Bill Capsalis Bill Capsalis has 25 plus years of corporate marketing and executive level management experience. He spent 12 years as the VP of Marketing for Kinko's in the Central Division making the brand a household word. During his tenure, Bill became an expert in all aspects of marketing including; public relations, retail marketing strategies, promotions and strategic partnering opportunities. Bill also served as the Executive V.P. of Marketing for GAIAM Inc. While at GAIAM Bill helped define the brand category for the LOHAS industry (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) and was responsible for all catalog production, web development, branding and support of the retail network.

Laura Coblentz Laura Coblentz has been the Vice President of Marketing and Innovation at Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy since September 2008. At Pharmaca, she oversees all marketing activity, including direct, digital and CRM programs to drive customer acquisition and engagement. She has more than 20 years of consumer packaged goods and specialty retail marketing experience and has worked for a number of leading brands in the natural products space. Prior to joining Pharmaca, she was VP of Marketing at Wild Oats Markets until the company was acquired by Whole Foods Market. In that role, she was responsible for developing all marketing programs and driving the company’s marketing, brand-positioning and consumer-experience strategies. During her four and a half-year tenure at Wild Oats, Laura oversaw the development of advertising, online and promotion programs as well as customer acquisition and competitive intrusion plans. As Director of Private Label, she grew annual sales from $20 million to more than $100 million in three years. Laura began her natural products career in 1999 at Horizon Organic Dairy as Director of Marketing and as a member of the team that grew the company from $85 million in annual sales to more than $200 million. In 2007, she rejoined the Horizon Organic Dairy team as Vice President of Marketing at White Wave Foods and oversaw marketing for Horizon Organic, The Organic Cow and Rachel’s Dairy. In addition to her organic food experience, Ms. Coblentz has also led marketing initiatives for leading wine brands including Sutter Home Winery, the nation’s top-selling wine brand with retail sales of $450 million, and E&J Gallo Winery. Laura graduated cum laude from Brown University with a Bachelor’s degree in History. She also earned an MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Studies from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA.

Jacqui Dietrich Jacqui Dietrich is Special Programs Coordinator at the University of Colorado’s Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at the Leeds School of Business. At the Deming Center, Jacqui focuses on collaborative initiatives across campus and the business community that advance entrepreneurship education and new business model generation. She oversees the Deming Center’s Organic Business Initiative, a program founded in 2007 to promote education and entrepreneurship in the increasingly important area of natural and organic products and services, a key industry sector in the region and a highly entrepreneurial one. Previously, Jacqui built a 10-year background in fostering small business and economic development. She joined a natural products startup, Wild Idea Buffalo Company, in 1999 where she worked to realize its vision of environmental health, animal health and human health. She then pursued a series of endeavors to deepen her knowledge and expertise in how responsible businesses can thrive. Jacqui graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with an MBA degree in Entrepreneurship. She co-founded the student club that empowers CU students to explore and engage Boulder’s vibrant natural products business community.

Frances Draper Frances Draper is the associate vice chancellor for strategic relations at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Previously, Frances served as the Executive Director of the Boulder Economic Council, the economic development arm of the Chamber of Commerce. The BEC works to achieve economic sustainability in the community through collaboration. It has helped start a number of organizations to that end – the Boulder Innovation Center, Naturally Boulder, CO-LABs, Inc. – and is working to help other organizations grow who support entrepreneurs and other economic engines of Boulder. Frances has over 20 years experience in financing, operations and marketing in the IT distribution and banking sectors. She is a Black Belt in GE’s Six Sigma Quality process. During her career she was Vice President of Risk management for GE Access Distribution where she created new financing programs and marketing outreach which allowed the company to finance a tripling of sales to over $3 Billion. Frances has an MBA from University of California at Berkeley, and an undergraduate degree from Stanford University. She has Completed Change Acceleration Process Training, Negotiations Training and is certified under the Omega Credit Training Process.

Ellen Feeney Ellen Feeney, Vice President of Responsible Livelihood for WhiteWave Foods, oversees the company’s corporate sustainability initiatives, which are key tenets of WhiteWave’s mission and values. She is responsible for the creation and implementation of strategic environmental programs, community involvement efforts, non-profit alliances and Values In Action (VIA), WhiteWave’s signature engagement program to promote sustainability practices and volunteerism among the company’s employees. Feeney is a great believer in mutually beneficial partnerships between businesses and non-governmental organizations and continues to be active in the nonprofit community. She has served on the Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) Colorado Network Board of Directors and was a founding member of both P3 Colorado (People, Planet, and Profit) and CORE. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Naturally Boulder the World Soy Foundation and Center for Resource Solutions.

