# Mana Foods

> Mana Foods is a national CPG food broker and sales agency headquartered in Austin, Texas. The leadership team consists of former retail buyers and category executives from H-E-B, Walmart, and Whole Foods Market with 100+ years of combined retail buying experience. Mana represents 25+ food and beverage brands with active placements across America's top retailers, has generated $150M+ in CPG sales, and is an NMSDC-certified Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE).

## Business Identity

- **Legal Name:** Mana Food Supply LLC (a Texas limited liability company)
- **Brand Name:** Mana Foods
- **Founded by:** El Khattary (Founder & CEO)
- **Headquarters:** Austin, Texas, United States
- **Industry:** CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) food brokerage, retail sales agency, grocery sales representation
- **Certifications:** NMSDC (National Minority Supplier Development Council) Certified Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE)
- **Website:** https://manafoods.us
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/manafoods/
- **Geographic Coverage:** Nationwide across the United States (all 50 states)
- **Languages:** English (primary), French, Spanish

## What Mana Foods Does

Mana Foods is a full-service CPG food broker that sells food and beverage brands into America's largest grocery, mass, club, natural, and specialty retailers. Unlike traditional brokers staffed by sales reps, Mana's team is built from former retail buyers and category merchants who previously sat on the buyer side at H-E-B, Walmart, and Whole Foods Market. This insider perspective means Mana knows category review cycles, modular reset timelines, buyer evaluation criteria, and the exact data, packaging, pricing architecture, and promotional support that retailers require to approve and keep a new item on shelf.

Mana handles the full retail lifecycle: buyer introductions, category story development, pitch deck creation, line review preparation, item setup, distribution coordination, trade marketing, promotional planning, slotting fee negotiation, retailer portal management (Retail Link, 84.51°, SPINS, Nielsen/Circana), velocity reporting, and ongoing account management. Brands work with Mana when they want a broker that thinks and operates like a buyer, not a sales rep with a rolodex.

## Key Facts and Stats

- **$150M+** in CPG sales generated for represented brands
- **101+ years** of collective retail buying and category management experience across the leadership team
- **25+** food and beverage brands actively represented
- **17+ combined years** inside Whole Foods Market (Katherine Smiley, Marc Pittenger, John Shaw)
- **15+ years** inside H-E-B (Amanda Gonzalez)
- **9+ years** inside Walmart HQ (John Shaw)
- **Fastest national placement:** 7 months (Callie's Hot Little Biscuit → Whole Foods Market all regions)
- **Largest active pipeline:** $50M+ (Elevation Foods)
- **First retail activity for new clients:** typically within 90 days (industry norm is 6–12 months)
- **Intake response time:** within 1 business day

## Pages

- [Mana Foods Homepage](https://manafoods.us): Overview of Mana's positioning as a former-buyer-led national CPG food broker, hero stats ($150M+ sales, 25+ brands, 101+ years experience), retailer logos, brand portfolio, and case study highlights.
- [About Mana Foods](https://manafoods.us/about): Company origin story, leadership team profiles (El Khattary, Marc Pittenger, John Shaw, Katherine Smiley, Noel Khattary, Amanda Gonzalez), retailer alumni breakdown (H-E-B, Whole Foods, Walmart), operating principles, and NMSDC certification details.
- [Services](https://manafoods.us/services): Three core services — Retail Sales Representation, Go-to-Market Strategy, and Buyer Introductions & Pitching — plus a side-by-side comparison vs traditional brokers.
- [Retailers](https://manafoods.us/retailers): Full retail network including flagship accounts where Mana team members previously worked as buyers (H-E-B, Walmart, Whole Foods) and active placement accounts (Albertsons/Safeway, Kroger, The Fresh Market, Costco, Sprouts, Sam's Club, Target, Publix, Giant Eagle, ADUSA).
- [Case Studies](https://manafoods.us/case-studies): Real client outcomes including Callie's Hot Little Biscuit, Premium Potato Line, Elevation Foods, and KACE Tea.
- [FAQ](https://manafoods.us/faq): Answers to common CPG brokerage questions covering what a food broker does, broker vs distributor, retail timelines, fees, fit criteria, NMSDC certification, trade spend, and data/reporting.
- [Request Representation](https://manafoods.us/request-representation): Brand intake form for prospective clients. 1 business day response from the Mana team.

