Our Story

Lara Jackle Dickinson

She has been in the CPG and natural and supplemental products industry for 28 years, including serving as CEO of LightFull Foods, VP Marketing & Retail Sales at Numi Organic Tea, and VP of Marketing at the Balance Bar Company leading up to its acquisition by a major CPG company. She started her career at Reckitt Benckiser. 

She and her family of 18 (that includes 3 kids, plus chickens, puppies and a bunny) live on the ancestral land of the Ohlone people, also called Oakland, California.  

Prior to consulting, She served as VP of Sales and Marketing at Numi Organic Tea, CMO of Brand New Brands, CEO of LightFull Foods, and VP marketing at Balance Bar (during the time the company grew ten-fold in 4 years and went public). She started out her career in consumer products marketing as a product manager at Reckitt Benkiser. Lara earned an MBA from Cornell and completed graduate work at Oxford. She has an undergraduate degree in Finance from USC.

SERVICES

Lara helps natural products companies grow profitably and sustainably. She provides executive level marketing and sales support to some of the leading companies in the industry. She typically comes in at an operator level and works closely with the team to develop a whole new plan or to take on a specific project. Lara works with $5 million to $95 million companies. Most passion driven companies, entrepreneurial companies need CMO Level work, but not necessarily every day. Lara has found there is often a better and more economical relationship when companies contract out CMO level work; provided that the CMO works closely with the team.

Her services include:

• Rapid marketing planning
• Long term strategic planning
• Consumer and market insights gathering based on scanner data, and primary and secondary research
• Product launch work, particularly focused on building a specialty market following that translates to mass market sales longer term
• Sales Channel Strategy, including broker and distributor partnership building
• Geoblitz marketing- tried and true strategy for building passion brands by creating an integrated market blitz programs in leading geographies
• Advocacy building – identify best consumers and develop powerful user generated content and testimonials
• Integrated Public Relations programs- building an incredibly efficient public relations plan in partnership by fully
• integrating it with specific marketing campaign initiatives
• Social media planning and content building
• Online sales development, particularly focused on webstores, Amazon.com, and Drugstore.com
• Day to Day marketing management

Clients include:

Eliza Brady

Natalie Kra

Sarah Rohr

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Sarah Shaw

Sarah comes to One Step Closer as the Director of Membership with a background in event production, entrepreneurship, project management, and organic farming. Sarah worked on both of Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns (2016 & 2020) helping to co-produce nationwide campaign events of various scales. She earned experience as a project manager in Vermont’s renewable energy industry while working on commercial scale solar projects with a local certified B Corp where she also served on corporate sustainability committees. Sarah is also a trained Clinical Herbalist and is an active member of Vermont’s chapter of Herbalists Without Borders. She co-owns a small certified organic herb farm and wellness product brand, Hillside Botanicals, with her partner in Central Vermont.

Lara Jackle Dickinson

She has been in the CPG and natural and supplemental products industry for 28 years, including serving as CEO of LightFull Foods, VP Marketing & Retail Sales at Numi Organic Tea, and VP of Marketing at the Balance Bar Company leading up to its acquisition by a major CPG company. She started her career at Reckitt Benckiser. 

She and her family of 18 (that includes 3 kids, plus chickens, puppies and a bunny) live on the ancestral land of the Ohlone people, also called Oakland, California.  

Prior to consulting, She served as VP of Sales and Marketing at Numi Organic Tea, CMO of Brand New Brands, CEO of LightFull Foods, and VP marketing at Balance Bar (during the time the company grew ten-fold in 4 years and went public). She started out her career in consumer products marketing as a product manager at Reckitt Benkiser. Lara earned an MBA from Cornell and completed graduate work at Oxford. She has an undergraduate degree in Finance from USC.

SERVICES

Lara helps natural products companies grow profitably and sustainably. She provides executive level marketing and sales support to some of the leading companies in the industry. She typically comes in at an operator level and works closely with the team to develop a whole new plan or to take on a specific project. Lara works with $5 million to $95 million companies. Most passion driven companies, entrepreneurial companies need CMO Level work, but not necessarily every day. Lara has found there is often a better and more economical relationship when companies contract out CMO level work; provided that the CMO works closely with the team.

