Strategic leadership and emerging technology, working together to accelerate growth and unlock long-term value for consumer brands.
Our Services
Leaven Brands partners with founders, leadership teams, and technology platforms to bridge the gap between potential and performance. We bring executive operating experience, commercial strategy, and applied AI expertise to consumer brands at every stage of growth.
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Strategic Planning & Execution : Direction, prioritization, and accountability across the full business
Organization Design: Structure, and team architecture for the next stage of growth
Team Building & Leadership: Hiring, coaching, and building high-performance cultures.
P&L, Financial Management: Budgeting, forecasting, burn control, and financial planning
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Sales Strategy & Distribution: Retail expansion, distributor management, and channel development
Marketing & Brand Development: Positioning, campaigns, and Go-To-Market Plan
Innovation & Product Strategy: New product development, portfolio architecture, and launch planning
Operations Management: Supply chain, logistics, and operational efficiency
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AI & Workflow Automation: Identifying and deploying AI tools that reduce friction and cost
Applied Commercial Intelligence: Data-driven reporting, forecasting, and decision support systems
Technology Partner Advisory: Guidance for platforms building AI tools for the consumer industry
Our Team
Nick Benz
Managing Partner
A CPG executive and founder with 20 years building and scaling consumer brands. As President of Caliwater, he led the company to national scale, growing distribution to 12,000 retail doors including Costco, Walmart, Albertsons, Sprouts, HEB and Wegmans while driving rapid revenue growth and raising multiple rounds of capital. Previously, he founded Betera, led the turnaround of Barrel Creek Provisions, and held senior leadership roles at Jackson Family Wines and FIJI Water. He now leads CPG commercial strategy for Verition AI and advises a portfolio of AI companies building for the consumer industry, applying emerging technology to the operational and commercial challenges facing consumer brands.
Paul Eschbach
Partner
A Michelin-star–trained chef with over 20 years of experience across fine dining, global hospitality, brand building, and consumer experience. He has led operations for Jean-Georges restaurants in China and Hong Kong, including the reopening of Jean-Georges Shanghai, which earned its first Michelin Star in 2018, and played a key role in expanding the Mercato brand internationally. Paul later founded Betera, bringing his culinary background into consumer products, and currently serves as Executive Chef at The Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton, New York. He is also the author of Marvel’s Spider-Man: The Official Cookbook, reflecting his ability to connect food, storytelling, and brand, and has held senior culinary leadership roles at Perry Street, the Hermitage Resort, and Airbnb.
Contact Us
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