Scaling Your Innovative Food Startup

Jason Mercer is a part of Cleveland Avenue’s Finance Team, focusing on financial diligence for investment opportunities. He has over ten years of work experience in strategy, finance, and mergers and acquisitions-related roles within large, multi-national organizations in the food and beverage sector. Most recently, Mr. Mercer was the Business Manager of U.S. Consumer Retail for Fonterra USA, where he was responsible for growing volume, profitability, and brand awareness.

Mr. Mercer previously served as Director of Corporate Strategy for TreeHouse Foods and as Manager of Strategy & Operations for Deloitte Consulting. Earlier in his career, he was a senior financial analyst for Warner Music Group and an investment banking analyst at Lehman Brothers.
Mr. Mercer earned his Bachelor of Arts in Finance from Morehouse College and an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Jenn Smith’s role with Grow-NY draws on her background in craft beverage market development, most recently as the executive director of the New York Cider Association and the administrative director of the New York State Distillers Guild. She has also served as an NYC-based consultant to entrepreneurs creating value-added products and hospitality ventures. Before that, Ms. Smith was the marketing director of New York’s largest wine and spirits retailer, and earlier in her career she was a director of online community and customer engagement for Citigroup, Bertelsmann, and Time Inc. 

Jessica Kwong is the founder and CEO of Jack & Friends, a company creating plant-based jerky from jackfruit and pea protein. Jack & Friends believes in inclusivity — especially when it comes to food. It is committed to crafting products you can feel good about eating, regardless of your lifestyle or diet, so you can enjoy food without compromising on quality.

Ms. Kwong used her technical background, which includes a B.S. in Food Science from Cornell (‘18) and experience working in CPG corporations like Mondelez International and The Hain Celestial Group, to launch and lead her successful startup.

Marlene Sidhu is an experienced brand leader in the consumer packaged goods space. During her time at Bimbo Bakeries USA, she oversaw the growth of lead brands through roles in innovation, shopper marketing, and brand management. Ms. Sidhu is a 2005 Cornell graduate and holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

Maureen Ballatori (she/her) is the founder and CEO of 29 Design Studio, a creative agency for food, beverage, and agriculture brands. She has been published in Forbes, AgriMarketing, Morning AgClips, The Produce News, and many other regional publications.

Ms. Ballatori grew up on a dairy farm in Upstate New York so she knows farming and the values that often accompany the farming community. She volunteers for a number of local and national nonprofit organizations and was nominated for an ATHENA award in 2019. A graduate of Nazareth College of Rochester, Ms. Ballatori has a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration. She has won multiple international awards for branding and design.