Rob is a Principal at Equilibrium Capital and leads Equilibrium’s sustainable agriculture strategies. Rob believes that food is inherently a triple bottom line business, and success in the industry must be measured across all three: Financial, Environmental, and Social. By growing crops that improve the land we create healthy foods that nourish the body and deliver long-term financial rewards. This basic principal has fueled Rob’s passion for food and agriculture and at Equilibrium he is leveraging the idea of sustainable alpha, creating long-term value through sustainability, to advance improvements in our food supply chain.
Rob has over 25 years of experience in the food and agricultural industries distinguished by his ability to build value through the development of transparent supply chains that deliver on a clear consumer promise. As CEO of Niman Ranch, Rob created the industry’s leading premium meat brand by building a network of over 500 sustainable farmers who, under common quality and husbandry protocols, supply the nation’s finest restaurants and retailers with extraordinary pork, beef and lamb. The company was one of the first to construct a vertical supply chain to capture consumer premiums and return them to the farm.
At Attune Foods, a company Rob founded in 2006, he built on the idea that simple ingredients can deliver great health and constructed a business that was subsequently acquired by Post Foods to be their strategic platform in the rapidly growing natural food segment. Rob’s earlier experiences at Nestle managing risk, purchasing commodities, and managing a strategic business, gave him an understanding of the impact that (big) food can have on our planet, people and economy.
Rob has advised a number of food companies in the US and currently serves as:
• Director, Just Desserts in Oakland, CA
• Director, Healthy Food Ingredients, Fargo, ND
• Advisor, Inner City Advisors, Oakland, CA
Rob loves to run, ski and spend time cooking for his family in California. Rob has a BA in Psychology and Social Relations from Harvard College.