Greg Steltenpohl, founder and CEO of hugely successful US plant milk brand Califia Farms, sadly passed away this weekend at the age of 67. The company produces, among other things, plant-based drinks, plant-based yogurts and cooking creams, which are much loved by US consumers as well as in the Chinese market. Greg originally founded Califia Farms as a co-op and it went on to become one of the most successful and creative plant-based milk brands on the market, receiving $225 million in investments in early 2020.
Says Elysabeth Alfano: “Last week we lost one of the plant-based movement’s true pioneers and champions: Greg Steltenpohl, CEO and Co-Founder of Califia Farms. I knew that Greg was sick, but it never occurred to me that he could actually be gone at some point. He was one of my favorite people because of his immediate warmth and presence. We connected instantly and vowed to do follow-up conversations on the Plantbased Business Hour. I thought we had more time.”
Below is a collection of clips from Elysabeth’s interview with Greg, demonstrating his savvy business mind and the heart-first leadership style that he employed for a better planet for all.
“A beautiful soul on so many levels, for me Greg was transcendent. A visionary. A businessman with heart. A brilliant mind. A laid-back jazz cat. What a huge loss. Thank you, Greg, for all that you did, every day, for people, the planet and animals. You truly walked the talk.”
