MEET OUR TEAM
Our team consists of former natural product entrepreneurs, manufacturers, buyers, founders of green organizations and experienced brokers, giving us a 360 perspective.
NATIONAL TEAM
Andrew Chae
Founder
Andrew has spent 20 years building brands. With a degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, Andrew began his career as a “suit” for Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising offices in Los Angeles and Asia. He worked on branding initiatives for international companies, including Samsung, P&G and Toyota.
In 2004, Andrew returned from Asia to help grow his family’s food manufacturing business. He oversaw the organic certification of two production facilities, and built a new organic brand, Ohana House, from the ground up. Ohana House went national with distribution into all Whole Foods and other major chains. Andrew also oversaw the entry of Ohana House into “mainstream” channels such as Target and Costco, and initiated private label opportunities with Trader Joe’s. After the family business was sold in 2008, Andrew started Yin Yang Naturals. He discovered a passion for helping entrepreneurs achieve their dreams.
Andrew was born and raised in Hawaii. He enjoys stand-up paddle boarding in the islands with his sons, golfing/hacking, and the occasional glass of red wine.
Felipe DeMarco
Director of Merchandising
felipe@yinyangnaturals.com
Felipe is originally from El Paso, Texas and lived in Arizona prior to moving to Los Angeles. He came to us from Honest Tea, where he was a star Merchandiser for the Southern California natural channel. Armed with his quick smile and easy going manner, he has developed solid relationships with store buyers from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Before Honest Tea, Felipe learned from the world’s best customer-centered company, Nordstrom, where he worked as a manager in various capacities.
Personally, Felipe’s discovered a passion for ballroom dancing at Scottsdale Community College. Dancing gave him the opportunity to travel the world like Costa Rica, Argentina and Paris, where he celebrated the new Millennium in the Palace of Versailles. When Felipe first move to Los Angeles, he worked at the famed Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Beverly Hills where he literally “danced with the stars” before it became a mainstream TV concept. He had the pleasure to teach a few celebrities such as Emily Mortimer, Alessandro Nivola, and Lauren Ambrose. Felipe would be more than happy to give a few ballroom dancing lessons, gratis, to any of our principals!
Erin Grant
National Sales Manager
erin@yinyangnaturals.com
Erin first fell in love with organic and natural foods while earning her Bachelors of Science in Animal Science & Management at UC Davis. She hopped on the Yin Yang Naturals bus to combine two of her greatest passions: food with a purpose, and the sharing of that food with others! After working at an independent grocery store in the East Bay (Diablo Foods) and hands on with locally raised, high quality eats at the UC Davis Meat Department, she learned that great food has integrity, and natural, wholesome foods are important not only as palate pleasers, but also for our well-being.
Erin enjoys diving deeper into her love for the outdoors, sustainability, and playing music. When she’s not out on the road with Yin Yang she’ll be out on road trips, hikes, her yoga mat, or playing saxophone in her jazz-funk band.
Rob Werner
Eastern Regional Director
Born and raised just outside of Baltimore, MD, Rob started his grocery career at the age of 16 working for Safeway. He started as a parcel pickup employee and through 15 years of hard work and learning every aspect of the Grocery store was moved into the Store Manager ranks. Rob then went onto the sales side of the business working as a Sales Rep and District Manager for the Kellogg's company. While in these roles, he learned to develop relationships and really figure out how to grow the business.
Before joining Yin Yang Naturals, Rob was a Regional Sales Manager for the KeHE team in the Maryland/DC area for four years, working closely with both chain retailers and independent markets. Rob has grown to love working in the natural industry and gets excited about brands that fit his lifestyle. He spends his spare time watching his 2 sons play sports and gardening with his wife.
Ashlee Bennett
Western Regional Director
ashlee@yinyangnaturals.com
Ashlee was born and raised in Boulder, CO, where the natural beauty and culture of health and wellness helped to shape her world outlook and ultimately bring her to the Natural Foods Industry. She has a BA from Colorado University in International Affairs and earned her MS from Penn State, where she studied Geography with an emphasis on global food systems. Her passion for all things food easily translated to the broker world, where she has worked with Colorado-based natural retailers for the last four years. She has expertise calling on Natural Grocers, Whole Foods Market, Pharmaca, and Lucky's Market, and is always eager to expand her knowledge and build relationships with new retailers.
