A Collaborative Fund to Scale Regenerative Food Systems

Lara is the Executive Director of OSC, which she co-founded in 2012. She is also co-founder of the Climate Collaborative Packaging Collaborative and JEDI Collaborative — projects launched from OSC that engage thousands of companies. Lara passionately builds capacity for the food system to thrive economically and sustainably by bringing together businesses around common goals. She is a co-creator, connector and leader with over 25 years experience in the CPG natural and supplemental products industry. She has served 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.

Mark is an impactful, mission-driven entrepreneur and business development professional who has dedicated his life to sustainable and equitable businesses. While driving change through innovative solutions, he promotes a healthy planet happy people and pure profit. Mark is the founder of Verte Sante Venture Partners Inc., a wellness advisory and investment firm and has operated and exited industry-leading businesses in the natural and organic foods industry, including national CPG brands, retail grocery, organic commodities and non-profit gardens. He has significant acquisition and integration experience for companies large and small. As a founder and entrepreneur, Mark knows firsthand the challenges that face impact-driven early-stage companies and how to navigate many of the obstacles that stand in the way of their success.

Edouard’s expertise lies at the intersection of impact and scale. With extensive experience in development and trade, including UNICEF and Embassy work, Edouard co-founded and co-led Alter Eco, a San-Francisco-based global brand of organic and fair trade foods, including chocolate bars, truffles and snacks. The brand pioneered fair trade and regenerative supply chains, as well as agroforestry and compostable packaging solutions. Through several rounds of equity and debt raises, Edouard recognized that impact-focused, clean, and direct supply-chain-driven companies require a new type of funding. He envisioned the creation of a financing instrument with fellow OSC founders and CEOs that would be entrepreneur-friendly, offering the right kind of capital for regenerative businesses. 

Healthy food has been a way of life, however I’ve learned that food security, climate-smart agriculture & packaging initiatives, circular systems, ESG, and technology solutions are critical to the future health of people and the planet. After 5 years in forensic accounting and a decade in investment banking in New York, California and Asia with over 100 closed corporate finance transactions in Real Estate, Consumer M&A, Technology M&A, and Cross-Border M&A, I left consulting and banking to become an entrepreneurial operating financial executive serving impact companies as the founder and managing partner of Ridgeline Partners and Verte Sante Venture Partners Inc., a wellness advisory and investment firm.

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.