hertel

Strategic Advisor

Kristina Sciarra

Beverage Product Development & Premium Branding

Essi Liljama

Strategic Advisor

Sona Banker

Financial Strategy & Venture Capital Advisory

Radhika Maheshwari

Brand Strategy & Visual Identity Design

Lisa Shanower

Strategic Advisor

Jenni Pustinger

Strategic Advisor

Wendy (Cockayne) Lucas

Strategic Advisor

Susan Fecko

Strategic Messaging & Brand Communications (Health & Wellness)

David Barbash

Sales Leadership & Business Development (U.S. & UK Markets)

Jamie Valenti-Jordan

Strategic Advisor

Jeremiah McElwee

Strategic Advisor

Arthur R. Rumaya

Brand Identity & Visual Communication Design

Ryan Honeyman

Strategic Advisor

Sabrina Kautz

Brand Strategy, Omnichannel Marketing & Retail Growth

Crystal Bennett

Strategic Advisor

Jeannie Cho

Strategic Advisor

Matt Merson

Sales & Marketing Leadership, Brand Launches & Distribution

Matt Weiss

Investment Research & Founder Rind Snacks

Megan Sullivan

Content Creation, Social Media & Brand Partnerships

Melanie Breitner

Food Science & Commercialization Expert

Orion Kelly

Category Management & Global Supply Chain (Food Industry)

Sean Conner

Executive Hiring Strategy & Co-Founder Force Brands

Trey Holder

Board Member & Strategic Advisor Co-Founder Brand Innovators Labs, EF Overwatch, CPG Institute

Veronica Lehman

Strategic Advisor

Chip Leonard

Business Development & Sales, International & Emerging Brands

Industry Affiliations

Amplifying connections, resources, and opportunities for sustainable growth.

Scale With Purpose

Schedule a free consultation.

Marci Zaroff

Founder, Chairwoman

Marci Zaroff is an internationally-recognized ecolifestyle pioneer and Co-Founder of BeyondBrands. With over 35 years of extensive experience as a serial entrepreneur (IIN, Under the Canopy, Good Catch, Ecofashion Corp/Farm to Home/YesAnd), Marci has consistently driven innovation and transformation across sectors through her creative vision, deep industry expertise, and commitment to social and environmental progress.

Known for building brands that shift cultural paradigms, she has been honored with numerous industry awards, served on the Board of the Organic Trade Association, produced a cutting-edge sustainable fashion documentary, and authored “ECOrenaissance: Co-creating a Stylish, Sexy and Sustainable World” (Simon & Schuster).

Outside of her global thought leadership, she’s a proud mom/stepmom of 5 consciously-raised kids, a self-proclaimed soil junkie, and a passionate advocate for regenerative practices.

Eric Schnell

Founder, Chief Executive Officer

Eric Schnell is a serial entrepreneur, visionary, and co-founder of BeyondBrands, with almost three decades of experience in the natural products industry. He has launched and scaled multiple high-impact brands, including Steaz, the first organic RTD tea brand (acquired in 2015); Runa tea (acquired in 2018); Good Catch, the world’s first plant-based seafood brand (acquired in 2020), and GoodSam, a leading regenerative organic snack foods brand, which successfully achieved its Series A in 2025. Eric brings a powerful combination of executive leadership focused on marketing, sales, and product innovation, helping turn early-stage ideas into global brands. He’s received accolades, including the “Sustainable Business of the Year” award, 6-Time Annual BevNET “Best Product of the Year” awards, 11-Time Nexty Awards recipient and recognition as a Beverage World “Top 50 Disruptor”. He currently serves on the Nutrition Capital Network Selection Committee, Naturally Network and Naturally New York board of directors.

