1894 Capital - People

People

Shelly has more than 20 years of experience in the food industry ranging from agricultural to consumer goods, from consumer goods to business-to-business and from regional to global businesses. Shelly was born and raised on a dairy farm where she developed a passion for the industry. She has extensive knowledge of sourcing and supply chain, particularly in the areas of hedging and risk management, agribusiness, sustainability, logistics and trade. Over the years, Shelly has purchased a vast array of ingredients, packaging, equipment and corporate expense items, and she always ensures integration and end-to-end value. She has led major transformations in several companies, and is a great resource for growing businesses due to her considerable experience and ability to think strategically.

Shelly has bachelor degrees in economics and international business from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Master of Business Administration from Marquette University. When not traveling with her husband, Shelly loves entertaining and cooking for her family and friends. She also loves football season, the Green Bay Packers and spending as much time as possible on or near the water.

D’Anne’s experience spans across new product innovation, the restaging of core products, and extensive work with open-innovation partnerships. She has held various roles in R&D and advanced technology in several categories, including breakfast foods, snacks, frozen foods and veggie foods. She has a passion for the new-product creation process, collaborating with external partners on new technologies that improve foods, and learning what motivates consumers and customers.

D’Anne has a Bachelor of Science degree in food science from Michigan State University (Go Green! Go White!) and holds master’s and doctoral degrees in grain science from Kansas State University. She is a foodie by nature and enjoys eating almost anything (in the name of science), running obstacle course endurance events and making breakfast with her family on Saturday mornings.

Chris has broad experience in consumer-brand marketing, working with brands such as Gatorade and Bear Naked granola. Throughout his career, Chris’ main areas of focus have been in digital marketing, e-commerce and working with startups. In fact, Chris recently led the formation of an in-house business that markets, sells and delivers natural foods directly to consumers. Chris’ background with entrepreneurs, and his extensive experience building brands, make him an invaluable part of the team.

Chris graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science degree, and from Harvard Business School with a Master of Business Administration degree. Chris is also a travel and sports enthusiast.

Yuvraj is passionate about building global brands and developing new products. He has managed both processes for large and small consumer-oriented businesses around the world. Most recently Yuvraj has focused on developing long-term strategies for brands and innovation. He is most interested in driving awareness and growth by identifying trends early and capitalizing on them.

Yuvraj has a degree in electronics engineering from the National Institute of Technology in Calicut, India, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Delhi. Yuvraj is also passionate about Manchester United and playing golf, usually poorly.

Jon's experience extends across innovation, brand marketing and advertising. He has worked in various innovation and marketing roles in several categories, including breakfast foods, snacks and frozen foods. He has a passion for pushing boundaries and unleashing creative thinking; specifically, he has implemented new ways of working that unlock fresh insights and breakthrough ideas.

Jon has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Business Administration degree from Indiana University. Jon enjoys playing sports with his children, being a relentlessly optimistic Chicago Cubs fan, and waiting until the last credits of every Marvel movie to see if there’s a second secret scene.

Fernando has more than 23 years of experience and has worked in every segment of supply-chain management, from operations to plant management to customer services. He has lived and worked in many different countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Australia and the U.S. These multi-cultural experiences have given him exposure to both quickly growing and mature businesses, making him a great resource. His well-rounded experience allows him to solve issues specific to products, categories, customer expectations, and geographic and cultural challenges.

Fernando has a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering and an Executive Master of Business Administration degree. Fernando loves skiing and sports in general, and was a member of the Brazil national rugby team.

Jane practices law in-house, consulting on advertising, marketing and intellectual property for the food industry. Her experience includes product innovation in consumer packaged and durable goods, and brand development in manufacturing, retail and e-commerce.

A third-generation Michigan Wolverine, Jane has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from Cooley Law School. She is a passionate college football fan. During the bleaker times, before and after football season, Jane loves hiking and biking through national parks.

Jessica loves to challenge the status quo and find new ways of winning in the marketplace. She is particularly passionate about driving multiple-channel strategies and sales execution to ensure maximum consumer reach. She has a wealth of sales management experience across multiple channels, including grocery, mass, dollar stores, discount stores, drugstores and club.

Jessica is a graduate of Western Michigan University’s food marketing program. She is a self-proclaimed foodie and even plans family vacations around what will be available for dinner. She enjoys helping others and is inspired by her family, which includes six children and five rescued animals.

Simon loves identifying exciting ideas that capitalize on emerging trends and investing in the growth of those ideas; he brings a wealth of experience in the food, beverage and household product industries. In addition to leading the investment process, he will guide and nurture the 1894 team’s relationships with our partners.

Simon has a Bachelor of Art degree from King College and a Master of Business Administration degree from Washington University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. In his spare time, Simon is an avid, longtime supporter of Chelsea Football Club. He also now enjoys biking, as he has given up any hope of improving his golf game.

Gary is a 16-year Kellogg veteran who is responsible for the company's corporate development efforts. Over the years, he has been instrumental in merger and acquisition work on Keebler, Pringles and the Kellogg Company's joint ventures in China and Nigeria. Building partnerships has always been a favorite place to put his considerable energy. "My best days usually involve working with business leaders inside and outside of Kellogg's when we envision the full potential of bringing our organizations together." Gary is excited about the opportunity to create these relationships and build businesses in the dynamic world that is venture capital.

You can find Gary on his cell at most times. Don't be surprised if you catch him at the soccer field or a cross-country course as he and his wife, Helene, make sure they don't miss the chance to cheer for their kids (you can find Gary if you follow the loudest cheerleader in the crowd). Gary firmly believes anything worth doing is worth doing well. More importantly, as an eternal optimist, he also knows it's not worth it if you can’t have fun.