San Francisco Equity Partners

San Francisco Equity Partners
Investors and operational partners to exceptional companies across the consumer value chain

San Francisco Equity Partners is a private equity firm that invests in lower middle market businesses across the consumer sector value chain.

SFEP partners with differentiated businesses seeking not only financial capital but also a hands-on, operationally-focused investment partner who will be closely involved in the process of building value. To each of our partner companies, we serve as an extension of the management team and provide deep consumer domain expertise, strategic and operational guidance, a broad network of relationships and a stable of industry resources.

SFEP’s experience building consumer brands as well as companies that support those brands, such as manufacturers and service providers, gives us a uniquely comprehensive view of the consumer value chain. We work proactively with founders and management teams to help them develop the vision, organization and infrastructure necessary to drive sustainable growth while preserving company culture and authenticity. We believe that our highly focused and active approach to partnership leads to optimal outcomes for all stakeholders.

Investment Criteria

Revenue Ebitda Equity Investments
$15–$100+ million $3–$15+ million $15–$40+ million
Control or Significant Minority investments
Revenue
$15–$100+ million
Ebitda
$3–$15+ million
Equity Investments
$15–$40+ million
Control or Significant Minority investments

Industry

  • Beauty & Personal Care
  • Food & Beverage
  • Health & Wellness
  • Household
  • Outdoor & Recreation
  • Pet Care

Value Chain

  • Consumer Brands
  • Private Label
  • Contract Manufacturing
  • Sales & Marketing Services
  • Packaging & Labeling
  • Distribution & Logistics

Partner Companies

Current Investments

Brazi Bites

Brazi Bites is a provider of better-for-you Latin-inspired frozen foods. The company’s products, which include Brazilian cheese bread, pizza bites, empanadas, and breakfast sandwiches, are naturally gluten-free and made with only high-quality, simple ingredients.

Investment status: Current

Website: brazibites.com

San Francisco Equity Partners is the ideal partner for Brazi Bites based on their experience guiding authentic consumer brands to a broader audience.

Junea Rocha, Co-Founder and CMO

Brumate

BrüMate is a digitally-native outdoor lifestyle brand. The company develops and markets highly innovative products in multiple product categories including drinkware, coolers and accessories.

Investment status: Current

Website: brumate.com

In taking on a capital partner for the first time, it was important for us to partner with a firm like SFEP with a proven history of scaling iconic consumer brands and executing strategic retail programs.

Dylan Jacob, Founder

DGS Retail

DGS Retail is a leading provider of décor, signage, fixtures, displays and other critical products to customers in the grocery, retail, foodservice and consumer brand end markets. The company provides a single source for a broad range of offerings to help customers define and improve their image, environment and consumer experience within brick-and-mortar locations.

Investment status: Current

Website: customretailbydgs.com

SFEP’s experience and track record working with both consumer brands and business-to-business companies serving consumer end markets make this an ideal partnership for us.

Peter Stevens, CEO

Jane Iredale

Jane Iredale is a globally recognized brand of clean cosmetics distributed primarily through professional and digital channels. The company’s products deliver proven skincare benefits and superior, long-lasting aesthetic performance.

Investment status: Current

Website: janeiredale.com

To take our company to the next level, I knew we needed a partner with a proven track record in beauty who would be a good steward to our brand and company. Based on their experience working with leading authentic natural brands, SFEP is the ideal partner to guide us through the next phase.

Jane Iredale, Founder

Rustic Bakery

Rustic Bakery manufactures and markets a growing portfolio of artisanal food products including crackers, crisps, cookies and biscuits. The company also operates award-winning cafés in Marin, CA.

Investment status: Current

Website: rusticbakery.com

SFEP has great experience building authentic consumer brands and scaling manufacturing businesses in high-growth product categories.

Carrol Levalley, Founder

SV Labs

SV Labs is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in beauty and personal care products across multiple categories including anhydrous products, hot pour and liquid filling. The company specializes in natural formulations and has been a leader in the clean beauty movement.

Investment status: Current

Website: svlabs.com

SFEP is an ideal partner for SV Labs, given the firm’s successful track record partnering with natural beauty and personal care brands, coupled with its experience building specialty manufacturing businesses in high-growth consumer categories.