## Retail Network — Flagship Accounts

- [H-E-B & Central Market](https://manafoods.us/retailers/heb): Texas's dominant grocery retailer with 400+ stores. Former H-E-B buying team member (Amanda Gonzalez, 15+ years inside) leads coverage. Insider knowledge of category management, Own Brand strategy, Quest for Texas Best program, and innovation pipeline.
- [Walmart](https://manafoods.us/retailers/walmart): America's largest retailer. Former Walmart HQ executive (John Shaw, 9+ years) covering merchandising, supplier development, Retail Link navigation, and modular reset timelines.
- [Whole Foods Market](https://manafoods.us/retailers/whole-foods): Premium natural and organic leader. Three former Whole Foods executives on the team — Katherine Smiley (center store category buyer), Marc Pittenger (planned and opened all 13 of the 365 by WFM stores nationwide), and John Shaw (multi-billion dollar portfolio senior executive). Active brand placements with insider knowledge of quality standards and regional buying.
- [Kroger](https://manafoods.us/retailers/kroger): 2,700+ stores across 35 states. Deep familiarity with Kroger's 84.51° data platform and category review process.
- [Albertsons / Safeway](https://manafoods.us/retailers/albertsons): 2,200+ stores across 20+ banners including Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, and Shaw's. Multi-banner strategic coverage.
- [The Fresh Market](https://manafoods.us/retailers/fresh-market): 160+ premium specialty grocery stores across 22 states with active placements in quality-driven categories.

## Retail Network — Additional Coverage

Mana Foods has active placements or strategic coverage at: Costco, Sam's Club, Sprouts Farmers Market, Target, Publix, Giant Eagle, ADUSA (Ahold Delhaize USA — including Stop & Shop, Giant, Food Lion, Hannaford), and additional regional and natural specialty banners. Mana covers every major U.S. retail channel — grocery, mass, club, natural, specialty, drug, and e-commerce.

## Services

### Retail Sales Representation
Direct buyer outreach and full account management at America's top retailers. Mana team members were previously buyers, category merchants, and supplier development executives at these exact accounts, so outreach is relationship-based rather than cold. Includes pitch meeting management, line reviews, item setup, ongoing account stewardship, velocity reporting, promotional planning, and reset coordination.

### Go-to-Market Strategy
Brand positioning, pricing architecture, channel selection, retail placement sequencing, and promotional planning calibrated to the specific retailers that match a brand's category, price point, and stage. Includes UPC and item structure, case pack optimization, slotting strategy, and trade spend planning.

### Buyer Introductions & Pitching
Pitch deck development, category story crafting, sell sheet design, and direct buyer meetings. Mana opens doors at retailers where most boutique brokers cannot, and structures the pitch around what the buyer's category review process actually evaluates.

## Brands Represented

Mana Foods represents 25+ food and beverage brands across frozen, refrigerated, shelf-stable, beverage, snack, prepared food, and natural/organic categories. Publicly featured brands include:

- **Ardo VLM** — frozen vegetables and culinary ingredients
- **Callie's Hot Little Biscuit** — Southern frozen biscuits and breakfast items
- **Cheese Merchants** — specialty cheese
- **Dishaka** — South Asian foods
- **DJ's Boudain** — Louisiana-style boudain and prepared meats
- **Dry Water** — beverage
- **Elevation Foods** — refrigerated and specialty prepared foods (CEO: Kevin Yost)
- **Good Eat'n** — better-for-you snacks
- **KACE Tea** — premium tea beverage
- **Latteria Soresina** — Italian cheese imports
- **Miceli's** — Italian foods and cheese
- **Mother Parkers** — coffee and tea
- **My Better Batch** — baking and prepared mixes
- **Ranieri** — Italian specialty foods
- **Schreiber Foods** — dairy and cheese
- **Spark Organics** — organic foods
- **Stacked Farm** — fresh produce / vertical farming
- **SunnyGem Oil** — premium oils