Rob Goldstein Rob is a partner with Polsinelli Shughart PC in Denver. Rob counsels business owners with practical solutions to business issues based on more than 20 years legal experience. Rob regularly advises clients on all varieties of corporate and transactional matters. A substantial number of Rob’s clients are manufacturers and retailers of organic and natural food products in all phases of business operation, from start-ups to established brands to companies seeking an investor or an exit. Rob counsels these clients on general business and food manufacturing matters; ingredient, labeling, adulteration and misbranding issues; current good manufacturing practices, and trademark, trade dress and trade secret issues. Rob also drafts and reviews agreements with co-packers, distributors, suppliers, manufacturers, packagers, trademark licensors and licensees, creative consultants and investors.

Victoria Hartman Victoria is a 25+ year veteran of the thriving natural and organic product industry where she has maintained sales and marketing leadership positions with Celestial Seasonings, Horizon Organic Dairy, Rudi’s Organic Bakery, Charter Baking Company and Madhava Natural Sweeteners. From 1985 to 1995, she began her career at Celestial Seasonings where she held a variety of positions in the sales organization. In 1995 she joined Horizon Organic Dairy as part of the initial team that launched the company. Victoria joined Rudi’s Organic Bakery in 2001 as vice president of sales where she helped complete a successful turn-around of the company. In 2005, she assumed the position of vice president of sales and marketing for the newly formed Charter Baking, Inc., combining the operations of Rudi’s Organic Bakery, Vermont Bread and Adams Baking Company to create North America’s leading organic natural baking company. Victoria joined Madhava Natural Sweeteners, a leading alternative sweetener company, as executive vice president of sales and marketing in 2010.

Catherine Hunziker Catherine Hunziker is a senior professional herbalist with many years of experience in formulation, education and leadership in her field. She is the owner of Boulder-based WishGarden Herbs, a source of organic herbal remedies with a reputation for uniquely effective formulations for the whole family. From its early beginnings in 1979, WishGarden has maintained a value-driven business model devoted to whole health and ecologically responsible right-livelihood while serving a diverse customer base of health conscious individuals and practitioners over the years - from the back-to-the-landers of the '80's, to the emerging alternative healers of the '90s, to integrative standard practice physicians of today, not to mention interesting and far-flung cultural subgroups such as the Amish and third world village clinics. Reaching out to a wider market in recent years, WishGarden has found success with major natural products retailers such as Whole Foods, Pharmaca and Vitamin Cottage. In keeping with its community- oriented values, WishGarden is located in the Steelyards, a new urbanism development of live/work businesses and housing in Boulder.

Jennifer Margoles Jennifer joined the team at 34 Degrees as one of the principal members in 2007. She oversees all General & Administrative functions for this specialty cracker company as well as marketing functions, brand management, channel management, new product development, and customer service. As the brand’s front woman and ambassador, Jennifer has been instrumental in the rapid growth and success of 34 Degrees and is an expert in the natural foods industry. 34˚Crispbread, known as "the most clever crackers", is produced locally in Boulder County, Colo. Due largely in part to Jennifer’s natural energy, business acumen, and passion for customer service; 34˚Crispbread crackers are appearing on cheese plates across the country. Jennifer is a Colorado native and graduate of the CU-Boulder Leeds School of Business.

Carla McCabe Carla began her tenure in the natural products industry when she took a position with Stassen North America. Stassen is a tea and herb supplier located in Boulder County. Carla began in Sales and Business Development and earned her position as Director of Sales. Carla conceptualized herbal and tea products, both organic and natural, for the cosmoceutical industry (Aveda, Bath & Body Works, Estee Lauder, Avon), top shelf private label tea lines for natural markets (Wild Oats and Raley’s), and bulk sales of tea and herbs to national tea purveyors (Celestial Seasonings and Bigelow). After leaving Stassen, Carla took a position with Fresca Foods, formerly Pasta Fresca, in Louisville. Carla identifies and screens potential co-packing partners (seeking a manufacturer of all-natural and organic products), negotiates contracts, manages accounts that are brought on board, and assists with the development of line extensions of those brands. Fresca Foods manufactures Larabar for General Mills, Ice Box Bakery Cookie Doughs, 34 Degrees Crackers, Justin’s Nut Butters, frozen pizza dough for national restaurant chains, frozen entrées for Costco, and other unique, all-natural products for the marketplace. Carla is an avid supporter of Naturally Boulder and attends all the networking and educational events for which she is available. She believes there are more opportunities locally to sustain and mentor nascent organic business.

