Noah Munro, MBA

Noah Munro is a passionate entrepreneur who helps farm and food brands create the businesses of their dreams with smart financial and marketing strategies. His deep respect for clients and concern for their success stems from his roots as a small business owner.

In 2006, Noah co-founded The Mill Fudge Factory, a national ecommerce brand based in New Hampshire. Noah grew the company from 0 to 15 employees; generated more than $2 million in sales; built a community of more than 15,000 followers using SEO, email, and social media; and earned the Mill Fudge Factory recognition as one of the top 3 fudge companies in America by MSN.com, and one of the top 5 fudge shops in America by “Cooking with Paula Deen” magazine. 

While overseeing the fudge company, Noah earned his MBA magna cum laude at Babson College, the #1 school for entrepreneurship in the U.S. After graduation, eager to share his experience and success with other food business owners, he founded Taste Profit Marketing (TPM).

In 2021, Noah took on part-ownership and the role of Senior Consultant at Kitchen Table Consultants (KTC), a financial consulting firm for farm and food businesses. Today, KTC and TPM are sister companies united by a mission to help farm and food clients achieve profitability with a range of financial and marketing services. In 2022, Noah took on the role of Co-CEO of the merged firm. He supports all consulting and back-office teams in creating real value for our clients.  

Noah, also a Dairy Decision Consultant with the Center for Dairy Excellence, has helped more than 150 different farm and food entrepreneurs build recognizable brands, launch websites, create marketing plans, and achieve financial well-being in their businesses.

Ted LeBow

Ted LeBow is a serial entrepreneur. His first business venture (in 1980) was a farm in Idaho where he bought his first tractor, signed his first loan with the Production Credit Association, and started waking up in the middle of the night worrying about the rain ruining his hay crop.

He graduated in 1989 from Cornell University School of Agriculture with a Business Management Degree. He’s run eleven small businesses, seven of which he owned all or part of. Since 2008, he’s grown two small business management consulting firms. As of 2021 Kitchen Table Consultants have served over 500 small businesses.

Ted’s passion is financial sustainability and coaching entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams in a sustainable manner. He is driven to help entrepreneurs to understand HOW they make a profit, not how much profit they make. He has worked with hundreds of small business owners, all over the country, creating and helping them execute their financial goals and align their leadership teams with the culture of the organization. He regularly presents seminars around cash flow, profitability, and how to know if you’re profitable. His greatest measure of success is helping others (both entrepreneurs and managers) achieve more than they thought they could; all the while getting them to do it on their own.

He is committed to the entire community in and around food and farming.  He has taken leadership roles on multiple sustainable agriculture-related non-profit boards, including an 8-month term (2016) as interim executive director for the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, where he successfully restructured staff and finances to enable a new ED to hit the ground running.

His financial commitment to both his clients and his community is more than just words; he has personally assisted in raising over $60 Million in debt, equity, and donations for the organizations he works with.

He has lived in Bala Cynwyd, just west of Philadelphia, since 1997. In his spare time, he shares a fleet of 1950s-era tractors and equipment with Philadelphia urban farms, cuts, and mills his own lumber for live-edge furniture, has started to build bamboo fly rods, fly fishes, and participates along with his wife (as much as possible) in the lives of his three daughters (22, 26, 28), all of whom now are in the New England area.

Helen Kollar-McArthur

A native of North Carolina Helen grew up surrounded by the sites and smells of the eastern region’s tobacco belt and hog farms. She transplanted to Pennsylvania for her graduate studies at Pennsylvania State University where she earned an MS in Bio Behavioral Health, an interdisciplinary program that heavily emphasizes the holistic analysis of complex issues. Along the way she cultivated her own interests in sustainable farming methods, trying them out on her own homestead and diligently tracking her own progress, profitability and failures.

