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Manna Tree taps Young as managing director

Most recently, Young was the CEO of Bellisio Foods, a manufacturer of frozen meals in North America.

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  • Before joining Bellisio, Young served as the executive vice president, managing director for Sunrise Strategic Partners
  • Previously, Young worked as a general manager at General Mills, leading businesses across all segments including cereal, snacks, yogurt and baking

Colorado-based Manna Tree, an investment firm focused on improving human health through nutrition, has named Steve Young as managing director.

Most recently, Young was the CEO of Bellisio Foods, a manufacturer of frozen meals in North America. Bellisio was acquired in 2018 by CP Foods, a food company based in Bangkok, Thailand, operating under his leadership as the company’s North American business hub.

Before joining Bellisio, Young served as the executive vice president, managing director for Sunrise Strategic Partners. Previously, Young worked as a general manager at General Mills, leading businesses across all segments including cereal, snacks, yogurt and baking.

“Steve and I first worked together when we were both on the board of Vital Farms and helped bring that company public. He has a wide range of consumer food and beverage expertise, particularly in the natural and organic segment which is Manna Tree’s sweet spot,” said Brent Drever, president and co-founder of Manna Tree, in a statement. “Steve has operational experience navigating the many supply chain challenges and pandemic related issues that the industry has faced in the last few years. What he has to offer will be invaluable to our portfolio companies and their founders.”

Manna Tree has made 12 investments to date: Health-Ade, The New Primal, Urban Remedy, Evolve Biosystems, Gotham Greens, Verde Farms, Nutriati, Vital Farms, Cheetah, Good Culture, True Food Kitchen and MycoTechnology.