Paul Raab Paul Raab has more than 25 years of corporate communications leadership experience in a variety of industry sectors. His strengths include strategic communications planning, reputation management, thought leadership development, crisis preparedness and response, professional services marketing and leadership communications. His prior experience includes serving as communications director for A.T. Kearney, a global management consulting firm; and as senior vice president and account director at Golin/Harris International, a global PR counseling firm. Clients he has served in the organic and natural products community include: WhiteWave Foods, Horizon, Rudi’s Organic Bakery, Celestial Seasonings, The Organic Center, Wild Oats Markets, Niman Ranch, Aurora Organic Dairy and Pharmaca.
Paul is a member of the board of directors and executive committee of the Colorado Mountain Club, the largest outdoor recreation and conservation group in the Rocky Mountain Region. He’s a member of the Public Relations Society of America and its Colorado Chapter and served as president of the PRSA Chicago Chapter. He has served as a judge in PR awards competitions including the PRSA Silver and Bronze Anvil awards and the Holmes Report SABRE Awards. Linhart Public Relations, where Paul is a partner, was named PR News Small Agency of the Year for 2011. The firm also was named an INC magazine Winning Workplaces Award winner, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year and PR News Boutique Agency of the Year finalist for the third consecutive year.

Doug Radi Doug is a classical packaged goods marketer turned organic. He has 14 years of experience in various consumer products categories, including healthcare, snack foods and organic. Despite always being a bit of a health nut, after the birth of his first son in 2000, Doug had a personal transformation in his beliefs about the food he was selling and that his family was eating that prompted his transition to the organic industry. And since 2003, he’s been very happy to be able to apply his personal and professional passion to selling and marketing organic/natural foods and beverages. He has held various positions in marketing with many leading organic brands such as Rudi’s Organic Bakery, Silk Soymilk, and Horizon Organic. Prior to joining Rudi’s Organic Bakery in August 2007 as VP of Marketing, Doug was Director of Marketing at WhiteWave Foods where he managed brand strategy and marketing initiatives for Silk. He has an undergraduate degree from Colorado State University and a MBA in Marketing from Wake Forest University. Doug serves as Chair and President of Naturally Boulder.

Sonja Tuitele As Vice President of Communications for Aurora Organic Dairy, Sonja is responsible for developing and executing AOD’s communication strategies, reputation and issues management, and crisis communications. She is also responsible for overseeing all of AOD’s sustainability initiatives. Before joining AOD, Sonja was Senior Director of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations at Wild Oats Markets from 2001 to 2007. In this role, she was responsible for all communications for the Company nationally, including investor relations, media relations, corporate social responsibility, crisis management and employee communications. Prior to that, she was an associate partner with Genesis, Inc., a Denver-based strategic consulting firm, and she started her career as a journalist. Sonja received her M.S. degree in Marketing Communications from Northwestern University, and her B.A. degree in Journalism from the University of Hawaii. She has won several awards for her work in the corporate communications field, including a Silver Anvil for Crisis Management, 2009 PR Person of the Year from the Public Relations Society of America – Colorado Chapter, and the 2008 Woman of Achievement Award from the Association for Women in Communications.

Nike VanArsdale Niké VanArsdale grew up in Boulder eating brown rice with vegetables out of the garden and drinking herbal tea. It wasn’t until 1999 that she found her career in the Natural Products industry. Niké worked for Kaire Nutraceuticals and managed their call center/customer service. From there she went to Wild Oats and worked as a buyer in the grocery dept for over three years. Niké then became a broker with Kayser Sales and Marketing and developed the CO/NM market. She is now a Sales Manager for Presence Marketing and manages the RM region. She works with all of the local retailers gaining product placement and launching new products to the market. Niké has expertise in all aspects of the industry and knows how to navigate through the system. She is passionate about the integrity of our supply chain and healthy food for everyone. She is an advocate for the non GMO project, Organic standards and the family farm. Niké is an active member of WIN (Women In Natural) the CO chapter and supports the women on their annual climb of a fourteen thousand foot peak to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Fund.

Blake Waltrip Blake began his career in corporate finance and investment banking prior to graduating with an MBA from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA. He went on to pursue a career as a consumer packaged goods marketing and general management executive. Blake successfully transformed several brands and pioneered the Nestle Beverage Company entry into category management during his tenure with Nestle USA. As VP Marketing and General Manager for Celestial Seasonings, a growth stage natural foods company, he and his team successfully grew the business by roughly 50% over a two-year period prior to the sale of the company. Blake’s background includes starting up a consumer focused e-commerce company as well as turn-around management experience with a European owned Consumer Goods Company. From 2002 to 2009 Blake was a partner in a Marketing and Business Strategy consulting firm leveraging his 20 years of experience successfully building and growing both mature and start-up businesses in various roles in marketing management, business development, sales management, and general management. In April of 2009 Blake returned to Celestial Seasonings as the CMO to provide the vision and innovation for the company to successfully drive growth while fulfilling the brands mission of being an environmentally and socially responsible business. Blake lives in Lafayette Colorado with his wife and two children. He is on the board of two growth stage consumer products companies and actively enjoys his lifestyle that includes hiking, tennis, running, skiing, yoga, and meditation.