Helen gradually moved away from academia and into a more practical application of her skills. From being a general laborer on a number of farms to serving as the Educational Programs Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), to most recently acting as the Operations Manager of a small scale multi-species abattoir, she has had her hands in multiple facets of the agricultural community. She understands wholeheartedly the complex nature of ag-based business and the fears that come along with working in an industry where so many uncontrollable variables factor into success or failure. With a passion for organization and a drive for evidence-based decision making Helen joined the KTC team at the beginning of 2019 as a part-time Staff Consultant and she continues to keep her boots on the ground working on a diversified livestock farm. In her downtime she is still meticulously tracking and analyzing the progress of her own homestead tucked away in the Penns Valley area of Pennsylvania.

David Alvarez

David is a passionate advocate for sustainable agriculture with a diverse background in marketing, sales, and practical farming. His journey began at the University of Southern California, where he studied Creative Writing and Film Studies and developed a love for photography and organic agriculture. Through his experiences working on WWOOF farms, David deepened his commitment to bridging the gap between commerce and sustainability. With prior roles at Moon Valley Organics, Viva Farms, and Wright Bros Farm, he gained hands-on experience in media coordination, sales, CSA management, communications, and farming. Now as the Client Specialist Relations Manager at KTC, David leverages his extensive knowledge and understanding of farmers’ needs to provide solutions and strengthen the resilience of farm and food businesses. Outside of work, he enjoys tending to his own garden, cooking with homegrown produce, and collecting rare bottles of mezcal.

Leland Michaels

Growing up in farm country in southern Michigan, Lee’s passion for food came from a young age. Lee has been gardening his entire life and worked in the fields, greenhouses and farm stands of the local food scene throughout his youth. The family Christmas tree farm taught Lee and his sister the family entrepreneurial spirit as well as help pay for college.

After graduating from Michigan State, Lee headed toward a career in the marketing and advertising industry. After relocating to Traverse City, he reconnected with his love of food and began working at Cherry Capital Foods. What started with the sales team lead to purchasing responsibilities and eventually Lee became the VP of Operations.

The experiences and challenges of operating a food hub and distribution company have taught Lee the value of our foods’ journey from farm to mouth, some of them very simple and many very complex. Taking a small company like CCF to the next tier requires a strong strategic plan, metrics and goals. He is excited to bring his knowledge and perspective of the food industry to the KTC team and clients.

When not working on food systems, Lee can be found in the kitchen, garden or workshop, crafting something with his hands. He is the father of two beautiful children, a die-hard Spartan and a lover of all four seasons.

Gibson Rade

Gibson Rade grew up on Whipstone Farm, a produce and flower farm in Northern Arizona. Whipstone participated in the founding of the Prescott Farmers Market and continues attendance as a produce vendor. As a result, Gibson spent most of her childhood weekends at the market, first helping at Whipstone’s booth and then expanding to her own booth, where she sold homemade dog cookies, vegetables from her small garden and pot bellied pigs. 

As an adult, Gibson held a position as a Prescott Farmers Market Executive Board Member and spent time as an administrator of the family farm. Kitchen Table Consultants helped her manage Whipstone’s CSA, bookkeeping system, and wholesale accounts. Gibson grew her involvement in the Arizona Agriculture Community by attending farming-focused conferences through Local First Arizona and the Arizona Department of Agriculture, where she focused on providing viewpoints from the smaller farming community. 

Gibson graduated from Northern Arizona University with a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration. She has experience as the administrative assistant to her County’s Chief Adult Probation Officer and several College Deans of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Prescott Campus.

Meagan Gallagher

Meagan is passionate about helping farmers and specialty food businesses be set up for success. She grew up in the country in North Louisiana, surrounded by farmers, and is no stranger to the hard work and dedication it takes. She graduated from Louisiana State University with a BS in Communication Studies. After graduating college, she moved to Austin, TX where she was inspired by the local food scene that flourished. She spent a year teaching English abroad in Chiang Mai, where her love for local and sustainable food production deepened and led her back to North Louisiana. Here, she has spent the last four years working for a regenerative farm, helping farmers and families build a strong local food system. She has a good marketing sense and plenty of experience building direct to consumer websites, creating content, tracking progress through analytics, and doing the research necessary to develop a strong marketing plan. Her intention is to help lay the ground work necessary to help farmers succeed and focus on what they love…farming!