Graham Orriss, CEO

Realized Investments

ICU Eyewear

ICU Eyewear is a designer and distributor of non-prescription eyewear and specialty health products.

Investment status: Exited

Website: icueyewear.com

SFEP has been with us every step of the way as a value-added partner. They know what it takes to unlock the potential of a high-growth consumer business.

Kirk Hobbs, CEO

Japonesque

Japonesque is a provider of branded and private label beauty products, including implements and accessories, makeup brushes and color cosmetics.

Investment status: Exited

Website: japonesque.com

We were seeking a partner to help Japonesque fully capitalize on the recent expansion of our distribution channels and the increasing demand for our beauty program.

Karen McKay, President

Method

Method Products is a provider of innovative home care and personal care products. The company’s products are non-toxic, design-driven and highly efficacious.

Investment status: Exited

Website: methodhome.com

SFEP has great experience building authentic consumer brands and scaling manufacturing businesses in high-growth product categories.

Eric Ryan, Co-Founder

Red Monkey Foods

Red Monkey Foods is a manufacturer and distributor of premium organic spices, seasonings and salt products. The company provides products under private label brands as well as the San Francisco Salt Company brand.

Investment status: Exited

Website: redmonkeyfoods.com

Given their outstanding track record with category leading natural brands, coupled with their experience with multiple premium store-brand businesses, SFEP is the ideal partner for us at this key juncture in our company’s expansion.

Scott Bolonda, CEO

Yes To

Yes To is a natural personal care brand distributed primarily is mass retail channels.

Investment status: Exited

Website: yesto.com

In seeking a financial partner, we were fortunate to have many attractive options. SFEP became the obvious choice given their proven track record of working with high growth consumer brands.

Ido Leffler, Co-Founder

Investment Team

Scott Potter

Managing Partner
spotter@sfequitypartners.com

Scott is the Managing Partner of San Francisco Equity Partners and oversees all aspects of SFEP’s investment strategy.

Scott currently serves as Chairman of Jane Iredale, BruMate and SV Labs and serves on the board of directors of Brazi Bites, Rustic Bakery, DGS Retail and ICU Eyewear. Scott previously served on the boards of directors of Method Products, Japonesque, Yes To, and Red Monkey Foods, among other private and public companies.

Prior to founding SFEP, Scott oversaw the U.S. private equity portfolio for a large European family office and held senior operating roles (including CEO) at two private equity-backed consumer growth companies. Scott began his career as a corporate finance attorney in Silicon Valley.

Scott holds a JD from UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law and a BA from the University of California at Berkeley, where he was a member of Cal’s Division I soccer team.

David Mannix

Partner
dmannix@sfequitypartners.com

David is a Partner at San Francisco Equity Partners and is involved in all aspects of SFEP’s investment strategy and operations.

David currently serves as Chairman of Brazi Bites and Rustic Bakery and serves on the board of directors of Jane Iredale, BruMate, SV Labs and DGS Retail. David previously served on the boards of directors of Japonesque, Yes To and Red Monkey Foods.

Prior to joining SFEP, David was an investment professional at Castanea Partners, a consumer focused private equity firm. David began his career as an investment banker with RBC Capital Markets, where he focused on advising consumer companies on mergers, acquisitions and public financings.

David has been involved in multiple education and conservation non-profit organizations including Junior Achievement, the First Tee and the Wildlife Conservation Society. He earned an MBA with Honors from the University of California at Berkeley and a BA in Economics from Stanford University.

Chris Sargent

Principal
csargent@sfequitypartners.com

Chris is a Principal at San Francisco Equity Partners and focuses on sourcing new investment opportunities, due diligence, deal execution, and working with SFEP’s portfolio companies on operational initiatives.

Chris currently serves on the board of directors of Jane Iredale and SV Labs.

Prior to joining SFEP, Chris had a 10-year career at Sawaya Partners, a New York based investment bank focused exclusively on the consumer products sector, where he focused on M&A transactions in the personal care and beauty, consumer health and wellness, household products and food and beverage sectors.

Chris earned his B.A. from Columbia University.

Hywel Robinson

Principal
hrobinson@sfequitypartners.com

Hywel is a Principal at San Francisco Equity Partners and focuses on sourcing new investment opportunities, due diligence, deal execution, and working with SFEP’s portfolio companies on operational initiatives.

