Ben Mand

Ben Mand leads Yerba Madre as Chief Executive Officer, driving the brand's regenerative mission to certify products to ROC Gold level, conserve Brazil's Atlantic Forest, and improve producer livelihoods. When he took over in 2024, the business wasn't growing, innovation had stalled, and profitability was strained. Within a year, he streamlined the supply chain, rebuilt the route to market, launched new innovation, and guided a high-stakes rebrand that consumers embraced, thanks to months of groundwork with the brand's 10,000+ loyal ambassadors.

With over 20 years of experience building and leading responsible businesses, Mand has made an impact as a change agent, driving improvements in health, sustainability and social impact, while delivering consistent sales and profit growth. Mand earned an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in 2002, and attended undergrad at University of Wisconsin-Madison as a first-generation college student.

Career History

• CEO, Yerba Madre (2024–present)
• CEO, Harmless Harvest (2018–2024): more than doubled the company's business in under four years, successfully transforming from a coconut water brand to a leader in premium functional beverages and plant-based dairy
• Senior Vice President Brand Marketing and Innovation, Plum Organics: quickly accelerated the organic baby food brand from #3 to #1 in its category
• Brand marketing and innovation roles at General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, and Interbrand

What Ben Mand could bring to Yerba Madre: Mand's proven track record of turnarounds and brand transformations positions him to address the company's prior stagnation. His experience restructuring supply chains at Harmless Harvest—achieving 100% zero waste, converting to 100% rPET bottles, and implementing regenerative agricultural practices across 50% of farms—directly aligns with Yerba Madre's sustainability mission. His expertise in elevating smaller brands through innovation and community engagement, demonstrated by the successful rebrand of Guayakí to Yerba Madre with consumer support, suggests capacity to scale the brand while preserving its regenerative values.