Mark Retzloff
Mark Retzloff is a pioneer in the organic and natural foods industry with a 40-year career starting and managing successful companies. Mr. Retzloff co-founded Greenmont Capital Partners and continues to be involved as a Venture Partner and Investment Committee member for both Greenmont I and Greenmont II. In 2003, he co-founded Aurora Organic Dairy as President and Chief Organic Officer, leading the company’s organic industry and sustainability initiatives, and now serves as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Retzloff started his career in 1969 as a co-founder of Eden Foods, a natural food store in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he attended the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources. He went on to co-found Rainbow Grocery, which was eventually acquired by United Natural Foods, and was a founder, CEO and Chairman of Alfalfa’s Market, a regional chain of natural foods stores that merged with Wild Oats Marketplace in 1996, eventually being acquired by Whole Foods Market. Mr. Retzloff became Chairman of the Organic Alliance in 1990, and was instrumental in lobbying Congress for a federal standard for organic agricultural production, which resulted in the passage of the Organic Foods Production Act. After spending the early part of his career in natural foods retail, Mr. Retzloff became one of the co-founders of Horizon Organic Dairy, still a leading organic consumer brand in the U.S. There, he served in several senior management, sales and marketing roles, including Chairman, CEO and President International before Horizon was acquired by Dean Foods. He then became Chairman of Rudi’s Organic Bakery, the largest organic baked goods company in the U.S., where he helped execute a successful turn-around of the business. Mr. Retzloff continues to actively share his knowledge and experience as a board member and partner to emerging organic products companies including Blue Horizon Seafood Company, Living Harvest Hemp Milk, Under the Canopy, Boulder Ice Cream, Blue Sun Biodiesel, Traditional Medicinals and Crocs Footwear. He also serves on the Board of Directors of The Organic Center, RSF Social Finance, The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado’s LEEDS School of Business, and on both the Center for Sustainable Systems Board and the Dean’s Advisory Committee for the School of Natural Resources & Environment at the University of Michigan. Mr. Retzloff received his B.S. degree in Conservation & Resource Planning from the University of Michigan and has received several leadership awards, including the Organic Trade Association's Lifetime Achievement award and the Boulder Chamber of Commerce's Entrepreneur of the Year award. He was recently named among the “Icons of Boulder” by the Boulder County Business Report for the city’s 150^th anniversary, and credited with helping to nurture Boulder’s positioning as the cradle of the natural products industry.

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