Our Board

Subriana Pierce

Founder

In 2013, Subriana Pierce joined her husband, Allen Pierce, to become a Managing Partner of Navigator Sales and Marketing. Subriana has an extensive background in the grocery industry, most recently as the Senior Vice President, Sales and Merchandising for Albertsons Southern California Division. With over 10 years in Sales and Marketing at PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay Division, and roles at Campbell Soup Company and Jewel Osco, Subriana’s work and expertise have been cited in Supermarket News, Shopper Marketing Magazine, and The Shelby Report. In addition, Subriana has been widely recognized for her outstanding achievements by Women Connected Organization, LA Business Journal, and Enterprising Women Magazine—to name a few. In 2019, she was named to the California Grocers Association Board of Directors. She was named 2020 Woman Entrepreneur to Watch by Insights Success. Subriana also holds executive board positions for the Network of Executive Women, Food Industries Circle Board of City of Hope, and the CPG’s industry leading organization, Illuminators.

Allen Pierce

Founder

Allen Pierce has extensive experience in sales, marketing, and management with companies like Ford Motor Company, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Masland Industries, and more. After leadership roles around the country, Allen moved to California to serve in a Merchandising Leadership position for Coca Cola. With Allen’s expertise in people management, execution excellence, and retail strategies, he and his wife decided to launch their own business. In 2013, Allen and Subriana Pierce founded Navigator Sales and Marketing with a mission to help brands navigate the corporate retail environments to win in the marketplace. Allen is also a member of the Illuminators, an organization focused on education in the grocery and Consumer Packaged Goods industry. Before venturing into the food and beverage industry, Allen received his BBA from North Carolina Central University following stints in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys and LA Rams.

Stephen Takeda

Stephen Takeda has been providing investment management consulting services to both private clients and small institutional markets since 1983. Currently, Stephen is a Senior Vice President, Portfolio Management Director at Morgan Stanley, where he has helped clients define success and master the art of life for over 30 years. As a veteran financial advisor, with his partners, he helps affluent clients address their five biggest concerns: preserving their wealth, mitigating taxes, taking care of their heirs, ensuring their assets are not unjustly taken, and charitable giving. He is also a board member of USC’s Orange County Trojan Club and Asian Pacific Alumni Association.

Donald K. Wilson, Jr.

Donald K. Wilson, Jr. practices in all areas of entertainment transactional law, entertainment litigation, intellectual property, branding and general transactional law. He represents clients from the recording, film, television, concert production, book publishing, prepared foods, sports industries, and other varieties of businesses. His career began at the law firm Mason & Sloane. Soon after, he joined Quincy Jones Productions where he was instrumental in promoting, developing and providing legal representation for projects like “We Are the World” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” Album. Here, he later capped his tenure as President of Qwest Entertainment Company, the parent organization of Quincy Jones Productions and several Qwest sectors. After leaving this role, he served in an “Of Counsel” capacity to the Law Offices of Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr, representing clients like Aretha Franklin, En Vogue, and George Clinton. Mr. Wilson is now senior counsel of Zhong Lun Law Firm with headquarters in Beijing, China, but residing in Los Angeles, California as the U.S. Chief Counsel of the Entertainment and IP Department. On the business side, Mr. Wilson orchestrates and negotiates the branding and marketing of several grocery products, like Cynthia Foreman’s Shortbread Cookies. In addition to law practice, Mr. Wilson shares his expertise in several articles on music copyright and entertainment law, in guest appearances on television, and lectures at prestigious locations like Harvard and Oxford University. Mr. Wilson has served on several non-profit corporate boards, such as the 100 Black Men of Los Angeles, Inc.

Denise Woodard

Denise is the Founder and CEO of Partake, a line of nationally distributed allergy-friendly snacks inspired by her daughter’s experience with food allergies. Launched in 2017, Partake’s first product — delicious, nutritious, allergy-friendly cookies — can now be found in more than 3,600 retailers including Target, Sprouts, and Whole Foods Market. In December 2020, the company closed a Series A round of funding led by investors including Rihanna, CircleUp Growth Partners, FF2032 and Marcy Venture Partners. Of the $7.5 Million Denise has raised, more than 50% has come from Black investors. In January 2021, Partake released a 5-in-1 Baking Mix available on partakefoods.com. Prior to launching Partake, Denise spent a decade in consumer packaged goods at various Fortune 100 companies and is the first Black woman to raise more than $1 Million publicly for a CPG food startup.

