Next In Natural
Passionate team with award-winning experience uniting emerging organic and natural food and beverage brands with pioneer business partners to create mutualistic success
Brooklyn Jerusalem London Manila Rio de Janeiro Madrid
We are a Boutique Hybrid Private Equity / Venture Studio operating partner dedicated to scaling select emerging organic and natural food and beverage companies. Our mission is to build a better future for the planet and all that call her home with our products and symbiotic relationship focus. Our cross functional strategic Business Development, Marketing, Operations and International Trading team work from our offices in the USA, England, Israel and The Philippines
400+
YEARS OF COMBINED EXPERIENCE
250+
HOURS DEDICATED TO GIVING-BACK TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES
8320
VISITED ACCOUNTS ANUALLY
Billions
IN INCREMENTAL SALES GENERATED THROUGHOUT OUR CAREERS
Our Track Record​
The most important and sometimes missing ingredient in any successful company is operational excellence​ and our mission is to inspire, nurture and value it in every one of our companies.​
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Next in Natural has been a partner in at critical inflection points in the evolution of some of the most successful and beloved brands that have transformed categories and generated billions of dollars in annual revenue.
Beverage:
Coffee:
Snacks:
Dairy:
Protein:
Distribution/D2C
The Three Pillars of
Next in Natural's Mission
Build value
via operational excellence and a consistent pipeline of innovation, to satisfy and delight our customers.
Create brand loyalty
amongst better-for-you seeking consumers in harmony with efficacious healthy eating and sustainable practices.
Long-range mutualistic financial success
for our team, farmers, customers and investors
a venture studio hybrid
We invest intellectual equity and working capital in early phase Natural and Organic Food & Beverage entrepreneurs.
PLANT BASED
ORGANIC
PLANT FORWARD
PHYTONUTRIENTS
SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEM
Our team has 400+ years of combined experience finding, vetting, advising and propelling startups into category leaders.
HEALTHY LIVING. MISSION DRIVEN.
Our mission is to make the world a better, more sustainable place by raising the bar of our food and beverage landscape. We are driven to improve our planet by supporting a diverse range of entrepreneurs in developing transformative, profitable,
and mission-driven organizations.
Meet the Leadership Team
Jeff founded Gourmet Guru, NYC’s
first all-natural & organic CPG Incubator / Distributor. Guru became known as “the new company company” with Jeff co-writing the go-to-market strategies and/or business plans for small USA startups such as Chobani, Stumptown, and Hu and helped them launch and scale to become category leaders. Jeff later joined forces with UNFI to morph Guru into UNFI Next. Find out more at
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Jeff enjoys his family time, kayaking, hoops, charitable endeavors and supporting local farmers.
Jeff Lichtenstein
Chief Executive Officer
Kristine is a native of the Philippines.
She has over 15 years of combined experience
in Tech & Customer Support, Quality Assurance,
Business Operations. She holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration & an MBA. She takes a holistic approach to business with a focus on helping team members develop, advance & succeed driven by operational efficiency & lean management all within a familial culture. She supports all areas of our Operations, Accounting, Analytics and Human Resources through insights & analytics, developing solutions, and recommendations for process improvement & organizational changes, with a keen interest in giving back & creating mutualistic success for all our stakeholders.
Kristine Laurel
Chief Operating & Finance Officer
An experienced innovation,
food and tech leader, inventor, and investor.
Ted has owned and operated better-for-you CPG companies with over $50mn in revenue. His companies have been listed on the Inc 5000 list of fastest growing companies in America and won multiple product quality awards
A Harvard Alumnus and former McKinsey & Company consultant, software engineer turned food entrepreneur. Ted combines unique business skills with a passion for healthy food. Early investor in Magic Spoon, Skinny Dipped Almonds, Beekeepers Naturals, Recess
Trisha has over 15 years of Wall Street
and investor relations experience, working primarily with senior institutional portfolio managers/hedge funds and C-level executives in the retail and eCommerce sectors. Trisha was most recently a Senior Analyst and VP in Equity Research at Wells Fargo Securities and prior to that was in a similar role at Thomas Weisel Partners (now Stifel Nicolaus) in San Francisco. Trisha graduated from Miami University in Ohio, with a B.S. in Finance and Economics and was a past CFA ® charterholder (2007-2016).
Ted Tieken
Chief Future Officer
Trisha Dill
Chief Financial Officer
Ellaine, a graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a registered nurse, brings a profound understanding of individual care needs to her professional endeavors. A commitment to empathy and excellence has marked her transition from healthcare to customer service. Beginning her journey as a Success Coordinator, Ellaine's dedication and expertise propelled her to the role of Brand Success Team Leader where she coordinates with cross-functional teams to ensure cohesive and efficient operations. She is also responsible for monitoring performance metrics and adjusting strategies to optimize outcomes. Her unique blend of healthcare insight and customer service acumen enables her to deliver exceptional service and foster strong client relationships.
Gregory holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration majoring in Marketing Management and has extensive experience in customer relations management and team training. As a Product and Process Trainer, he has led top brands to their success in customer service, customer experience, technical support, and sales.
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As a marketer, he is passionate about content creation, branding, customer engagement, digital marketing in social media.
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At Next in Natural, Greg leads up the Digital Marketing and Social Media Team as well as our Trade Marketing and R&D areas.
Ellaine Veronilla-Matienzo
Gregory Márzon
Brand Success Team Leader
Marketing Team Leader
Mark is a dedicated professional with a degree in Management Accounting and over 13 years of extensive leadership experience in the call center industry. With a robust background in customer service, client management, data analytics, Training, and Quality Assurance, he has consistently demonstrated his ability to thrive in a California-based global technology and services leader company with multiple sites in the Philippines. Currently serving as an Accounting Team Leader, Mark oversees the day-to-day accounting operations, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in financial processes. His leadership and expertise contribute significantly to the overall success of the team. In his free time, Mark enjoys going to concerts and fan-meets, embracing a vibrant and engaging lifestyle outside of work.
Mark Antiola
Accounting Team Leader
ENTREPRENEURSHIP CREATING SOCIAL AND ECO IMPACT
We mentor and invest in an inclusive talent pool of entrepreneurs to better the next generation by empowering them to make healthy food and beverage choices. We have been widely recognized for supporting this mission: examples include receiving a New York City Business of the Year Award from Mayor Bloomberg, being named an Inner City 100 Business of the Year from Harvard University's Michael Porter, SBA family Business of the Year and being visited by British Parliamentary Members to learn how to best create great career opportunities in underserved communities.
GET IN TOUCH
Global Headquarters​
240 Kent Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Tel: +1 (718) 757-8569
Building symbiotic partnerships within the sustainable food landscape for a better tomorrow.