Stephen Hohenrieder

Dirty Hands launches, represents, merchandises and supports high-integrity natural products in grocery stores across the United States. In addition to supporting their product and retail partners in-store, Dirty Hands provides strategic guidance derived from data they collect and analyze while making 3,000+ store visits each month.

Ag Innovations convenes and facilitates complex cross-sector roundtables and collaboratives, multi-stakeholder engagement and public input initiatives, inter-agency coordination, strategic planning and capacity building, and research and systems mapping within California agriculture and natural resources.

Led the firm through a period of transition in coordination with the parent organization. Managed a significant portfolio of diverse assets including direct investments in private equity, private debt, real assets, real estate and infrastructure. Assets included extensive farms and ranches, forests, renewable energy, food companies, and real estate development projects.

MFE is a single family investment office making financially focused investments in diverse assets, operating companies and managers that strive to deliver positive environmental and social outcomes. I was responsible for a portfolio of family-owned operating companies, direct private equity holdings, a joint venture real estate project and deploying new capital. We collaborated with aligned investors to share our deal flow, due diligence, and experience in real assets, agriculture and the food system.

Board member and advisor to a privately held manufacturing company.

The company is a middle-market manufacturer of membrane switches, durable labels and related products that was sold to Norwest Ventures portfolio company, Smartsigns, in 2020. During my tenure, we focused on systems implementation, reduction in complexity of manufacturing workflow and organizational structure. Co-founded a new division of the company, Watermark Labels, that extended the product line into new markets serving the wine, CPG, and specialty food industries.

Led the arrangement and negotiation of a majority investment, which provided permanent capital that enabled a generational transition in leadership and ownership. Served as a board member during the transaction and transition. Gaia represents, in one company, the outcomes I have aspired to support financially, operationally and strategically over the past ten years. As an iconic, 30 year old brand, Gaia is a model of regenerative agriculture, transparency, high integrity supply chains, quality products, and financial performance.

With the support of professor Phil Doub, developed a business plan to profitably reorganize Swanton Pacific Ranch, a diversified farming, livestock and timber company in Davenport, CA. The asset was conditionally donated to the university in 1993 and, at approximately $40mm, was the largest gift ever bequeathed to the California University system. Swanton Pacific Ranch became an important asset of the university and was a project that continues to influence my professional life.