ANTHONY JENKINSON

Partner - Go to Market

Known by AJ to most around him, Anthony leads our Go To Market capability. He likes to think he’s known for his enthusiasm and energy, but definitely brings a different lens and commercial skillset to the Craftory team.

His background was spent with over 20 years in senior commercial roles with Reckitt Benckiser. During this time he lived and worked in four continents, including China and North America, which provides a unique blend of view points and experiences.

More recently he has been involved with private equity and online start ups. He’s English btw, Northern English to be precise, something he’s very proud of!!

linkedin.com/in/anthonyjenkinson

aj@thecraftory.io

ATKINS DONDO

Finance Director

If ever there was a tale of adversity overcome without the soothing hand of privilege, it’s Atkins’ story.

Born on the wrong side of the tracks in Harare, Atkins left Zimbabwe as a young man to become a janitor in Canada, where he put himself through school to study finance and accounting. Fast-forward one MFin later, and Atkins oversees the Craftory’s finances as group controller with self-effacing charm.

When he’s not counting beans, he eats them with committed relish, because he knows that his strictly plant-based diet will only serve as unfair advantage in his competitive marathon-running. Inspirational? You bet.

linkedin.com/in/atkinsdondo

atkins@thecraftory.io

Ananya Chowdhury

Investor

Eager to merge the worlds of finance and impact-driven investing, it was inevitable Ananya would find herself at The Craftory. Here, she’s focused on sourcing and investing in brands that are truly differentiated in how they serve their customers and the world.

In her teens, she created a sustainable pineapple company in Uganda, only to discover she enjoyed corporate finance just as much as pineapples, if not more. So after completing her degree in History and Economics at Oxford, it made sense that she started her career in M&A at Deutsche Bank, advising FTSE 100 companies in M&A transactions.

When she needs to lick her wounds, she can be found enjoying her three greatest pleasures in life: skiing, dancing, and finding the next great challenger brand (in no particular order, though she’s known to mix all three if provoked).

linkedin.com/in/ananyachowdhury

ananya@thecraftory.io

ELIO LEONI SCETI

Co-Founder

Elio Leoni Sceti has over 30 years of experience in the consumer goods and media sectors. He is co-founder, Chairman and chief crafter of The Craftory, the first investment house for mission-driven challenger brands in Consumer Goods. 

Elio Leoni Sceti is also Chairman of LSG Holdings and an independent non-executive director of Kraft Heinz Inc, of chocolate and cocoa leader Barry Callebaut, and previously Anheuser Busch InBev.

Elio Leoni Sceti is also a Trustee and a Counsellor of One Young World and on the UK Board of Room to Read, a charity promoting education and gender equality.

Elio Leoni Sceti was formerly CEO of Iglo Birdseye until June 2015, when he oversaw its sale to Nomad Foods. Previously, Elio Leoni Sceti was CEO of EMI Music from 2008 to 2010 and he earlier held senior leadership roles, firstly at Procter & Gamble and then at Reckitt Benckiser, where he served as CMO, global head of Innovation and then head of the European operations.

Elio Leoni Sceti holds a degree in Economics from LUISS in Rome, where he also passed the Dottore Commercialista post-graduate bar exam.

linkedin.com/in/elioleonisceti

elio@thecraftory.io

ERNESTO SCHMITT

Co-Founder

Affectionately called Ernie by his mum and work colleagues, Ernesto has led the charge of disruptive digital innovation since the time Mattel’s Barbie Doll turned 40.

He’s created multiple digital disruptors and sold three, and he speaks with an arresting combination of Prussian charm and Uruguayan discipline about digitally-activated brands and storytelling. Ernesto runs the Craftory.

linkedin.com/in/ernestoschmitt

ernesto@thecraftory.io

JAK LEWIS

Investor

The Denizens of Wolverhampton, home to Jak and his Jamaican immigrant forebears since the 1950s, are affectionately referred to as "Wolves", and so it was only apt that Jak should find his way to The Craftory.

Inspired at a critical age by a social mobility charity who saw his potential, his fire was lit, and he taught himself mathematics, physics and economics in order to get to university with the highest grades ever achieved by his school. From there he went on to acquire unique capability in data science, building machine learning tools to price risk in VC investments.

