When actor Gal Gadot was considering various opportunities to partner with startups as a cofounder or brand representative, she found that many didn’t resonate. Until she heard from Jen Zeszut, who had the idea to launch a new mac-and-cheese brand.
Deborah Benton is founder and managing partner of Willow Growth Partners, a fund that provides early capital to entrepreneurs building consumer brands. Willow typically leads the first institutional round for brands with $1 million to $5 million in revenue.
Ellie spent over two years as an investment banking analyst on Piper Sandler’s Consumer Team and has held roles at Stone Arch Capital and Lakes | Sotheby’s International Realty.
John has over twenty years of experience in business, brand and team building, turnarounds, acquisitions and retail, with expertise in beverage and food. In the last three years, John has held senior operating roles in cannabis and health and wellness, including CEO of Hollandia Produce.
Josh has worked at Axcel, Partnership Capital Growth, and Visible Ventures, sourcing and evaluating early-stage investments, conducting financial and market diligence, and building relationships with consumer companies and fund managers.
The company invests in and supports a diverse group of founders. Its strategy has three pillars: values-led, strong underlying metrics, and the right capital structure.
