Ari Raz Named CEO of Leading Natural Channel Non-Dairy Yogurt Brand, The Coconut Cult, to Support Nationwide Growth
Following more than three years building the fastest-growing, plant-based kids nutrition brand in the U.S., Raz will focus on operations and growth in his new role of CEO, alongside Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Noah Simon-Wadell
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Sept. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The future is fresh for Ari Raz, former Co-Founder and President of Once Upon a Farm (http://www.onceuponafarmorganics.com), as he embarks on a new entrepreneurial venture as CEO of The Coconut Cult (https://thecoconutcult.com/) — makers of non-dairy, probiotic coconut yogurt — this summer.
With a passion for the natural products industry and building national, consumer brands, Raz will bring structure and leadership to the fast-growing brand, now available in fridges nationwide, joining Co-Founder and former CEO Noah Simon Waddell, who will become the brands Chief Innovation Officer.
Alongside Co-Founder Cassandra Curtis, Raz launched Once Upon A Farm in 2015 as the first cold-pressed, organic-pouched baby food using high-pressure processing (HPP).
In just over six years, as President of Once Upon a Farm, Raz has been heavily involved in the brand's fundraising, eCommerce and retail sales efforts to scale the line of refrigerated and organic kids' blends across the U.S. and into Canada. As a member of the leadership team, he also helped to guide the company's internal mission, culture and operations, experience he will take into his new role as CEO of The Coconut Cult.
"While this transition has been one of the most difficult decisions of my career, I have never been more confident in leaving Once Upon a Farm in the hands of my Co-Founders and friends, John, Cassandra and Jen; they're some of the most stellar brand stewards I have ever met and I have no doubt in my mind they will continue to exceed the endless potential of this brand we've built and love, for a healthier and happier next generation," said Raz. "I am eager and excited to take with me the experience and knowledge I've gained from Once Upon a Farm and my team, and continue following my passion of helping emerging, CPG brands meet their truest potential. I can't wait to join the team and ignite the entrepreneurial spark inside me, yet again."
The Coconut Cult launched in 2017 as a non-dairy, coconut-based yogurt brand, eager to change the way probiotics were being served: Instead of freeze-dried, The Coconut Cult's yogurt is small-batch fermented to deliver more than 800 billion highly-active probiotics the human body can digest, more effectively. As a replacement for other probiotic supplements, the natural-and-tangy yogurt has become a staple in retail fridges across the country.
From the fridge to the freezer, one thing has remained constant since the brand's inception: It's cult-following. With demand and loyalty at an all-time high, The Coconut Cult will look to Raz as CEO to increase production and distribution capabilities, while integrating operational and logistical processes, built to scale.
"While creative inspiration and innovation has been at the core of Coconut Cult since day one, we are here to reach as many probiotic-lovin' people as possible, and it was only a matter of time before we knew that Ari would be the one to help us do just that, joining the team as CEO," said Coconut Cult's Co-Founder and newly-named Chief Innovation Officer Noah Simon-Wadell. "We were lucky to meet Ari organically through the industry, and as an incredible mentor and friend, we couldn't have asked for a better person, both professionally and personally, to help us take our brand and team to the next level, in the months and years ahead."
The Coconut Cult is currently the #1-selling plant-based yogurt brand in the Natural Channel, and quickly expanding both in national distribution and innovative product offerings. Its current line is comprised of four flavors of coconut yogurt — Original, Mangos N' Cream, Chocolate Mousse and Vanilla Toffee.
For more information on The Coconut Cult, visit https://thecoconutcult.com
______About The Coconut Cult__________
The Coconut Cult was born from the desire to find a natural, non-dairy means of restoring gut health through super probiotic living foods. The very first iterations of coconut yogurt started with co-founder, Noah, fermenting high-quality probiotic strains into coconuts out of his mom's kitchen.
Today, The Coconut Cult's products are made in small batches, and fermented with 800 billion highly active probiotics in every quart, creating an insanely-probiotic coconut yogurt
For more information, visit https://thecoconutcult.com
Media Contact
James Harkin, The Coconut Cult, +1 (209) 981-9693, [email protected]
SOURCE The Coconut Cult
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