Georgia Duerst-Lahti, Ph.D.
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Professor of Political Science for 25 years and former elected official, she brings a deep
knowledge of U.S. politics and how to navigate it. Tapped for her
expertise by the U.S. State Department, she has participated in several
public diplomacy programs and is a Fulbright grantee. Her perspectives
on product marketing are enhanced through her years of consulting on
issues of leadership, empowerment, and decades of work with political
campaigns and regular appearances in broadcast and print media. Georgia
understands regulation and the policy process affecting the natural
products industry. Having explored the possibilities and pitfalls of
politics, her passion is to use the private sector and social capital to
provide incentives to lift the rural poor and sustain the earth and its
natural systems.
Georgia, who has published extensively, recently co-authored the
research paper “Fair Trade Cooperatives and Women's Empowerment: Impacts for
U.S. Policy on Food Security and HIV” and presented “U.S. Natural Products
Market: The Perils and Promise of Indigenous Products” at the Indigenous
Plant Use Forum in Keimos, South Africa. She was a contributor to the U.S.
State Department’s Millennium Goals efforts and is a frequent media source
on issues of women and gender politics.
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Mary Jo Bergs, B.S. - VP Sales
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A degree in Agribusiness, 20 years of sales and marketing experience as well as managing a
company, Mary Jo brings practical knowledge of the real world and
business relationships.
For the past 8 years, she has worked within the
wholesale and distribution environment for an international agricultural
and food corporation. Mary Jo understands the business of product
development, government labeling procedures, packaging, and overall
strategies for success in marketing to the wholesale and retail sectors.
She enjoys building long term personal and professional relationships
that serve as the foundation for all else.
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Tris Lahti, M.S.N., R.N. - VP Operations
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With years of experience
in the public health sector and as an educator, Tris combines his
knowledge of health sciences with a broad experience in IT and its
operations. These joint abilities along with Tris' understanding of
retail sales, provides a broad -based, well rounded perspective to the
company's operations. His confidence in these three aspects of the
business provides essential balance, calm observation, and out-of-the-box thinking.
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Kristine Stewart, Ph.D. - Science Director
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Kristine received her Master's Degree from Florida Atlantic University in marine biology.
After working in environmental consulting for several years in Rochester
and Buffalo, New York, she returned to graduate school to study plant
ecology and ethnobotany at Florida International University. Her
doctoral research took her to Cameroon where she studied the African
cherry, an endangered medicinal tree used to treat enlarged prostates.
She continued this study as a Fulbright Scholar in 2006-2007.
She just completed a study of devils's claw (used to treat arthritis) in South
Africa. She is interested in the conservation of tropical forests and
particularly in the sustainable harvest of species.
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Janet Morgenstern Passani, M.B.A. - Marketing
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Janet has 20 years of
marketing management experience specializing in consumer brands
committed to healthy, natural living. She has worked with major U.S. and
international brands including Stride Rite®, Smartfoods® (now part of
PepsiCo), and SIGG™ Swiss Water Bottles. Previously, she was the
Director of Marketing and part of the management team for a national
natural foods company. Her expertise is in new product launches,
marketing communications, and consumer outreach.
As a LOHAS/natural products consumer and marketer, Janet knows the eco-living marketplace -
the trends, key players, and challenges. With extensive marketing
management experience and firsthand knowledge of fast-paced start-ups,
Janet uses her passion for healthy, natural living to help companies
succeed and meet their marketing goals.
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Elena Lahti, B.A. - Asst. Director - Sales
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Elena, as Assistant Director of Sales, brings her extensive experience in
interior design and retail sales sector, and her organizational talents to the team.
A graduate of Knox College in Illinois, she assumes
responsibility for sales of our retail products.
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Alex Lahti, B.A. - Asst. Director - Marketing
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Alex, our youngest team member, is Assistant Director of Marketing.
His background is in Communications and Psychology with his degree from
the College of Wooster in Ohio. Alex brings his talents in
graphics design along with his marketing and sales expertise to the company.
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Jordan Lee, B.S. - Business Manager
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Jordan joins us as our newest team member as our Business
Manager. She has a strong background in research, economics,
and sales.
Jordan hales from Orlando, Florida. |
Karen Swanepoel, B.S. - South Africa Office
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Karen is an agricultural consultant with
extensive knowledge of indigenous Southern African plants and
natural products and current coordinator of the Southern
African Essential Oil Producers Association (SAEOPA). She
started her career as a biology teacher. Her skills were
recognized by the Department of Education, and she became a
trainer of black teachers in natural sciences. Later, she became
a lecturer at the Lowveld College of Agriculture, where she was
one of the founder members of SAEOPA in 2000. She also lectured
at the University of Zululand for 5 years, where she was doing
research on Natural Products and project development in rural
communities.
She is a well known speaker on South African natural products
and travelled internationally to do market research and to
promote the South African industry. She is very committed to
social development, especially the rural women and youth of
Africa, and is involved in project development, value-adding
natural products, and training.
She is currently busy with research for a Ph.D. on the
commercialization of indigenous plants as commercial
agricultural crops. |
Willie Alberts - South Africa
Office
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Willie started his career in South Africa as a researcher in
animal husbandry and became a practical agriculturist due to
extensive commercial farming experience. He was also involved in
research working with African indigenous fauna and flora.
He became involved with human resource development and advanced
in a training career within the agricultural disciplines. He
held the post of Rector of a Technical and Agricultural College
and became involved in community projects when he joined SAEOPA
in 2000. He has been the primary Agricultural Advisor for the
Association since then.
Willie has a love for nature and being a Honorary Ranger for the
SANPARKS is actively involved in conservation work. |
Our
Team