Her services include:

• Rapid marketing planning
• Long term strategic planning
• Consumer and market insights gathering based on scanner data, and primary and secondary research
• Product launch work, particularly focused on building a specialty market following that translates to mass market sales longer term
• Sales Channel Strategy, including broker and distributor partnership building
• Geoblitz marketing- tried and true strategy for building passion brands by creating an integrated market blitz programs in leading geographies
• Advocacy building – identify best consumers and develop powerful user generated content and testimonials
• Integrated Public Relations programs- building an incredibly efficient public relations plan in partnership by fully
• integrating it with specific marketing campaign initiatives
• Social media planning and content building
• Online sales development, particularly focused on webstores, Amazon.com, and Drugstore.com
• Day to Day marketing management

Clients include:

Neil Blomquist

As an extension of that experience, he has established a consulting company, Sustainable Solutions, to specialize in the development and marketing of sustainable business solutions for the industry. Mr. Blomquist spent 10 years on the board of directors of the California Olive Oil Council, and holds board positions on the American Botanical Council and Natural Habitats. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in business management and economics from the University of South Dakota.

Caroline Duell

Caroline received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont and a Certification in Neuromuscular Reprogramming from California’s Institute of Conscious Bodywork.  Caroline and her husband, Ryan Rich, All Good’s VP of Sales and Marketing, love to be outdoors; mountain biking, skiing, kite surfing, climbing and growing food.  They live on their organic farm with their equally nature loving daughters, Kalia and Allegra.

Chris Mann

Chris got his BA in Economics from Harvard University, but quickly realized that economics conveniently forgot about sustaining the environment and protecting people. Through his experience with Guayaki and previously with Natural Flavors, a 100% organic, vegan restaurant that employed 25 people and 60 local farmers, Chris is finding that by recognizing common purpose, seemingly disparate groups can integrate social justice, environmental restoration and economic success.

Sheryl O’Loughlin

From 2015 to 2019, Sheryl was CEO and “Chief Love Officer” of REBBL, the first plant-based, super herb adaptogen beverage company. In partnership with Not for Sale, a nonprofit dedicated to creating a future without human trafficking, REBBL works to create regenerative and just supply chains.

Sheryl is co-founder of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (J.E.D.I) Collaborative. She is also co-founder and board chair of the Women on Boards Project, a nonprofit with the mission of empowering women business leaders and improving diversity and inclusion at the board of directors’ level across consumer brands. Both non profits are focused on supporting and advocating for a more inclusive industry and economy to drive innovation, growth, profitability and justice.

Earlier in her career, Sheryl served as the CEO of Clif Bar and Company. There she led the concept development and introduction of Luna, the first whole nutrition bar for women, which became a $70 million business in three years and continues to be a core brand in the company’s portfolio. She went on to co-found and serve as CEO for Plum, Inc., a healthy, organic food company that aims to nourish kids “from the high chair to the lunch box.” In 2013, Plum was successfully sold to Campbell Soup Company.

After Plum, Sheryl was the Executive Director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and she held a faculty position at Sonoma State University, where she taught hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs and other professionals.

Sheryl currently serves on the board of directors for Pet IQ Inc. (NASDAQ: PETQ) and the board of non-profit One Step Closer (OSC) as well as the advisory board of S. Martinelli and Company, a family-owned company. She is also a member of the Forbes San Francisco Business Council. Previous boards include Zuke’s Natural Dog Treats, thinkThin Nutrition, Sugar Bowl Bakery, Gardein Plant-based Nutrition, FoodStirs Junk Free Bakery, Once Upon A Farm, American Sustainable Business Council, and the Harvest Innovation Summit. Sheryl supported Zuke’s, Gardein and thinkThin to successful exits.

Sheryl earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and her Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. An avid camper and traveler, she lives in Santa Rosa, California, with her husband, Patrick, and their two sons.

Learn more at www.sheryloloughlin.com

Ahmed Rahim

Ahmed is an advisor to entrepreneurs running sustainable businesses with innovative products in the CPG marketplace, and is in service to those caring for their community and creating positive change for the planet. Ahmed co-founded Numi, one of the largest premium, organic, fair trade tea companies in North America. He creates all of the unique Numi blends and travels the far corners of the world building partnerships with farmers. Ahmed chairs Numi Foundation, serving Numi’s communities around the world with gardening & art education, clean water and healthy nutrition programs. Ahmed co-founded OSC, One Step Closer, a community of sustainable natural products business leaders, working together in collaborative and innovative ways toward positive change for our food industry, planet and people.

Edouard Rollet

Prior to launching Alter Eco in the US, Rollet was a Senior Trade Attaché at the French Embassy in New York where he specialized in foreign investment, new ventures, media, marketing and mass retail. He has also consulted for the communications department of the UNICEF in Dakar, Senegal. Rollet holds an MBA from The European Institute of Business (IEA-Paris) and an MA in Mass Communications from the University of Florida.

Born in Lyon, France, Rollet moved to the US two decades ago. He enjoys traveling, the outdoors and exploring street food and restaurants around the world. Rollet resides in Mill Valley, Calif. and is married to Ilse Keijzer, founder of Alter Eco Pacific, which serves the Australian and New Zealand markets.