Erik Havlick and Swan Sit Bring to the Table Proven Track Records in Modernizing Legacy Consumer Brands and Positioning Them for Industry Disruption
NEW YORK – July 29, 2020 – AF Ventures, a leading venture capital fund investing in high-growth consumer companies, announced the addition of two new Operating Partners. The new Operating Partners will provide expert counsel and support to the venture fund’s portfolio brands in the areas of digital transformation, brand development, marketing and sales strategy.
“As an entrepreneurial fund, AF Ventures continually seeks to optimize the value add offerings of our platform to offer our portfolio best-in-class resources. In a post-COVID landscape where the architecture of consumer brands is being reimagined, expanding our capabilities in digital marketing and profitable sales execution was of paramount importance. Swan and Erik are the highest caliber business leaders in these functions across personal care and food and beverage. They represent the future construction of our companies,” said AF Ventures’ President & Managing Partner Jordan Gaspar.
At AF Ventures, Erik will bring his expertise in brand development, sales strategy and execution, and trade management to various portfolio companies. Previously, Erik was Co-Founder and Vice President at Thanasi Foods, makers of Bigs Seeds and Duke’s Smoked Meats and helped oversee its acquisition by Conagra Brands in 2017. Post acquisition, Erik joined the Conagra leadership team and was instrumental in modernizing and retooling Conagra’s snacking portfolio. Prior to co-founding Thanasi Foods with his brother, Erik was Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Terradesigns. Erik graduated with a B.A. from Hampshire College in Philosophy and Social Theory.
“I continue to be an enthusiastic student of the magnetism connecting brands with consumers. AF Ventures’ portfolio reflects a community of talented entrepreneurs and teams who are delivering unique brand and product propositions that have true potential to sing – more so now than ever. I look forward to working alongside the amazing team at AF Ventures to continue to push the envelope and deliver forward-thinking strategies to the outstanding disruptors in its portfolio,” said Erik Havlick, Operating Partner at AF Ventures.
Swan is a digital expert specializing in brand transformations, marketing and strategy. She spent the past decade accelerating digital into legacy companies. At Nike, Swan served as the Global Head of Digital Marketing during the Emmy-winning “Dream Crazy” campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick. She was also the Vice President of digital capabilities, operations, product, supply chain and service for their multi-billion dollar e-commerce business. Prior to that, she led digital at Revlon and Elizabeth Arden and ran online strategy for the Esteé Lauder Companies, leveraging digital to power turnarounds and growth. Swan graduated with a BA in Economics from Harvard and also received an MBA from Columbia.
“We are entering the middle innings of a full-blown disruption of retail,” said Swan Sit, Operating Partner at AF Ventures. “The innovators in AF Ventures’ portfolio are not only serving the needs of consumers today but also anticipating products they will crave tomorrow, changing how people consume better-for-you products. I look forward to working with the current portfolio and new investments, as AF Ventures looks to replicate its success in food & beverage to beauty and wellness.”
# # #
About AF Ventures
AF Ventures (formerly AccelFoods) is a leading venture capital fund investing in high-growth consumer product companies to create the next generation of enduring brands. Launched in 2014, AF Ventures partners with challenger brands driving innovation on retail shelves and in online shopping carts. AF Ventures manages 35+ portfolio brands across a wide array of consumer brands in food and beverage, beauty and personal care, health and wellness, and pet.
For more information on AF Ventures, visit www.afventures.vc.