Zoe Schaeffer

Zoe Schaeffer creates brands that stand out and connect with consumer values, driving sales and customer loyalty for the long haul. A graduate of Columbia University, she began her career as a food magazine writer and editor. She has since served clients as a web designer, graphic designer, photographer, email marketer, social media manager, PR agent, and more. Her direct experience in nearly every facet of digital marketing gives her a holistic view of brand strategy, helping clients hit goals without wasted time and energy. 

Before joining Taste Profit, Zoe worked as a communications specialist at Rodale Institute and Regenerative Organic Certified. She has spent several seasons on flower, vegetable, and pastured livestock operations and once spent a year traveling the country solo, living and volunteering on farms. She now lives in southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband, two young kids, and a small flock of backyard birds. She loves art, manual labor, and good food.

Claire Everson

Hailing from the heart of Idaho, Claire brings a wealth of experience to the Taste Profit team, boasting over 15 years of strategic design, project management finesse, and brand development experience. Claire’s passion lies in elevating brands and organizations within the agriculture and food sector. Armed with a BA in Evolutionary Economics and a fervor for sustainable food systems, Claire approaches her work with a warm and collaborative spirit. Her multifaceted skills encompass marketing, brand development, and the art of leading cross-functional teams. She’s on a mission to not only shine a spotlight on your mission and message but also to foster enduring connections within your value network. After nearly two decades of traversing the United States and collaborating with skilled craftsmen, diligent farmers, and mission-driven businesses, her diversity of experience gives her a unique perspective as to how we grow brands that support “the whole” and are able to thrive in a world of growing complexity.

Kristel Keys Running M.A.

Kristel Keys Running, M.A. is passionate about sustainable agriculture and food. Her passion for food and farming began on the rolling hills in southwest Wisconsin, where she grew up on a small farm surrounded by fields and trees as far as the eye could see. She thinks farming is the most important job and loves working for the greater good of the land. She has experienced the joy that life on a farm brings and also understands the challenges farmers face. 

Throughout her career, Kristel has worked with organizations across a wide range of industries, including farming and consumer package goods. She developed strategic marketing plans, engaging and innovative content, and successful digital marketing campaigns that saw an increase in customer engagement and lead generation, and ultimately increased sales. In addition to growing up on a farm and coming from a farming family, she worked directly with farmers at Organic Valley. She developed campaigns to recruit new farmers to join the co-op, managed the farmer-facing website and oversaw all content creation from newsletters to email campaigns that went out to farmers. 

Kristel is a creative and strategic thinker with more than 20 years of marketing communications experience. Her ability to cultivate client relationships while running multiple campaigns shines through with satisfied clients and high performing metrics. She is excited to use her expertise to help grow your company through strategic marketing and innovation. Kristel has a MA in Business Communications and a BS in Communications Technology Management. Her goal is simple – to empower farms and organizations to differentiate themselves and drive measurable results through innovative messaging, images, and advertising. In her free time, Kristel enjoys hiking, traveling, spending time with her family, and volunteering.

Ada Broussard

Ada Broussard is a farm marketing specialist with a diverse skill set. Ada grew up in South Louisiana, went to college in Austin, Texas, and completed a graduate program in Jerusalem. Ada’s love and fascination with each region’s distinct foodways lead her to a career in agriculture because you can’t have great food without great farmers.

Ada has spent over 7 years of her career managing the marketing and growth strategies for one of the largest CSA farms in the country where she nurtured a wide range of skills including copywriting, content creation, email marketing, design, illustration, art direction, social media management, and customer-facing communication strategies. Ada loves to think of creative and innovative marketing solutions for small and medium-sized businesses that fit their budget, align with their brand, and generate sales. Her marketing ethos centers on authentic storytelling.

In addition to marketing, Ada has experience farming (like, in the dirt), managing CSA programs, and managing distribution logistics. She co-found Club Home Made, a meal prep service designed to connect Central Texas consumers with local food producers and empower them to cook simple, seasonal food. Ada is based in the Texas “Hill Country” where she lives with her partner, their dogs, about 90 goats, and a small herd of cattle. Ada enjoys cooking, hiking, and crafting in her spare time.

