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Matt Weiss
Founder & CEO at RIND Snacks
Matt Weiss is the Founder and CEO of RIND Snacks, a company that produces sustainable whole fruit snacks with a unique focus on keeping the fruit peel intact.2
Background and Education
Matt graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature, earning his degree cum laude.2 He also holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification from the CFA Institute.2
Professional Experience
Before founding RIND Snacks, Matt had a successful career in finance:
- He worked at Baron Capital Group, Inc. for over 18 years, serving as Vice President and Portfolio Manager from September 2001 to March 2020.2
- In July 2017, Matt founded RIND Snacks, transitioning from finance to entrepreneurship.2
RIND Snacks
Matt was inspired to create RIND Snacks by his great-grandmother's philosophy of using the entire fruit, including the rind, to maximize nutrition and minimize waste.13 The company's slogan, "Keep it Real, Eat the Peel," reflects this ethos.2
RIND Snacks focuses on producing snacks that are:
- Made from whole fruits, including the nutrient-rich peels
- Sustainable and zero-waste
- Packed with bold flavors and health benefits
Other Ventures and Involvement
In addition to his role at RIND Snacks, Matt is involved in other initiatives:
- He is a Board Member and Founding Partner of Naturally New York, an organization supporting the New York natural products community.2
- Matt is also the Founder and President of Friends of Chelsea Green, supporting a community park in New York City.2
Personal Life
Matt is married to Joanna Weiss and has children who have been involved in the early stages of the RIND Snacks business.4 He values family involvement and sees entrepreneurship as a team effort rather than a solo journey.4
Matt's entrepreneurial philosophy emphasizes taking risks, continuous learning, and finding fulfillment in new challenges.1 He believes in the importance of both brand magic and business substance for success in the food industry.1
Highlights
𝗦𝗡𝗔𝗖𝗞'𝗦 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗚! 💥
Today marks a major milestone for RIND Snacks as we proudly announce our acquisition of Small Batch Organics, an award-winning producer of granola and specialty chocolate products, based out of Manchester, Vermont. This acquisition blends RIND’s zest for sustainable fruit snacks with granola greatness from the Green Mountain state. Ben Cohn and I are thrilled to welcome the incredible Small Batch team, led by its exceptionally talented founder Lindsay Martin, to RIND’s fruit family. 👋⛰🧡
𝗪̲𝗵̲𝘆̲ ̲𝗦̲𝗺̲𝗮̲𝗹̲𝗹̲ ̲(̲𝗕̲𝗮̲𝘁̲𝗰̲𝗵̲)̲ ̲𝗶̲𝘀̲ ̲𝗮̲ ̲𝗕̲𝗜̲𝗚̲ ̲𝗱̲𝗲̲𝗮̲𝗹̲? 🤝 ☀ 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁: Our combined business now spans nearly 30,000 sq. ft. of solar-powered manufacturing and fulfillment. This is a giant leap for RIND as we aim to set the standard for sustainably self-produced snacks.
💪 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Now as a vertically integrated business, we have significantly boosted RIND’s operational efficiency, product development speed, and fulfillment capabilities.
🍎 𝗔 𝗙𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: This acquisition wasn’t just business; it was the culmination of a founder friendship built over years around a shared vision of innovation, sustainability, and a ‘do whatever it takes’ attitude.
🍒 𝗔 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵: With owned manufacturing, we now have the ability to partner with key accounts to develop innovative, fruit-forward snacks in a highly efficient and flexible manner. And we’ve wasted no time! The first RIND product made entirely at our Vermont facility is our newest REMIX – Cherry Cashew Crunch – featuring an addictive blend of tart cherries, spiced cashews, and crunchy vanilla granola, available now at Sam's Club nationwide...with more retailers to come!
This milestone reflects the incredible hard work of RIND's whole team and I couldn’t be more proud of their effort. I'm fortunate I get to work alongside such an amazing and growing group - Derek, Gabriella, Samantha, Alexa, Ajay, Sandy, Daryl 🙏
Special shout-out to Nick Bilotti, RIND's Senior VP of Operations, whose tireless dedication has been crucial to this achievement and our ability to hit the ground running! 🏃♂️
𝐖̲𝐡̲𝐚̲𝐭̲'̲𝐬̲ ̲𝐍̲𝐞̲𝐱̲𝐭̲?̲ 🍊 We couldn’t be more excited to write RIND’s next chapter as a vertically integrated, innovation-obsessed snack brand. You can expect us to continue pushing the boundaries of sustainable and healthy snacking that combines small-batch quality with large-scale impact. 👊
#innovation #growth #acquisition #manufacturing #cpg #cpgindustry #brandbuilding #foundersjourney #sustainability #brandstory