In her free time, Ashlee nurtures her obsession with food by working to deepen her knowledge and understanding of ethnic ingredients, techniques and flavor profiles. She also has a keen interest in helping things grow, keeping an outdoor garden and tending her indoor "garbage garden" composed of items often thrown away but with a little help can be productive again. Whether in rain, sunshine, or snow, she can also be found outside with her husband and her dog, Jack.
Dustin Mitzel
Director of Conventional Channel
dustin@yinyangnaturals.com
Originally from South Dakota, Dustin was raised in Central California. Being surrounded by agricultural fields and flowers for most of his life, Dustin's appreciation for locally grown fruits and vegetables began at a young age.
After receiving his Bachelors in Business Administration at San Diego State University, he fine tuned his retail expertise while working for Event Network. During his 10 years spent with Event Network Dustin had the opportunity to work in various roles which included managing retail gift shops in both California and Hawaii. While living among the locals in Oahu, Dustin observed the market demand of local natural foods for both retailers and restaurants.
Dustin's appreciation for wholesome and natural foods expanded while working at Safeway as a National Category Manager. During his time there, Dustin supported multiple categories including all conventional and organic vegetables, produce bars, and all premium juices.
In his personal life, Dustin enjoys hiking, camping and spending time outdoors with his wife and two children. When he's not chasing his two toddlers Nico and Nina, he also enjoys a round of golf and snowboarding.
Misty Mchone
National Account Manager
Misty was raised in Fort Collins, Colorado where she grew her love for the Great Outdoors. After relocating to the desert in Phoenix, Arizona, she attended The Art Institute of Phoenix and graduated with a degree in Culinary Arts. Misty competed in cooking competitions and performed live cooking demos in the Valley, her favorite of which was “The Grilled Cheese Throwdown”. Being a “foodie,” most of Misty's passions involve food (especially cheese!). It was when Misty left the restaurant industry and started working at Whole Foods Market that her experience with food changed drastically. She grew a true passion for Natural Food that she embraced and loves to share with others.
In her time at Whole Foods Market, Misty started off as a buyer and quickly worked her way up to Team Leader of Grocery, Specialty and Whole Body. She lives in Central Phoenix (and loves it!) and has two rescue dogs, Molly and Missy, who provide countless moments of joy. Outside of work you can find Misty hiking, trolling her local coffee shops, or cooking dinner for friends.
Laura Pizzano
National Account Manager laura@yinyangnaturals.com
Before relocating to Phoenix, Arizona, Laura was a long time Seattle, WA resident. She started out her natural foods career at Whole Foods Market. She was a buyer for 11 years and learned a ton about the business side of grocery and sourcing, which made her super passionate about food. Laura was able to work with local vendors at farmers markets to bring in their products regionally and also received national authorization.
Laura was an Assistant Grocery Team Leader for two years and a Grocery Team Leader for four years, where she earned "Grocery Regional All Star" status. She mentored and promoted numerous Team Members throughout the company. She's passionate about how her food is sourced and loves to cook.
She enjoys spending time with family and friends eating and laughing hysterically. She loves the outdoors and seeking out adventures with her girlfriend and doggie. Fun Fact: In 2004 and 2005 Laura was the Washington State Women's arm wrestling champion.
REGIONAL LEADS
Martin Mendez
Martin was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. He started his career in the Natural Food Industry in 2010 at Whole Foods Market. The attraction to natural, organic foods was instant. Through hard work and determination, Martin quickly rose through the ranks and became an Associate Team Leader where he oversaw all of the Grocery operations and ensured that he had the best looking store. He is well versed in the daily operational duties of Natural Foods Stores and knows how to make product stand out.
Outside of work, Martin enjoys working on sound for film and recording up and coming artists.