Celeste Flahaven

Celeste brings her hands-on knowledge of agriculture to her role as a Farm and Food Marketing Specialist. Having worked on farms for six years, she understands the day-to-day work of farm and food operations. She earned a BA in Literature from Bard College, and has worked as a freelance writer and editor. With a background in both agriculture and writing, Celeste is positioned to help farm and food entrepreneurs create an engaging and precise voice. Celeste still gets her hands and feet in the dirt whenever she can. She splits her time between the Northeast and the South.

Julia Myhre

Julia is passionate about thorough and cohesive research, telling stories through analytics, and creating web pages that are clear and easy to understand. She also loves eating tasty food and connecting with new people.

Having been raised in rural western Uganda, she learned the value of farming and community living from her neighbors at a young age. Her first step was to receive a BA in Cultural and Environmental Studies from Duke University in 2018. She kept her hands in the ground and her connection to her own roots by working at the Duke farm as a student, then at NGP farm in Greensboro after graduation. There she grew to be farm manager and learned a range of skills, from managing employees and volunteers to double-digging beds.

Julia went on to complete her MBA at the University of Utah in hopes of helping bridge the gap of business acumen in her farming communities. She wanted to be an asset to the local food movement and can now do that in the company of her talented coworkers at TPM and KTC! In her free time, she loves to bake scones, quilt for her friends, go on hikes and bike rides in the mountains, tend her house plants, and read novels. And no matter what she’s doing, her faithful pup, Basil, is always by her side.

Lindsey Sorah

Lindsey’s passion for agriculture came from her grandparents and the stories they shared of their farming days in Southern Illinois. Though farming skipped a generation in her parents, it was always a guiding force in her life and eventually she decided to pick up where her grandparents had left off and began her own farm business. What started as a small scale, high rotation mixed vegetable and cut flower farm focused on farmers markets has grown to a 20+ acre farm that now includes microgreens, gourmet mushrooms, custom event design and a flower shop. She has also expanded the farm’s customer base to include wholesale food distributors, high end restaurants, local grocers and florists.

Lindsey has sharpened her marketing skills through her own marketing efforts on her farm as well as helping other businesses find their unique voice while connecting to current and prospective customers.

Prior to farming, Lindsey helped new and beginning franchisees with the start-up phase of their business including onboarding, training and on-going support as their business continued to grow. This experience better prepared her to give her business a strong foundation while highlighting the importance of strong marketing.

Joining the outstanding team at TPM allows Lindsey to do what she is most passionate about which is to help others find success in their own sustainable agriculture business through effective, heart centered and authentic marketing.

Residing just outside of Athens, Georgia, Lindsey enjoys watching her kids run through the fields, helping themselves to tomatoes growing on the vine or their very own “snack patch” of strawberries, playing music by the firepit with her husband and kayaking on her pond alone for the ultimate lunch break.

Amira Haddon

Amira is a marketing professional with a background in journalism, food writing and content strategy. In her career, she’s held hundreds of conversations with farmers to gain a clear picture of the industry landscape and the unique challenges it faces. During her seven years in restaurant marketing, Amira nurtured relationships with area farms that deepened her understanding of local food systems and sustainable practices. She enjoys working with brands who care about quality in all aspects of the business and have a mission that aligns with her own—to create meaningful connections and enrich people’s lives.

Samantha Cavender

Samantha is the Marketing Manager for her family’s farm business in southern Indiana. She specializes in online and email marketing of meat, eggs, and dairy products. Growing up on her family’s farm instilled a passion for local food, small business, and farm-to-consumer marketing. She loves building relationships between local food businesses and their customers.

Samantha earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and finance from Brescia University in Owensboro, KY and has spent the last four years as a work-from-home mom to her two young daughters. Her focus is to help farms and local businesses create a convenient and enjoyable buying experience for their customers.

