9 Wonder Women of the natural industry
March 5, 2013
As the founder and president of Boulder, Colo.-based communications agency the Fresh Ideas Group, Tawse has championed healthy products and solutions as a PR/marketing professional for nearly two decades. A consummate storyteller and empathetic leader, Tawse leads with FIG’s core belief “that saving the planet is as simple as changing the way we eat, drink ... and do business.” Past and present partnerships include Whole Foods Market, Earthbound Farm, CLIF, and Horizon Organic. And it’s not all desk work; she’s also an organic vegetable, herb, and flower farmer at Pastures of Plenty in north Boulder.
From her journalism roots, Carosella mapped a career in packaged goods that led to her current role as CEO of Longmont, Colo.-based Madhava Natural Sweeteners. Prior to Madhava, she was senior vice president at Dean/WhiteWave Foods. This Food Marketer of the Year also worked at ConAgra and formed her own advertising and new product agency. Beyond her creds, Carosella is down-to-earth with a quick wit and generous with her advice for other women advancing in the natural industry.
The founder and CEO of Reserveage Organics is full steam ahead in 2013, heading up not one, not two, but five supplements brands—Reserveage, Resvitale, CocoaWell, Re-Body, and Fembody Nutrition—with grace, while leading Developing and Advancing Women in Naturals (DAWN), a resource and community for women entrepreneurs. “I believe that if we are to strengthen women in our industry, that the entire industry can grow to unforeseen levels,” she told Newhope360.com.
An original team member of POM Wonderful, Schulman served as the company’s director of research. She also has worked at Solgar Vitamins and Mars and since has gone on to her own consultancy, where she showcases her expertise as a functional foods and supplements expert focused on regulatory issues, products development, and research. This year, Schulman was a featured speaker at the Nutracon and Engredea conferences.
As the woman who has guided Whole Foods Market’s product quality standards for the last 30-plus years, Wittenberg has certainly been a pioneer within the natural and organic products industry. In addition to her work at WFM, Witternberg is also on the board of the American Botanical Council, the Organic Center and the Whole Kids Foundation.
The brains behind natural kids body care brand Babytime! by Episencial, Walls not only has the natural beauty-know how necessary to bring a standout brand to the growing natural and organic personal care space, but also the business savvy. Episencial was the first company to close a round on crowdfunding site CircleUp, proving the power of a smart, cutting-edge investment strategy. This year, she’s focused on educating retailers and consumers on the nontoxic baby and kids product category.
Fresca Foods is redefining how innovative food concepts become mass-market brands and Myslik is a critical part of that. After a competitive screening process, Fresca selects one company each year to work with. Mysilk and her team help this entrepreneur grow his or her company strategically by developing the nuts and bolts of the business, everything from distribution to marketing and branding. This gives lucky entrepreneurs the space and freedom to focus on what they do best--sharing their passion and developing new innovative products.
The irrepressible Hunter Lovins is president and founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions and co-creator of the “Natural Capitalism” concept. Millennium TIME Magazine Hero of the Planet, Hunter Lovins has spent the better part of 30 years framing the sustainability movement, setting forth the business case for energy efficiency, renewable energy and resource productivity and climate protection. A social entrepreneur, she consults to large corporations, small businesses, communities, and dozens of nations around the world.
This inspiring retail veteran is known for raising the bar when it comes to retailer standards. In fact, she set such strong standards for her natural store in the 1970s that her name became a verb as natural products companies across the nation who started to ask themselves: Are our products “goochable”?
This inspiring retail veteran is known for raising the bar when it comes to retailer standards. In fact, she set such strong standards for her natural store in the 1970s that her name became a verb as natural products companies across the nation who started to ask themselves: Are our products “goochable”?
This International Women’s Day (March 8), we’re acknowledging the creative, driven and passionate women making a difference—in business, sustainability and society overall. Needless to say, in the midst of Natural Products Expo West we're at no loss for finding exceptional females advancing the natural products industry. Here are nine of the standout women—entrepreneurs, CEOs and, most important, influencers and thought leaders—doing just that… and doing it their way.
Connect with some of these women at Expo West's Women in Naturals event, which is taking place on Friday, March 8, from 5:30 to 7:00 on the Anaheim Hilton's Sunset Deck.
Which Wonder Women of naturals would you like to acknowledge? Tweet us your picks at @Newhope360 and @deliciousliving using the hashtag #womensday.
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