Jen Smith
Regional Manager
NorCal
jensmith@yinyangnaturals.com
After graduating with a degree in Writing from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, Jen spent a few seasons in the NYC publishing scene before trekking back to California. She has spent the last 9 years leading and growing teams for Mother’s Market & Kitchen, Bristol Farms and Lazy Acres, all while continuing her education in Ayurvedic Medicine and Nutrition. Jen pursues a healthy lifestyle, viewing food as medicine and every experience as an opportunity for adventure.
Always needing a creative outlet, Jen's hobbies range from gardening to writing to metal fabrication and back around to cooking homegrown food with a good glass of wine in her hand. Native to California, Jen is committed to seeing the state thrive, starting with her new community in Sacramento where she shares a home with her husband and her cat, Professor Seamus.
Kristen Davis-Cambas
Regional Manager
SoPac & Rocky Mountains
kristen@yinyangnaturals.com
Kristen was born and raised in Southern California and holds a Psychology degree from the University of California Santa Barbara. Post-graduation, Kristen pursued her passion for health and wellness by becoming a Certified Nutritionist and gaining expertise in herbal supplements working at Lazy Acres Natural Market.
She furthered her career through diverse roles in sales, brand development, and managerial positions at Lazy Acres and Sprouts Farmers Market.
Outside her professional endeavors, Kristen engages in continuous learning, particularly in health and Chinese medicine, and enjoys hiking, biking, and time at the beach.
Chloe Doores
Chloe got her start in Natural Foods at the age of 21 stocking shelves at Good Earth Natural Foods and has been hooked ever since. She has worked in every capacity from retailer to buyer, broker to merchandiser and beyond. Having grown up in Fairfax, CA she has always been surrounded by and drawn to all things natural, from the food she loves to cook to the trails she loves to hike.
Chloe strives to do mission-based work, and is proud to represent what Yin Yang Naturals and the brands they work with stand for. Along with her passion for food and hiking, she also loves reading, playing guitar, swimming and listening to true crime podcasts.
Bernadette Witter
A Kansas City area resident since 1998, Bernadette's passion for food and healthy eating began early on. After earning her B.S. degree in Nutrition and Food Science from Florida State University, that passion has continued to grow throughout her personal and professional life.
Bernadette joins the Yin Yang Naturals team with extensive sales and sales management experience. She was previously employed by The Hain Celestial Group and Blackford Brokerage as a business manager covering the Midwest region. While with Hain Celestial she worked closely with Supervalu, UNFI, and AWG to increase sales. She also worked with several key retailers in the Midwest on promo planning, new item submissions, and program negotiations. In her tenure with Blackford she managed over 30 natural and specialty lines while working closely with Hy-Vee, and Fareway.
Bernadette loves cooking, volunteering at her favorite non-profit, and spending time with family and friends. Her treasured family includes her husband and two children.
Sam McGill
Regional Manager
Mid-Atlantic & South
sam@yinyangnaturals.com
Sam was born and raised just outside of Seattle, WA. Growing up, she didn’t have much exposure to healthy eating and natural foods. She started working with Whole Foods in 2011 and she remembers her first day, walking through the aisles, unable to recognize a single brand. Today, she feels lost in conventional grocery stores. She spent 5 years with WFM and most of that time was spent in Grocery where she fell in love with merchandising, buying, and working directly with vendors. She also spent time in a grocery co-op before coming to Yin Yang Naturals. Natural foods changed her life and she is grateful for the community and conversations around health that are now present in her life.
She recently made a big leap and moved across the country to experience the other coast and a change of pace. On a weeknight, you can find her walking along the harbor in Fell’s Point with her fur child or eating unreasonable amounts of oysters.
Marla Feldman
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Marla grew up in New Jersey, and made her way up to Massachusetts to teach and help pioneer after school programming at a start-up independent middle school. While teaching, she realized she could have a bigger impact on the girls through coaching and mentoring them in health, sports, and overall wellness.
Following her teaching gig, Marla was inspired to start a healthy snack food company in Boston called Enerchi Bites. She immersed herself in Boston’s natural food business ecosystem and developed valuable relationships with like-minded founders, retailers, and small business owners. Marla had a blast learning the nuts and bolts of running a food business, but ultimately decided to focus on the aspect she excelled at: establishing relationships and growing them. Today, Marla continues to pursue her passion for supporting food entrepreneurs and promoting healthier food products in her community.