Eva Dilmanian

Eva is an expert at pitching food brands to a wide range of media outlets. She has a track record of media placements in nationally-circulated magazines and newspapers, well-trafficked blogs, websites and highly-rated radio and television programs. She was responsible for media placements of The Mill Fudge Factory on MSN.com and the Boston Globe, among dozens of others.

Boasting strong relationships with print, broadcast and online journalists across the United States and Canada, she has the resources, experience and expertise to obtain maximum press exposure for our clients and their specialty food brands.

Eva prides herself on only taking on projects where she feels a connection with the brand and loves what they do. She is choosey about the clients she takes on and has to sincerely think your product is really innovative, exceptional…or delicious.

As part of her work, Eva contacts journalists, editors, writers, bloggers, and TV/radio hosts and producers and tells them all about your brand. Throughout the whole PR process, she keeps in close contact with you, the client, keeping you posted on progress and sharing monthly media reports itemizing all the press coverage you have received.

Eva lives in New York City and enjoys world travel, music, film, and, of course, specialty food and drink!

Lee Germeroth

Lee has a passion for entrepreneurship and helping grow small businesses. He has a diverse background ranging from commercial photography, social media marketing, web design to his specialty, search engine optimization (SEO). He has a proven track record of taking websites from zero organic search traffic to having a consistent month over month growth.

Growing your specialty food business is a marathon and not a sprint, and we will build you a solid SEO foundation that you can continue to build and grow upon sustainably.

Lee regularly gives talks and presentations to the local business communities, is an instructor for DMC Seacoast and taught Marketing classes at Keene State College. In his free time, Lee loves to travel, go on adventures, explore the world for all of its sights, sounds, and tastes!

Mimi Kolb

Mimi is a graphic designer with 20+ years of experience translating strategies into effective branding. She works with new–often local–businesses to build brands and refreshes existing brands to help them grow. She loves the opportunity to bring the brand off the page–printed or digital–finding new ways to reach an audience while maintaining consistency across everything about the brand experience. Her approach is creative and collaborative, focused on problem-solving.

In addition to design and layout, Mimi is accomplished in photo direction. Projects include logo designs, infographics, digital ads, catalogs, menus, packaging, and greeting card design.

Mimi has a degree in Art History from Franklin and Marshall College in addition to a design degree. While she spends most of her creative time behind her computer, she has 17,976 photos on her iPhone and an enviable collection of colored pencils.

Ken Sheehan

Ken Sheehan is a data modeler and analyst with a background in ecosystem science, which he did for his Masters, PhD, and post-doctoral work. He’s harnessed the statistics and big picture view learned examining and predicting broad scale dynamic environmental processes and now uses them to solve marketing and advertising problems in food related industries and beyond.  Ken’s specialty is geospatial statistics and analysis of business data, which for Taste Profit clients means that decisions on where to locate a new store, expand outreach, or how to target clients more efficiently without increasing budget, are challenges for which he enjoys finding the solutions.

On the not so technical side, Ken is a passionate gardener, foodie, and coffee aficionado who often roasts his own, which he enjoys either before or after an adventure with his border collie rescue and constant companion.

Joanna Widman-French

From her great grandfather’s Boston-based wholesale tomato business to her cousin’s organic fruit farm in New Hampshire, food and an entrepreneurial spirit have run deep in Joanna’s family. With a passion for supporting small businesses and a background in marketing, Joanna supports entrepreneurs with the tools they need to grow their online presence using social media.

Joanna has worked on marketing teams of all sizes including Fortune 500 and start-up companies. From working on consumer-facing retail and food brands to wholesale food manufacturers, Joanna’s versatile experience provides a wide range of marketing skills that plays a significant role in creating social media strategies for clients. Joanna takes a wholesome approach by understanding the business, its goals and its audience to craft a strategy and management plan that’s sustainable and always improving by centralizing analytics.

Knowing that strong marketing can make any brand successful, Joanna makes it her mission to provide those resources to smaller, socially-driven businesses.

Learn more about our social media services for specialty food brands