Hywel works closely with DGS Retail.

Prior to joining SFEP, Hywel was a Principal at Paine Schwartz Partners, a private equity firm specializing in food supply chain investing. Prior to Paine Schwartz, Hywel worked at The Sterling Group and AEA Investors where he focused on control-oriented investments in the consumer and industrial sectors.

Hywel earned his B.A. in Economics from Yale University.

Andrew Poley

Vice President
apoley@sfequitypartners.com

Andrew is a Vice President at San Francisco Equity Partners and focuses on due diligence, deal execution, and working with SFEP’s portfolio companies on operational initiatives.

Andrew currently serves on the board of directors of Rustic Bakery and DGS Retail and works closely with SV Labs and Brazi Bites.

Prior to joining SFEP, Andrew was an Analyst in the Consumer & Retail Investment Banking Group at Piper Jaffray, where he focused on advising consumer companies on mergers, acquisitions and public financings.

Andrew earned a BA in Mathematical Economics from Colgate University.

Marc Berbert

Associate
mberbert@sfequitypartners.com

Marc is an Associate at San Francisco Equity Partners and focuses on due diligence, deal execution, and working with SFEP’s portfolio companies on operational initiatives.

Prior to joining SFEP, Marc was an Analyst in the Consumer & Retail Investment Banking Group at Piper Sandler (formerly Piper Jaffray), where he focused on advising consumer companies on mergers, acquisitions and public financings.

Marc earned a BS and Master’s Degree in Accounting from Brigham Young University.

Danielle Iovino

CFO
diovino@sfequitypartners.com

Danielle is the Chief Financial Officer at San Francisco Equity Partners and oversees all aspects of SFEP’s finance and operations.

Prior to joining SFEP, Danielle was the Senior Controller at GI Partners where she oversaw all accounting responsibilities for a $15 billion portfolio. Prior to GI Partners, Danielle worked in fund administration at Conifer Financial Services.

Danielle received a B.S. in Mathematics from Fairfield University where she was a member of Fairfield’s Division I softball team.

Samantha Kanak

Executive Assistant & Office Manager
skanak@sfequitypartners.com

Samantha Kanak is the Executive Assistant and Office Manager at San Francisco Equity Partners and oversees the day-to-day administrative and office operations of the firm.

Prior to joining SFEP, Samantha was the Member Relations Manager at three sister wineries in Sonoma where she focused on overall business operations, logistics and customer service. Prior to her work in the wine industry, Samantha worked at a private non-profit pacific salmon hatchery where she focused on the enrichment of the local salmon population and overall logistics of the non-profit.

Samantha earned a BS in Ecology and Field Biology from St. Cloud State University.

Operating Partners

Moiz Ali

Digitally Native Brands

Moiz Ali is an accomplished, entrepreneurial consumer products veteran with experience in founding and leading consumer brands. Moiz serves on the board of directors of SFEP partner company BruMate. Moiz was the CEO and founder of Native, the first fully natural, direct-to-consumer deodorant company, and grew the brand to over $100 million in sales and successfully sold a majority stake to P&G. Moiz also co-founded Caskers, an e-commerce company focused on craft spirits, and negotiated its sale in 2013. He is also an accomplished investor and mentor, advising and investing in prominent consumer companies such as AirBNB, Sir Kensington’s, Ancient Nutrition, Pinterest, BruMate and several others. Moiz began his career at the law firm Simon Thatcher & Bartlett, LLP. Moiz holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a BA from the University of Florida.

Scott Bolonda

Food Industry

Scott Bolonda is an accomplished food industry executive with more than 30 years of experience in sales, marketing, and general management with leading branded consumer companies including Nestle, Unilever, JM Smucker and McCormick and Company. During his time at McCormick, he was President of Zatarain’s, the leading brand of New Orleans style cuisine and served as US VP of Sales and Marketing.

He has worked with leading middle market private equity firms and is currently the CEO of Red Monkey Foods, a former partner company of SFEP and serves on the board of current SFEP partner company Brazi Bites.

Scott earned his Bachelors and Master’s degrees from Cornell University.