But Jak isn't all about numbers. True to his Midlands roots, he's a deft potter, and in his spare time he's often found chiselling wolf sculptures out of florentine marble, whiskers and all.

linkedin.com/in/jaklewis

jak@thecraftory.io

JAMIE SWANGO

Partner - Marketing

A self-proclaimed New Yorker (though strictly from Ohio... and ancestrally, deepest Bavaria), Jamie has always been fearless in the face of unexpected challenges. It’s what made her a fine Rugby player at university, Brunhilde-style. And it’s what allowed her to master the art of marketing in our digital age with Wagnerian brilliance. She does have two pet cockapoos, but to us they might as well be dragons.

Jamie helps the Craftory’s portfolio brands leverage digital technology and platforms to multiply their reach to millions. Siegfried would approve.

linkedin.com/in/jamieswango

jamie@thecraftory.io

JON LUNETTA

Partner and Investor - USA

Jon is our Partner and Investor USA, moonlighting as our chief product evaluator.

Jon has spent his career building and investing in growth companies at the intersection of enterprise and consumer technology. He is currently an investor and Chief Commercial Officer of Whiterabbit.ai, a software company building AI-powered software for early stage breast cancer detection.

Prior to Whiterabbit he was a Managing Partner of Rhino Networks, and Highfive, where he was responsible for the original go-to-market strategy, fund-raising, and scale of the commercial team prior to acquisition.

Before Highfive, he ran the cloud collaboration line of business at Polycom (NASDAQ: PLCM), joining Polycom from ViVu, an early pioneer in cloud video technology which was acquired.

Mr. Lunetta has been actively involved as an advisor, investor and/or board member of Plarium Games, Meural, and ZeroCater.d.

linkedin.com/in/jonlunetta

jon@thecraftory.io

JONATHAN MILLER

Partner - Scale Up

Jonathan joined The Craftory from a career working for the large retailers as both an employee and an advisor.

He splits his time between finding great brands to partner with (his focus is on food and drink brands at the moment), and working with our existing brands to help them scale up their businesses.

linkedin.com/in/jonathanmiller

Jonathan@thecraftory.io

JP THURLOW

Partner - Brand, Creative, and Storytelling

I’m here to support founders and their CMOs. Think of me as your blended exec creative director + brand planning lead + touchstone, collaborator and ally.

My capability begins with category understanding, brand positioning, and consumer insight generation - continues with brand refinement, differentiation, and development of ownable equities - through to content creation, and omni channel marketing creative.

My professional work has been awarded at the highest levels internationally (Cannes Lions, One Club, D&AD). I’m a graduate of the globally prestigious Goldsmiths College University of London, and have guest lectured at the School of Communication Arts. I also make art, have exhibited my work multiple times, been published in Elle and Vogue, and featured in influential digital publications such as It’s Nice That and Refinery29.

At the Craftory I work in close coordination with my craft partner colleagues Jamie, Jonathan, and Simon to build positive, purposeful, and valuable CPG challenger brands.

linkedin.com/in/johnpaulthurlow

jp@thecraftory.io

LAURA TRAN

Partner - Purpose, and Investor

Defining your purpose, - "why your company exists", is about finding the engine for every business decision. This translates into your mission, your values and your best practices to have a durable, value-additive company for the planet, people and society. My role is to lead these topics for the Craftory as an investment firm and to support our brands to have stronger sustainability and impact practices.

After serving in operational roles in Asia in hospitality between 2014 and 2017, I started my career in venture capital in a French VC firm in London before joining The Craftory in 2019. I was first part of the deal team although I spent every spare minute on purpose, sustainability and impact which eventually became my main role. I also am a Venture Partner for French speaking geographies (cocorico!).

I find joy in bringing value to my community. I've been tutoring students since age 8 and I've been a mentor to entrepreneurs at The Founders Institute since 2019. In 2021, I co-founded VC Moms, a community for mothers in the venture capital industry with members across Europe and the US.

linkedin.com/in/tranlaurahieu

Laura@thecraftory.io

OLIVIA CRAMER

Investor

I sit on The Craftory’s deal team.  I do everything from helping to find brands we’d love to partner with and analysing sectors we find interesting, to executing deals once we’ve found those brands and then supporting them on anything pertaining to finance once they join The Craftory family. I’m also our Chief Fun Officer (the real CFO) making sure that we celebrate the wins.  