Mark Doskow

Co-Founder, Managing Director

Mark Doskow is a Co-Founding Partner and Managing Director at BeyondBrands, where he leads internal operations, organizational growth, and cross-functional execution across teams. With 20+ years of leadership spanning hospitality, entertainment, and plant-based, natural products, Mark brings a systems-oriented mindset and a track record of managing complex projects across diverse teams. Known for his precision in data tracking, process implementation, and partner support, he helps ensure BeyondBrands and BeyondSpirits run with discipline and impact. Mark’s ability to unify operations with creative execution makes him a key force in building scalable infrastructure behind conscious brands.

Veronica Park

Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer

Veronica Park is a seasoned operations executive and serial entrepreneur with over 26 years in the beverage industry. As Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of BeyondBrands, she brings a deep commitment to people, purpose, and performance. Veronica has led large-scale retail, licensing, and foodservice initiatives across North America, Asia, and Europe, and played a key role in building the foodservice segment for Starbucks across regions including Singapore and the Philippines. Her expertise spans organizational development, global expansion, and white-glove service execution, making her an indispensable force behind BeyondBrands’ operational success. Known for her heart-led leadership and relentless dedication, Veronica is not only a connector of people and ideas, but also a proud mother of three who brings compassion and tenacity to everything she touches.

Chris Cuvelier

President

Chris Cuvelier is a seasoned entrepreneur and operator with over 20 years of experience scaling consumer packaged goods brands. As the Founder and CEO of Zola, he built one of the fastest-selling acai juice and coconut water lines in the U.S., leading the brand through a successful acquisition. He later joined Caliva as Head of Beverage, helping grow its portfolio ahead of a $330MM SPAC merger that took the company public. Chris is also a founding partner of BeyondSpirits, where he applies his expertise in capital raise, operations, and go-to-market strategy to help emerging and established beverage brands thrive. Based in Half Moon Bay, California—home to the legendary big wave surf spot Mavericks—Chris finds balance in surfing, walking his dog, and spending time with family.

Larissa Hrabec

Partner, Chief Brand Strategist

Larissa Hrabec is a seasoned brand marketing leader with a proven track record of driving growth across some of the world’s most iconic beverage brands. Over her 16-year tenure at Nestlé Waters, she held global marketing roles supporting brands like S. Pellegrino, Poland Spring, and Perrier across 40 countries. Now Chief Brand Strategist at BeyondBrands, Larissa brings big-brand discipline to scaling natural products and mission-driven CPG companies. Having played roles as Head of Marketing as well as agency and consultant strategist, she deeply understands the ins and outs of effecting positive brand change within global organizations, as well as working from scratch in startup environments and agencies.

Eddie Pearson

Partner

Eddie Pearson is a seasoned sales and distribution leader with over 25 years of experience scaling consumer brands across beverage, food, and wellness categories. From powerhouse roles at Coca-Cola and Pepsi to leading growth at brands like Reeds, Runa, Zola, and ForA:Butter, Eddie brings unmatched expertise in building modern, high-performance sales infrastructures. He’s known for bridging the gap between corporate systems and emerging brand agility, with a sharp understanding of consumer behavior, retail trends, and distributor dynamics. A disciplined operator and strategic advisor, Eddie helps brands break through barriers and accelerate growth in complex markets. He lives in Chattanooga, TN with his wife and two daughters.

Ashley Ferguson

Partner, Enterprise Partnerships

Ashley Ferguson is a strategic operator and capital strategist with a unique background spanning luxury lifestyle, licensed consumer goods, and science-backed innovation. She began her career as a publicist in healthcare and high-end lifestyle, representing brands like Burgess Yachts, Bridgehampton Polo Club, and Jacob & Co.—where she developed a passion for building relationships that move businesses forward. At Jazwares, she supported omnichannel business development across a 36-brand portfolio including Squishmallows, Fortnite, and Roblox, playing a key role in two acquisitions and nurturing retail growth with Amazon, Walmart, and Target as well as leading global retailers. At Disruption Labs, Ashley helped grow the company from pre-revenue to 64 global patents, bridging R&D, brand, and capital strategy across food, beverage, supplements, and agtech. Today, she co-leads the capital raise division at BeyondBrands and helps shape go-to-market strategy and enterprise partnerships across the collective. She is also the founder of Corpaholic Consulting, advising IP-backed and ingredient-led ventures on commercialization infrastructure and scalable growth.