Maggie Carey

Personal Care/
Home Care
Adult Beverage

Sara (Maggie) Carey is the U.S. President of Fontaine Santé, a leading global food company and was the CEO of Yes To, a leading natural personal care brand and a former SFEP partner company.

Maggie is a veteran of the consumer products industry, having served in various leadership roles in sales, marketing and strategy. Prior to joining Yes To, Maggie built and led the first ever global marketing team at Molson Coors, serving as a Global Vice President of Brands, Insights and Consumer Excellence. Prior to Molson, Maggie had an 18-year career at SC Johnson where her tenure included serving as General Manager of natural homecare company Caldrea (Caldrea and Mrs. Meyers brands). Maggie graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Business Management and Marketing.

Richard T. Conti

General CPG

Richard T. Conti is an experienced consumer products veteran with strong sales, marketing and executive leadership credentials. Rich currently serves as CEO of Japonesque and Chairman of ICU Eyewear. Prior to that, Rich served as the President and Chief Operating Officer at S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. He has also served as Chief Executive Officer of other private-equity backed businesses in the consumer sector, before which he spent over 20 years at The Clorox Co., where he assumed various roles and ultimately became Group Vice President, responsible for half of Clorox’s operating units. Rich began his career with Procter & Gamble. He is a graduate of Colgate University and the PMD program at Harvard Business School.

Mike Guanella

Food Industry

Mike Guanella is the of CEO of SFEP partner company Brazi Bites and serves on the board of directors of SFEP partner company Rustic Bakery. Mike is a 15-year veteran of the food industry with leadership roles in general management, sales and marketing. Prior to joining Brazi Bites, Mike was President of Justin’s, a leader in natural nut spreads and confections based in Boulder, Colorado. Immediately before joining Justin’s, Mike led the Skippy Peanut Butter brand since its acquisition by Hormel Foods. While at Skippy, Mike led the brand integration as well as award-winning product innovation. As a marketer with Hormel, Mike was also engaged in multiple M&A efforts within the Grocery Products division. Mike holds an MBA from Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and BA in International Relations from Carleton College.

Jordan Lamberg

Beauty/Personal Care Manufacturing
Supply Chain

Jordan Lamberg is an Operations expert with 12 years’ experience in the Personal Care and Cosmetic industries. Jordan currently serves as VP of Operations at SFEP partner company Jane Iredale as well as serving on the Board of Directors of SV Labs, an SFEP partner company. Jordan previously worked at Benefit Cosmetics where he lead the Quality Assurance and Process Engineering departments and was responsible for the technical execution of all new launches. Prior to Benefit, Jordan worked as a Process Engineer at Kolmar Laboratories where he industrialized color cosmetic and skincare products for dozens of retail companies. Jordan earned a BS in Biology from the University of Miami.

Michael Larrain

Beauty
Health & Wellness

Michael Larrain is a highly experienced consumer products executive with over 20 years of experience in the health and wellness, beauty, and skincare industries. Michael has experience both in public companies as well as private equity-backed brands and currently serve on the board of directors of SFEP partner company Jane Iredale . Most recently, he was the CEO of PCA Skin, during which the Company tripled in size while he led the brand through its acquisition by Colgate-Palmolive in 2018. Prior to PCA Skin, Michael was the President of L’Oreal’s Active Cosmetics Division where he managed four separate beauty brands. Michael earned his BS in Business Management from California State University, Fullerton.

Chris Payne

Beauty
Personal Care

Chris Payne is a 20-year veteran of the beauty industry who currently serves as the CEO of Jane Iredale, the leading makeup brand in the professional channel. Prior to joining Jane Iredale, Chris was the CMO of PCA Skin, a leader in the professional skincare market, where he helped guide the company through transformational growth and the ultimate sale to Colgate-Palmolive in 2018. Prior to PCA Skin, Chris was the SVP of Global Marketing for Arcade Beauty, the VP of Marketing at Clarisonic, and served in various senior marketing roles at L’Oreal. Chris earned his BA from the University of Michigan.

Contact Us

San Francisco Equity Partners

50 California Street, Suite 1320
San Francisco, CA 94111
  • T: 415.738.1200
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Please submit your inquiries to:
info@sfequitypartners.com