I began my career with a couple of years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch on their UK M&A team in London before moving to Beirut to learn Arabic and work with Endeavor, an NGO that helps scale-ups across the globe where I saw the potential of finance to be a force for good in the world. I returned to London in 2016 to join a sector agnostic venture capital firm where I confirmed that my passion was in consumer investing and joined The Craftory in 2018. I’m a hybrid Brit-American with an oddly strong American accent for someone who has spent so much time in the UK.

linkedin.com/in/oliviacramer

Olivia@thecraftory.io

MONICA CASANOVA

Investor

Born and raised in Spain, Monica earned a double degree in Business Administration and Law at ESADE University. After completing her studies, she left behind sunny Barcelona to pursue a career in finance. Monica started her journey in London as a Healthcare Investment Banker at Goldman Sachs. Fast forward almost 4 years, Monica's eagerness to marry her finance skills with her willingness to contribute positively to our environment and society drove her all the way to The Craftory. 

Known for her love to analyse and try out new brands, Monica splits her time evaluating potential investment targets across the US and Europe, as well as advising The Craftory's portfolio companies as they navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship.

Consumer brand aficionado and passionate learner, Monica is a firm believer in equal access to education and employment opportunities. She works as a mentor with Bridging Barriers, where she helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop the skills needed to thrive, whilst helping build networks to strengthen access to opportunity.

True to her Mediterranean roots, Monica loves spending time out in nature: skiing, sailing, playing padel... you name it! Having lived in Valencia, Barcelona, Hong Kong and London, Monica is an avid traveller and takes every opportunity she has to discover new spots. 

linkedin.com/in/monicacasanova

monica@thecraftory.io

SIMON DAVID MILLER

Partner - Product Innovation

Filmmaker/product inventor/recovered ex-banker, Simon is more agile than a troupe of circus contortionists. Every sinew in his body flexes user discovery and dual-track. He knows digital platforms for growth like few others. And he’s also shooting a horror movie.

Simon works with our portfolio companies to multiply their reach from tens of thousands to tens of millions of consumers. Paradoxically, he’s also charming.

linkedin.com/in/simondavidmiller

simon@thecraftory.io

THIAGO RODRIGUES

Senior Partner, and Investor

Champ of the Brazilian Fight Club, Thiago has led deals and fought for his companies with iron fist since his early twenties. He religiously follows the Mr Miyagi school of capital deployment: ‘Wax on. Wax off’.

Thiago will get your deal done, beer in hand.

linkedin.com/in/thiagorodrigues

thiago@thecraftory.io

ADAM MORGAN

Adam coined the concept of Challenger Brands in his seminal book ‘Eating The Big Fish: How Challenger Brands can compete against Brand Leaders’; both have gone on to become cornerstones in the modern marketing lexicon, and influenced the creation of a new generation of packaged goods challengers, from Innocent in the UK to Method in the United States.

In 1999 Adam founded eatbigfish and established The Challenger Project, a continually evolving research study into how challenger brands succeed, across a variety of different categories. This has evolved to embrace a community of emerging food and drink challengers, including live events for challenger founders to share questions and experiences.

Further books on Challenger culture (The Pirate Inside), and creativity (A Beautiful Constraint) followed the creation of his international consultancy, eatbigfish, whose clients have included Clif Bar, Charlie Bigham’s, Moet Hennessy, Uber, Unilever and Pepsi.

linkedin.com/in/adam-morgan

eatbigfish

CRAIG DUBITSKY

Craig is the friendly founder of hello products, the world’s first naturally friendly™ oral care brand. hello is one of the fastest-growing oral care brands, and the #1 charcoal toothpaste brand in the US. hello is bringing performance and personality as well as ethics and aesthetics to the $40B global, daily-use category, and in the process, creating a brand that people don’t just use, they join.

hello was named to Inc. Magazine’s Most Audacious list as “One of the 25 Companies That Are Changing the World”, and has won the prestigious red dot award and the Good Design Award. Dubitsky himself was named to the Advertising Age Creativity 50, the publication’s annual list of the most influential and innovative creative thinkers and doers.