Steven Kessler

Chief Sales Officer

Steven Kessler is a seasoned sales strategist/entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in the natural products industry. As Co-Founder of Steaz—an Organic and Fair Trade certified iced green tea brand—he helped transform the company into a category leader, earning Entrepreneur Magazine’s Best Business of the Year award. Steven has led and scaled high-performing sales teams across brands like Country Life and Steaz, building national distribution strategies and managing teams of up to 50. Today, as Chief Sales Officer at BeyondBrands, he brings this depth of experience to help brands architect winning sales strategies that drive growth from launch to leadership.

Errol Schweizer

Co-Founder, Partner, Advisor for Natural Retail

Errol Schweizer is a nationally recognized leader in natural product retail and sustainable food systems, with nearly 25 years of experience in the industry. As former Vice President of Grocery at Whole Foods Market, he led the company’s largest division—doubling sales to $5 billion and improving margins by 300 basis points. He was also a key architect of Whole Foods’ 2018 GMO Labeling Policy and has been named one of Supermarket News’ Top 25 Retail Game Changers. At BeyondBrands, Errol brings deep knowledge in merchandising, category management, and mission-aligned product development for organic and ethically sourced brands. A lifelong gardener and permaculture advocate, Errol lives in Austin, Texas, with his midwife wife and children.

Vincent Biscayne

Partner, Finance Chair

Vincent Biscaye is a finance executive with deep roots in investment banking and a passion for scaling natural food and beverage brands. After a decade in international commodity trading, he pivoted into CPG, becoming Partner and CFO of Love Grace, a leading organic cold-pressed juice company. Since then, he has advised dozens of startups, offering strategic finance and business development support to help them scale efficiently. Vincent holds an MSc in Engineering from Mines Nancy and a Master’s in Finance from HEC Paris. A lifelong basketball player, he brings a team-first mindset to every brand he supports.

Mary Anne Madonia

Partner, VP Channel Expansion

Mary Anne Madonia is a sales strategist specializing in foodservice and alternative channels for better-for-you food and beverage brands. With 15+ years of experience, she has scaled brands like Mary’s Gone Crackers, JUST Water, and UNREAL Snacks across airlines, offices, military bases, convenience stores, drug stores, colleges & universities, and travel retail. At UNREAL, she secured placements with United Airlines, CVS, Circle K, Costco and established international distribution in Canada. At Mary’s Gone Crackers, she led the sales team, managed Costco US and International, and developed a Foodservice/Alternative Channel expansion plan featuring small-format packaging. Her strategy secured partnerships with Starbucks, Delta Airlines, Google, and Dot Foods. Based in NYC, she’s a fitness junkie, avid traveler, and proud aunt to seven nieces and nephews. As VP of Channel Expansion at BeyondBrands, she helps brands expand beyond traditional grocery into overlooked, high-growth markets.

Rodd Willis

Partner, President Channel Expansion

Rodd Willis is a channel expansion expert with over three decades of experience in food and beverage distribution. He spent 27 years at Dot Foods, where he launched and scaled the company’s Convenience and Natural Specialty divisions—each into multi-billion-dollar business units. Rodd began his career at Hormel Foods, selling into the foodservice channel across major markets, and has since become a trusted leader in opening non-traditional pathways to scale. His expertise spans foodservice, vending, drug, industrial, and alternative retail. A board director at the Specialty Food Association and chair of its Distributor Council, Rodd brings strategic leadership, operational excellence, and deep industry connectivity to the BeyondBrands team.