Chris Ishii

Chris Ishii’s main purpose is to help people and companies innovate through thoughtful and caring collaboration. He has an intense focus on designing and building for the future, a passion he carries into his role as Principal of family business, Ishii Capital LLC,. He is a former Managing Director at Morgan Stanley. Chris is a futurist with an abundance mindset. He also consults executives and companies on innovative solutions to improve sales and operations. Chris graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Economics. He spent nearly 28 years at Morgan Stanley and its’ predecessor firm, Smith Barney in a variety of roles, culminating in his promotion to Managing Director in 2006. Chris has been recognized as an innovator and leader for various business units that experienced tremendous growth under Chris’s leadership. Chris is vested in community and committed to Diversity and Inclusion. He led efforts that resulted in Partner of the Year awards from Prospanica and the National Association of Asian American Professionals. Chris is a member of the CPWAâ Commission at the Investment & Wealth Instituteâ, Advisor to Renewable Energy Startup, JouleCase and Chair of the Innovation Board of Social Media Startup, Relola. Chris also proudly serves on the Board of the Navigator Lighthouse Foundation and Is passionate about the mission to increase the representation of Black, Minority and Female entrepreneurs in the Food, Beverage and CPG space.

Jim Goldberg

Jim Goldberg is a successful entrepreneur who believes that brands and companies have a responsibility to do good and to make the world a better place. Having founded, built, scaled, and sold Deep River Snacks, one of the fastest growing better-for-you purpose driven snack brands in the United States, Jim is now focused on investing in and building the next generation of purpose-based food and beverage brands. With his new ventures, ESM Capital and ReThunk Foods, Jim is bringing his experience and disciplined management approach to bare helping entrepreneurs, owners, and investors create unique and impactful CPG brands.

Dave Dimond

Dave Dimond has been in the Grocery Industry for 39 years and is currently the SVP of Sales for Milton’s Craft Bakers where he has helped lead the Sales team for almost 20 years. Dave’s primary responsibility is managing the U.S. and International Costco business for Milton’s Pizza, Cracker and Bread business’, as well as Sam’s Club and oversight of some west coast retail chains. In 1982 Dave began his career in the Grocery Industry as a Vacation Relief Driver for S.B. Thomas a.k.a. Thomas’ English Muffins. Over the next several year’s he was promoted to Route Supervisor, District Sales Manager and Account Executive. He was Account Executive for Four-S in 1997 prior to joining Milton’s. From 2010-2012 he was V.P. of Sales for Coast Brands Group with a focus in the Beverage Industry. Dave returned to Milton’s in 2012.

Dave has been recognized with the CCEJ Humanitarian Award, was President of FISMC in 2005, Headlite (President) of the Illuminator’s in 2016. Dave serves on the Board of the Illuminator’s Educational Foundation and actively supports The City of Hope, Olive Crest, CCEJ, Children’s Miracle Network and iFoster.

Lori Brown

Lori Brown is the SVP of Industry and Customer Development at Rosie, the industry-leading online grocery shopping platform for mobile and web. Before joining Rosie, Lori spent the previous 18 years at Post Consumer Brands, most recently as the Regional Vice President for the West. She has been in the grocery business for 40 years, starting in retail at Kroger while in college. Lori received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Puget Sound, and her Master’s degree from USC in Food Industry Leadership. She also completed the USC Food Industry Executive Program.

Lori serves on several boards and education foundations. In March 2021, she was nominated as the President of the Pacific Harbors Council, Boy Scouts of America. She is the first female elected for this role in 111 years. Her other board of director’s positions include the Illuminators, California Grocers Association, Washington Food Industry Association, and the WFIA Educational Foundation Board.

Lori has earned numerous awards over her career, including Progressive Grocer’s Top Women in Grocery-Rising Star, and the Shelby Report’s Women of Influence. In 2021, Lori received the Silver Beaver award for distinguished service to young people from the Boy Scouts of America.

Lori lives with her family in Gig Harbor, Washington.

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