SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF. — Ari Raz, former co-founder and president of Once Upon A Farm, has been named chief executive officer of The Coconut Cult, a manufacturer of non-dairy, probiotic coconut yogurt.
In his new role, Mr. Raz will bring structure and leadership to the fast-growing brand, which launched in 2017 as a non-dairy, coconut-based yogurt brand. Instead of freeze-dried, The Coconut Cult’s yogurt is small-batch fermented to deliver more than 800 billion highly-active probiotics the human body can digest, more effectively. The company claims to be the No. 1 selling plant-based yogurt brand in the natural channel, and its current line comprises four flavors of coconut yogurt: Original, Mangos N’ Cream, Chocolate Mousse and Vanilla Toffee.
Prior to joining The Coconut Cult, Mr. Raz was with Once Upon A Farm for more than six years. Earlier, he was co-founder of PureJoy LLC. He also has worked as an assistant manager in global business development at ANB Soft, a global development associate for SK Planet and a global marketing associate for LOTTE Confectionery (SEA) Pte Ltd.
“While this transition has been one of the most difficult decisions of my career, I have never been more confident in leaving Once Upon A Farm in the hands of my co-founders and friends, John, Cassandra and Jen; they’re some of the most stellar brand stewards I have ever met, and I have no doubt in my mind they will continue to exceed the endless potential of this brand we’ve built and love, for a healthier and happier next generation,” Mr. Raz said. “I am eager and excited to take with me the experience and knowledge I’ve gained from Once Upon A Farm and my team, and continue following my passion of helping emerging, CPG brands meet their truest potential. I can’t wait to join the team and ignite the entrepreneurial spark inside me, yet again.”
Mr. Raz succeeds Noah Simon-Waddell, who co-founded The Coconut Cult. Mr. Simon-Waddell will become the company’s chief innovation officer.
“While creative inspiration and innovation has been at the core of Coconut Cult since day one, we are here to reach as many probiotic-lovin’ people as possible, and it was only a matter of time before we knew that Ari would be the one to help us do just that, joining the team as CEO,” Mr. Simon-Waddell said. “We were lucky to meet Ari organically through the industry, and as an incredible mentor and friend, we couldn’t have asked for a better person, both professionally and personally, to help us take our brand and team to the next level, in the months and years ahead.”