Mirran Raphaely

Co-Founder, Beauty Chair

Mirran Raphaely brings over two decades of leadership in the wellness and personal care industries, co-founding BeyondBrands after 16 years as U.S. CEO of Dr. Hauschka Skin Care, where she built the brand into a globally respected pioneer of biodynamic and sustainable beauty. At BeyondBrands, she serves as Co-Founder and Chair of the Beauty Vertical, advising high-impact health and wellness brands from early stage to established leaders. Mirran’s expertise spans formulary, branding, packaging, operations, regulatory, and go-to-market execution—with a deep focus on social and environmental impact. A passionate steward of nature and advocate for social justice, she integrates purpose and sustainability into every aspect of her work.

Michael A Marrotte

Partner, VP Sales

Michael Marrotte brings over 35 years of CPG expertise to BeyondBrands, with leadership roles spanning Fortune 500 companies like Procter & Gamble and Nestle Purina, natural food distributors, broker management, and entrepreneurial startups. Known for crafting strategic sales and distribution roadmaps, he accelerates growth, drives profits, and reduces risk for emerging brands. Michael’s experience covers natural, conventional, CBD, and cannabis categories, helping founders secure national distribution and build scalable sales systems. With a B.S. degree in Food and Resource Economics from the University of Florida, he offers expertise in product distribution, broker partnerships, new business development, and strategic planning. Outside of work, Michael enjoys boating, cycling, golf, and traveling with his three sons.

Derek Webber

Partner, Supplement Co-Chair

Derek Webber is a veteran sales and marketing executive with over 25 years of experience in the health and wellness space, specializing in scientifically validated supplements and professional healthcare markets. He has led high-performing teams across corporations, developed educational tools for healthcare practitioners and retailers, and built robust digital marketing plans to drive revenue growth. A strategic thinker with deep experience in sales forecasting, brand strategy, and data analytics, Derek previously helped scale a supplement company to over 20 million monthly web visits. He’s passionate about empowering purpose-driven brands that help others thrive.

Cynthia Tice

Partner, Entrepreneur in Residence

Cynthia Tice is a natural products pioneer best known for founding Lily’s Sweets, the no-sugar-added chocolate brand acquired by The Hershey Co. in 2021 in what became the #1 snack food exit of the decade. From initial placement in Whole Foods to investment from VMG Partners, Cynthia built a category-leading brand that proved better-for-you could scale at mass. Today, she brings that same vision and expertise to BeyondBrands as a Partner and Entrepreneur in Residence—mentoring founders through capital raises, retail strategy, and purposeful brand building.

Zachary Watson

Partner, Senior Director of Accounts

Zachary Watson brings nearly two decades of sales experience, including 14 years with New Hope Network—the leading platform and convening force for the natural products industry. There, he played a key role in driving partnerships and elevating visibility for some of the most recognized brands in health and wellness. At BeyondBrands, Zachary leverages his expansive network and deep CPG knowledge to support brands of all sizes—helping them grow market share and scale impact. With a passion for connecting people and fostering growth, he plays an integral role in aligning purpose-driven founders with the tools and relationships they need to thrive.

Naomi Canty

Partner

Naomi Canty is a seasoned Senior Sales Leader with deep expertise in driving growth, innovation, and operational excellence across the CPG sector. She began her career with iconic brands like Gallo Wine, The Pepsi Lipton Tea Partnership, and The Perrier Group of America, spending her first 18 years in foodservice before expanding her expertise to retail with startups such as Steaz and ZICO Coconut Water. Naomi has been instrumental in scaling innovative plant-based brands like Good Catch, NewFields, and OmniFoods, leading national launches at major retailers including Walmart, Albertsons, and Sprouts. Naomi holds a Master’s degree in Food Industry Leadership from USC and leverages her strategic, results-driven expertise to help brands achieve meaningful impact and scale at BeyondBrands.

Raul Pero

Partner, VP Marketing

Raul Pero is a global marketing executive with expertise in brand strategy, innovation, and e-commerce across Fortune 500, PE-backed, and startup environments. His work spans food, home, personal care, and wellness, where he’s built award-winning brands, driven multi-million-dollar growth, secured national retail distribution, and earned recognition from New Hope (NEXTY) and the National Restaurant Association. With an MBA from the University of Michigan and experience across three continents, Raul draws on global consumer insights to scale purpose-driven brands. Now at BeyondBrands, he helps natural and conscious brands achieve strategic growth while enjoying travel, fitness, and time with his black lab, Tiago.

