Brad Barnhorn – Board Member and Strategic Advisor, Barnhorn Board Service
Brad Barnhorn works with leading growth-stage food and beverage companies as an active Board member partnering with high performance CEOs to optimize their leadership effectiveness across all business dimensions to build/scale dynamic brands and create high value, category winning companies effectively positioned to sustainably drive strong, profitable growth and/or exit to strategic acquirers. Current Boards: Country Archer, Rhythm Superfoods, Flying Embers, Biena, Red’s All Natural, Gimme Foods, Barney Butter and Aura Bora. Prior Boards from early/growth stage through to Company Exit: Kevita (Pepsi), Simple Mills (PE recap), Krave (Hershey), Health Warrior (Pepsi), RightRice (Planting Hope), Fishpeople (Bornstein Seafood) and Chameleon Cold Brew (Nestle).
After time spent in management consulting and investment banking, Brad’s food/bev journey began twenty-five years ago as the Founder/CEO of the Fantasia Fresh Juice Co. which he built into a leading superpremium fresh juice/smoothie brand culminating in a merger with Naked Juice and subsequent acquisition by Pepsi. He holds an MBA from the Stanford GSB and a true passion for unlocking the power of human transformation in life and leadership.
Dianna Tremblay — Chief Program Officer, ICA
Dianna Tremblay is the Chief Program Officer at ICA. She is responsible for scaling the impact of the ICA’s programs and cultivating the support and capital ecosystem necessary for entrepreneurs to scale their businesses. With expertise in program design and implementation, small business support, accessing capital, and ecosystem building, Dianna strives to use these skills to increase equitable access to capital, coaching, and networks for entrepreneurs of color. Leading ICA’s program work, Dianna continues to explore, test, and build programs that ultimately prepare companies to become more resilient and investment-ready. Dianna currently serves on the boards of Naturally Bay Area and Progeny Coffee.
Prior to joining ICA, Dianna’s professional experience included sales, corporate relationship management, and business development roles in e-commerce and textbook publishing. Dianna received a MBA from the Lorry I. Lokey School of Business and Public Policy at Mills College and a Bachelor’s in English from California State University, East Bay.
Greg Fleishman – Co-Founder & General Manager, Good Alpha Industries VC
Greg Fleishman is an Entrepreneur that starts, nurtures, and invests in pioneering companies that help the world thrive.
He is currently Co-Founder & General Partner, @Good Alpha Industries VC and Co-Founder @foodstirs Junk-Free Bakery with Sarah Michelle Gellar | Founder @purelyrighteous Brands venture studio| Co-Founder @uptogoodenergy | Co-Founder @eatunion | Board Director for Lily’s Sweets (exited to Hershey’s Jun 2021), Once Upon a Farm with actress Jennifer Garner, 4th & Heart Ghee, Nuun Hydration (exited to Nestle Jun 2021), Fairseed, Naturally Network – LA & Demeter Biodynamic Farming USA | Partner, Cambridge SPG VC | Venture Partner, Springdale Ventures (with Mr. Beast Feastables) | Operating Partner, Whipstitch Capital | Angel/LP Investor | Greg is an Ex-Kashi, Kellogg, Coca-Cola executive and Forbes Top Consumer Catalyst
In September 2021, Greg launched Fata & Fleishman CPG Mentorship, a free support platform for early-stage entrepreneurs & investors with longtime friend and colleague Mike Fata.
Shahir Amin – Principal, Sonoma Brands Capital
Hailing from the mountains of West Virginia, Shahir Amin followed the country roads to Sonoma where he lives with his wife and mini bernedoodle, Griffey Jr., (named after baseball great). Although born a Mountaineer, Shahir is a devoted Tar Heels fan who follows Carolina basketball year round. A proud son of Bangladeshi parents, Shahir spent his childhood summers wreaking havoc with his cousins in the rural village his parents grew up in outside of Chittagong, Bangladesh. Taught by his mom, Shahir also loves to bring the traditional flavors and spices to his favorite Bengali dishes. In Sonoma you can find Shahir relaxing at one of his favorite vineyards, training for half marathons (as a result of peer pressure from Jon Sebastiani) or working on his short game at the golf course.
Shahir joined Sonoma Brands Capital in 2017 and currently serves as a Principal for the firm. Shahir is actively involved in all aspects of the investment process, including sourcing, diligence, execution, and portfolio management. Prior to joining Sonoma Brands Capital, Shahir was a member of the Private Investments team at UNC Management Company (“UNCMC”). While at UNCMC, Shahir managed alternative asset classes, including Venture Capital and Private Equity, on behalf of the $8.5 billion UNC Investment Fund. Prior to UNCMC, Shahir was an investment banking analyst at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. Shahir received a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Thuy Nguyen – Forager, Good Eggs
Thuy Nguyen is a Forager at Good Eggs, an e-commerce grocery business based in the Bay Area. She focuses her time on finding unique and differentiated grocery products to bring onto the platform. Prior to moving into the Forager role, Thuy oversaw the assortment for Prepared Foods, Bakery, Drinks, and Vitamins & Supplements, among several other categories. Thuy graduated summa cum laude from New York University and has over 12 years of experience working within all facets of the food industry and supply chain from farmer’s market manager, to wholesale coordinator, to small business owner. Throughout her years working within food companies like Hot Bread Kitchen, FarmBox, and Good Eggs, she found the most joy in discovering small emerging brands and helping them grow. When she isn’t focused on trying the latest innovative ready-to-drink beverage, she spends time baking and thinking about ways to increase representation and diversity in the food world.