Arron Mansika On his path of professional development and personal fulfillment, Arron has thrived in multiple fields. Science: he earned his BS in Biology from Eckerd College and created the school’s Environmental Studies program, also earning his BA. Politics: as Director of a PIRG office, Arron lobbied for better local and national environmental protection. Community Organizing: moving to Boulder in 1997, he became the first employee of the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center, overseeing the nonprofit’s mission work. Contemplative Education: Arron received his MA in Environmental Leadership from Buddhist-inspired Naropa University, where he delivered the school’s 2009 convocation address. Entrepreneurialism: Arron founded Boulder’s Best Organics in 2006, awarded by the Boulder County Business Report in 2008 as Boulder Valley’s second-fastest growing company with sales under $2 million, and he sold majority of the company to industry veterans in 2009. Today, Arron is the first Director for Naturally Boulder. He is founder and president of Vision Lead Manage, providing services and consultation to startup companies with an emphasis on business as a tool for positive social change.

Joan Boykin In the late 70s, Joan’s passion for natural and organic products led her to design work at Alfalfa’s Markets. In the 80s, she joined Celestial Seasonings and spent nearly 14 years there--first as Design/Creative Manager; later as Director of Marketing, New Products, Public Relations and Retail; and finally as interim Senior Marketing Director. Boykin also served as Director of Marketing for Wild Oats Markets, Creative Director and Vice President of New Business for New Hope Natural Media, and Vice President of Marketing for Fresh Produce Sportswear. She launched Boykin Consulting in late 2007 and for 2 1/2 years worked with a broad spectrum of clients, primarily in the natural, organic and sustainable business space. For many years, she has also been a business, career and life coach--and for fun, she dabbles in artwork. Boykin was a founding member of The Organic Center and served on the board of directors, now serving as Executive Director. . She is on the board of Naturally Boulder, is a past board member of Under the Canopy ECOfashion, a past board member of CORE/Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy, and a past member of the Boulder Valley School District’s Parent Council/Broomfield High School.

Boykin has a Master’s Degree in Psychology/Organization Development from Regis University, a Bachelor of Science Degree in General Studies/Communication Arts, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Behavior, and several professional certifications.

Mark Retzloff Mark is a pioneer in the organic and natural foods industry with a 39-year career starting and managing successful companies. He co-founded Aurora Organic Dairy in 2003, and currently serves as Chairman.

Retzloff started his career in natural foods retail, as co-founder of Eden Foods, Rainbow Grocery, and Alfalfa’s Market, a regional chain of natural foods stores that merged with Wild Oats Markets. He went on to become one of the co-founders of Horizon Organic Dairy. There he served as Chairman, CEO and President International. He then became Chairman of Rudi’s Organic Bakery where he helped execute a successful turn-around. Mark lends his knowledge as a board member and advisor to emerging companies including Blue Horizon Organic Seafood, Living Harvest Hemp Milk, Under the Canopy, Boulder Ice Cream, BlueSun BioDiesel, Traditional Medicinals and Crocs Footwear. He is a managing partner at Greenmont Capital, and serves on the Boards of The Organic Center and RSF Social Finance. He received his B.S. degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Michigan and has received several awards, including the OTA’s Organic Leadership award and the Boulder Chamber of Commerce's Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Linnea Simons Linnea M. Simons is an attorney with the law firm of Caplan and Earnest in Boulder with over 25 years of experience in representing business clients. Her current practice focuses on the natural products and LOHAS (lifestyles of health and sustainability) sectors. Her clients include natural and organic product manufacturers, dietary supplement manufacturers, alternative healthcare providers, alternative energy companies and related service providers. In addition to general business representation for these clients, she also provides FDA and FTC compliance counseling, trademark filing and compliance, assistance with broker/distributor relationships and non-profit give-back structuring. She is a founder of Naturally Boulder, chairing the group since its inception in 2004. She is also a member of Boulder's Economic Vitality Advisory Board and serves on the board of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. You can read more about Linnea on the firm’s website at www.celaw.com.

Sylvia Tawse Sylvia keeps her feet grounded in two worlds: organic agriculture and public relations for the natural products industry. Both are meant to benefit the environment while encouraging pleasure at the table. She founded The Fresh Ideas Group in 1995; the communications agency specializes in organic and specialty foods, as well as healthy living. She and her husband, Lyle Davis, own Pastures of Plenty Farm, an organic 35-acre working cut flower and vegetable farm and Big Bang Catering company. Sylvia has an extensive background in retail-level natural foods marketing and PR, in addition to providing senior level counsel to numerous brands on communication through major crises. She has conducted new product launches for dozens of national brands, based on educating the public on food issues that matter to today’s consumer. She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, Public Relations Society of America, Chef's Collaborative, Les Dames Escoffier and Slow Food International. Oh, and Sylvia is a mother of four.