Prior to hello, Craig was co-founder and creative lead at eos products, founding board member at Method Products, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Lexicon Branding, a strategic advisor to Seventh Generation, Boots, and to various Private Equity funds. Craig is an inductee in the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO) Hall of Fame, an Entrepreneur in Residence at Babson, and serves as Advisory Council Member at the Ain Center for Entrepreneurship at The Simon School of Business at The University of Rochester.

Craig loves people, design, brand, packaging and people. Yes, he said people twice.

linkedin.com/in/craig-dubinsky

hello products

GILES GIBBONS

Giles has been walking the line between the business of social impact and the social impact of business since setting up Good Business in 1996.

Living by the mantra, if you want to change the world, do it through business; if you want to transform your business, change the world, he has worked with many of the world’s leading companies and global foundations bringing this vision to life.

He has also used his entrepreneurial tendencies to launch the sustainability movement for the restaurant industry – The Sustainable Restaurant Association; the world’s first elite disabled orchestra, the Paraorchestra; and Shift, a service design social enterprise for the social sector.

linkedin.com/in/giles-gibbons

Good Business

MARISA DREW

Marisa is the inaugural Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) of Standard Chartered Bank Plc.

Marisa previously held the CSO role for Credit Suisse and also held the role of CEO of the of the Sustainability Strategy, Advisory & Finance Group (SSAF).

Marisa serves on the Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and is a member of the FCA’s Markets Practitioner Panel. She’s part of the GIIN (Global Impact Investing Network) Leadership Council and is a member of the Blended Finance Task Force sponsored by the World Economic Forum. Marisa is the founder of the Competitors' Diversity Forum and is a member of the C200, an organization comprised of the top women in business globally.

Marisa has been recognized by the BBC as one of the Most Powerful Women in Britain, by Fortune as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in International Business, and by Financial News in its ‘100 Most Influential Women in Finance’ list every year from its inception in 2007 through to 2017.

Marisa is an active angel investor and has interests ranging from Fintech to art disruptors and restaurants. Marisa operates a small farm in South Africa producing cabernet wines and olive oil (yum!). She’s also a Founding member of the Conduit Club.

linkedin.com/in/maria-drew

PAUL LINDLEY

Paul is an award-winning British entrepreneur, social campaigner and best-selling author.

In 2006 he founded Ella’s Kitchen, an innovative brand of organic baby food built on a core social mission. It has since become the UK’s largest baby food brand, with over $100M in sales across 40 countries. Paul stepped back from Ella’s Kitchen in 2018 to devote more of his time to social campaigning.

In 2014 he co-founded The Key is E, supporting African entrepreneurs whose social businesses benefit children.

In 2017 he published his first book, the critically acclaimed bestseller ‘Little Wins: The Huge Power of Thinking Like a Toddler’.

Most recently, in 2018, Paul was appointed Chair of the newly established London Child Obesity Taskforce by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. The Taskforce was launched by the Mayor to create a vision and policies to significantly change the capital’s obesogenic environment, thereby improving the lives of children across the city.

Paul is Chair of Robert F Kennedy Human Rights UK, a Trustee of Sesame Workshop, the creators of Sesame Street, and sits on the Board of social enterprise Toast Ale.

Paul believes the best businesses make profits AND have a core purpose to do social good; and that more ‘human-ness’ is needed in our economy and civil society.

linkedin.com/in/paul-lindley

Paul's Wikipedia page

SHILEN PATEL

Shilen founded Distill Ventures (DV), the world’s first accelerator dedicated to founder-led drinks brands. In just five years, DV has invested over £100m in 20+ drinks start-ups and has its first exit already under its belt.

Shilen discovered, invested in and nurtured Seedlip the world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirit. Growing at over 400% y-o-y, Seedlip has led the development of an entirely new and rapidly growing category of ‘non-alcoholic spirits’.

Shilen is a proven disruptor with over 24 years experience in CPG leveraging challenger brands, emergent technologies and innovative business models to deliver rapid growth at scale. He is also a highly active and hands on investor with a deep passion for mentoring founder-led start-ups that have the potential to beat industry “goliaths”. He has helped to nurture and grow over 20 founding teams, from serial entrepreneurs through to first-time founders, across Europe, US and Asia.

linkedin.com/in/shilen/

distillventures.com