In her free time, Marla loves to experiment in the kitchen, spend time with friends and family, teach and practice yoga, cycle, and hike and explore new places to ski tour with her husband and dog.
Bianca Blanco-Jimenez
Bianca Blanco, a Michigan native, grew up with a passion for the arts and food. After moving to Los Angeles she found her first opportunity to work in the Natural Food Industry. In 2007, she started with Frontera Foods as a Territory Manager in SoPac. She also worked with brands such as Sukhi’s Indian Cuisine, and Talenti Gelato and other up and coming brands. She established many great retailer relationships, managed brokers, and developed strategies for growth in her region.
Recently having moved to New Jersey, she is excited to continue growing getting to know the Northeast region better.
In her personal life, Bianca is an enthusiastic cook, baker, artist and has a passion for interior design. She's always on the hunt for the next project. Her favorite role is that of mama to her daughter, Mila!
ADMINISTRATIVE LEADS
Sonya Meddeb
Director of Administration
UNFI Lead
sonya@yinyangnaturals.com
Sonya's professional background began in the restaurant business and eventually found her in the world of NYC interior design. The daughter of a chef, she has always had a great passion for food. As a girl she would travel to local organic farms with her father, procuring seasonal produce that would end up on his menus. Growing up in a farm to table restaurant, healthy, wholesome, natural food has always been central to her daily life; the ethos of "food as medicine" a lifelong pursuit.
Sonya brings this passion for healthy food, strong leadership, organization building and almost a decade of distribution strategy to Yin Yang.
She spends her free time cooking, weightlifting, practicing yoga, hiking the beautiful forests of upstate NY and attending lectures - or just relaxing with her twin kitties, Max and Bea.
Courtney Davis
Human Resources Manager
Courtney grew up in a military family but spent the majority of her upbringing in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The mountains called her out west in 2017, and she has been living in Tacoma, Washington ever since. She is new to the natural foods industry, having worked mostly in the nonprofit education sphere for the last 7 years. Most of her previous experience has been in administrative support and she is excited to bring that same support to the Yin Yang Naturals Team! She believes that it is important to know how your food is made and is excited to join a team that supports those who are responsibly caring for our food and our planet. Her work with Yin Yang Naturals started in 2018 as a Key Account Coordinator and she is now excited to be able to serve the team as the Human Resources Manager.
In her free time, she enjoys bouldering, hiking, and exploring new places with her partner and two kids. She is also an amateur photographer, a lover of adventure, and a planter of trees whenever she can.
Nicole Suttner
After completing her Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of South Florida, Nicole headed out on a summer-long road trip, exploring and camping across the country to eventually land in the Pacific Northwest to attend East West College’s massage therapy program.
While attending school, Nicole connected her passion for wellness and healthy living to a position at the Whole Foods Market in Portland, Oregon: from cashier to Whole Body Team Member to Body Care buyer. Nicole completed her 801 hours of massage school in 2007 and relocated to Santa Fe, NM to start a family. After four years in the desert, Nicole and her family happily moved back to the place that has always been home, the Pacific Northwest, to join the Yin Yang Naturals family. Her favorite place to be is anywhere, doing most anything, with her favorite people: her husband and their two young daughters. She prefers non-fiction, coffee over tea and running in the winter. Obsessed with details, Nicole could while away a day studying mid-century architecture and design. And if she could have her way, every Sunday would start in the wee hours of the morning in her studio with 25 pounds of clay and nowhere else to be.
Catherine Nguyen
Finance Manager
catherine@yinyangnaturals.com
Catherine was born and raised in Southern California. Her parents are Vietnamese immigrants who passed on their culture’s love of food and its focus on fresh and natural ingredients. Catherine studied Anthropology at the University of California, Irvine while also working at Mother’s Market where she started as a cashier and was soon promoted to store bookkeeper. Later she worked for Whole Foods Market, first as the Produce Buyer’s Assistant and then as the Regional Grocery Associate Buyer.
Catherine enjoys thinking about what her next meal is going to be and listening to 60s R&B and Rock. Her friends call her Cup.
REGIONAL BREAKOUT
