Steve Young is a leader in the global food and beverage industry, with over 25 years of experience in both large companies and small emerging brands focused on health and wellness and driving change in our broader food system.
Prior to Manna Tree, Steve served as the Chief Executive Officer of Bellisio Foods, the third largest manufacturer of frozen meals in North America. Bellisio has deep roots as an entrepreneurial, disruptive business, dating back to its origins in Duluth, Minnesota over 50 years ago. The company has a portfolio of businesses in the branded, co-manufacturing and foodservice spaces – with strong relationships across all retail channels. Bellisio was acquired in 2018 by CP Foods, a global food leader based in Bangkok, Thailand.
Steve served as the EVP, Managing Director for Sunrise Strategic Partners, a $200+ million venture fund based in Boulder, CO that provided growth capital and operating expertise to emerging brands in the consumer products space. Steve worked with founders and management teams across ten portfolio companies to scale their businesses, including the IPO of Vital Farms. In doing so, he helped to advance their missions across essential opportunities like organic acreage conversion, non-GMO, and grass-fed/pasture-raised.
Steve had a successful general management career at General Mills, leading businesses across all segments including cereal, snacks, yogurt and baking. He also served as leader of General Mills’ broader $800+ million portfolio of natural/organic brands, including the Annie’s acquisition, a pioneering organic food company that General Mills acquired in 2014. In addition, Steve spent five years working abroad with Cereal Partners Worldwide, General Mills’ joint venture with Nestle, in Australia and Switzerland, where he led Global Marketing.
Steve lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife, Denise, and their six kids ranging in ages from 12 to 22 (cue the “Brady Bunch” theme song). He is an avid cyclist, hiker and loves the outdoors – from the lakes of Northern Minnesota to the mountains and ski slopes in his original home state of Montana. Steve holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Montana and an MBA from the Anderson School of Business at UCLA.
