Since 2005, Naturally Boulder has helped drive the growth of Colorado’s thriving natural and organic products business community. Now in its 14th year, the nonprofit trade organization has been instrumental in helping numerous Colorado companies emerge to become leading regional and national brands. With a mission to nurture conscious growth, leadership and innovation in the natural products community, the nonprofit trade association is now branching out to the Bay Area, but with a goal of sharing its values and mission with other communities, as well.

Announcing the launch of Naturally Bay Area

Working together with a team of Northern California business leaders in the food and natural products sectors, Naturally Bay Area is launching as the first regional affiliate partner of the Naturally Boulder network. Naturally Bay Area will connect entrepreneurs, investors and innovators in the food and natural products community in Northern California with a goal of replicating the success of Naturally Boulder in supporting local food and natural products businesses in Northern California—another pioneering hotbed of natural products innovation.

Kick-off party in conjunction with Fancy Food Show

Naturally Bay Area will offer year-round education and networking events for its members, leading with a kick-off party held in conjunction with the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco on Sunday, Jan. 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. at International Smoke, a new restaurant by celebrity chefs Michael Mina and Ayesha Curry, 301 Mission St., San Francisco. Space is limited and advance registration is required. To register to attend and for membership information for Naturally Bay Area, contact Sandie Jirongo at [email protected].

Membership in Naturally Bay Area and Naturally Boulder will include a number of shared benefits, including a member directory, job board, shared content and resources, discounts to events and other benefits. Naturally Bay Area will launch its website in the near future.

For other communities interested in learning more about the Naturally Boulder “hub and spoke” affiliation network, contact [email protected].

Quotes about the launch of Naturally Bay Area

“We receive requests from all over the country about how Naturally Boulder did it, and how other communities can form their own associations to help strengthen and accelerate local natural products business growth. As such, we decided to engage with other communities in open source collaboration to not only help create these organizations, but also to stay connected and aligned, with Naturally Boulder sharing its experience and resources, and serving as a hub organization. The San Francisco Bay Area and Boulder are sister cities in natural and organic food innovation, and we’re excited to work with a strong group of Northern California business leaders in the launch of Naturally Bay Area.”

—Carlotta Mast, president of Naturally Boulder and senior VP of content and insights for New Hope Network

 “Our mission is to stimulate growth, entrepreneurship and leadership in the Northern California food and natural products industry; foster sustainable and responsible best practices in our industry; and facilitate collaboration and mutual support among our members and with other like-minded organizations. We are following Naturally Boulder’s lead of being very open source and making our offerings available to the entire food innovation and natural products community in our region.”

—Don Buder, Naturally Bay Area Organizing Committee member and partner, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP in San Francisco

"The expansion of Naturally Boulder's model, including its inspiring mission, vision and guiding principles, demonstrates a vital characteristic of the natural and organic products community. We seek and advocate for deep and generous collaboration to further the common good as leaders in business and stewards of the environment. Really, it's a continuation of the very spirit which gave rise to this industry decades ago."

—Arron Mansika, managing director, Naturally Boulder

Source: Naturally Boulder