Birgit Coleman

Partner, Connections Explorer

Birgit Coleman is a strategic advisor known for her expertise in building disruptive innovation pipelines and guiding startups and multinational corporations to market leadership. As Co-Founder of swissnex San Francisco, she led the Swiss National Incubator and Accelerator Program, supporting over 200 Swiss startups with U.S. market entry strategies. For Nestlé, she pioneered Open Innovation frameworks and implemented organizational structures to funnel external partnerships into business units, earning Nestlé recognition as a “Top Global 50 Most Innovative Company.” She also played a pivotal role in establishing Mista Foods for Givaudan, developing a leading food technology innovation platform. A thought leader in nutrition, healthy aging, and longevity, Birgit has co-authored two books on food industry innovation and holds a Master of Arts in Business from the University of Applied Sciences, Vienna.

Bret Johnson

Partner

Bret Johnson began his career in entertainment and fitness—earning a degree in exercise physiology, hosting TV shows, and working as a fitness expert and talent agent for athletes. He transitioned into the beverage industry in 2003 with Rockstar Energy Drink, quickly rising to VP of Sales & Marketing for the Pacific Northwest. Later, as VP of Field Marketing at Pabst Brewing, he brought structure and accountability to national experiential marketing. Today, Bret serves as a Partner at BeyondBrands and Co-Founder of BeyondSpirits, offering decades of sales, distribution, and marketing strategy to emerging and established brands across CPG (beverage, spirits) and events. His passion projects of producing a cultural exchange with Cuba and writing a series of novels illustrates his ability to connect culture with commerce makes him a go-to partner for brand growth and breakthrough.

David Tsiang

Partner, Finance

David Tsiang brings over 25 years of experience in investment banking and executive leadership, specializing in supporting early-stage entrepreneurs and disruptive ideas. As Co-Founding CFO at Good Catch Foods, a plant based food company and former CFO of New Leaf Brands, a publicly traded functional beverage company, David has led financial strategy and helped guide businesses from vision to viability. He is passionate about mentoring founders, pairing strategic financial insight with operational execution to drive growth. A champion of innovation, David thrives on helping brands scale through thoughtful planning and aligned investment. Outside of work, he enjoys surfing and motorcycling.

Kenn Isreal

Co-Founder, Partner, Supplement Co-Chair

Kenn Israel brings over three decades of experience in the supplements and nutraceutical industry, specializing in product innovation, delivery system development, regulatory affairs, and commercialization. He has held senior leadership roles across startups, high-growth companies, and multinational organizations, offering deep cross-functional expertise from R&D to market strategy. At BeyondBrands, Kenn helps health-focused brands break new ground with science-driven products and compliant, scalable pathways to market. A passionate mentor and wellness advocate, he’s committed to shaping the next generation of supplement innovation. Based in Central Asia, Kenn finds his greatest joy in raising his sons and nurturing their curiosity for the world.

John Davidowitz

Partner

John Davidowitz is a seasoned sales leader and natural products industry veteran with over 20 years of experience spanning retail operations, category management, brand building, and sales leadership. He spent formative years at Whole Foods Market and Hain Celestial, gaining hands-on expertise across the MULO, Natural, Small Format, and Foodservice channels. Today, John’s passion lies in sustainably scaling emerging brands, where he brings a uniquely analytical approach to sales leadership and planning. His methodical mindset is rooted in an MS in Applied Economics from Cornell University, with concentrations in Food Marketing, Distribution, and Behavioral Economics. At BeyondBrands, John leverages his cross-channel expertise to help mission-driven brands achieve smart, sustainable growth. When not growing brands, he can be found tending to his home garden, which boasts a pear tree, four varieties of grapes, and seven thriving vegetable beds.