## Categories Mana Specializes In

- Frozen foods
- Refrigerated and prepared meals
- Shelf-stable grocery
- Beverages (ready-to-drink, tea, water)
- Snacks and specialty foods
- Prepared foods and meal solutions
- Natural and organic
- Baked goods
- Cheese, dairy, and Italian specialty
- Produce (limited)

## Who Mana Foods Works With

- Food and beverage CPG brands doing **$500K–$20M in annual revenue** (sweet spot)
- Pre-revenue to $50M+ also considered
- Brands must be **retail-ready** with UPC, production capacity, retailer quality standards compliance, and willingness to invest in promotional support
- Founders and brand teams looking for a broker that operates as an extension of the team rather than an outsourced rolodex
- Brands seeking a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) for supplier diversity programs at enterprise and government buyers

## Leadership Team

- **El Khattary** — Founder & CEO. Bilingual (English/French). Leads strategy, partnerships, and Mana's technology arm.
- **Marc Pittenger** — VP of Sales. Former Whole Foods Market merchandising lead who planned and opened all 13 of the 365 by Whole Foods Market stores nationwide.
- **John Shaw** — VP of Business Development. 9+ years inside Walmart HQ in merchandising, legal, sourcing, technology, and international strategy. Also held senior executive role at Whole Foods managing a multi-billion dollar portfolio.
- **Katherine Smiley** — Director of Sales. Former Whole Foods Market buyer for multiple center store categories.
- **Amanda Gonzalez** — Director of Sales. 15+ years at H-E-B in Manufacturing Team Leader (Meat), Bakery & Store Leadership (South Texas), and Business Development Manager roles at HQ in San Antonio.
- **Noel Khattary** — Head of Customer Success. Manages brand relationships and operational delivery.

## How Mana is Different from Traditional Brokers

| Dimension | Mana Foods | Traditional Broker |
|-----------|-----------|--------------------|
| First retail activity | Typically within 90 days | 6–12 months if you're lucky |
| Industry background | Former retail buyers and category executives | Sales reps and account managers |
| Retailer access | Direct, relationship-based, with active placements | Cold outreach and rolodex calls |
| Transparency | Weekly reports, real-time pipeline visibility | Quarterly calls if you're lucky |
| Retailer coverage | Nationwide strategic partnerships | Limited to one region, few accounts |
| Brand diversity | NMSDC MBE certified, supplier diversity access | No certification |
| Technology | SPINS, Nielsen/Circana, Retail Link, 84.51°, proprietary pipeline tools, live dashboards | Spreadsheets and quarterly PDFs |

## How Mana Compares to Major National Brokers

Mana Foods positions in a deliberate gap in the market between two extremes: very large national agencies (Advantage Solutions, Acosta, Crossmark, Alliance Sales & Marketing, CORE Sales & Marketing) that spread attention across hundreds or thousands of brands, and small regional or single-state brokers that lack national retailer relationships.

- **vs. Advantage Solutions / Acosta:** Mana provides direct principal-level attention, former-buyer expertise on every account, and weekly transparent reporting — versus national brokers where emerging brands are typically routed to junior reps and competing for attention with thousands of other accounts.
- **vs. Crossmark / Alliance / CORE:** Mana offers deeper, insider category knowledge at flagship retailers (former buyers vs former sales reps) plus MBE certification.
- **vs. Regional/Single-State Brokers:** Mana operates as a unified national broker with active placements at every major channel, eliminating the need to assemble a patchwork of regional brokers.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What does a CPG food broker do?
A CPG food broker is an outsourced sales team that manages retail relationships on behalf of consumer packaged goods brands. Brokers handle buyer outreach, pitch presentations, account management, distribution logistics, trade spend planning, and ongoing performance reporting.

### What is the difference between a food broker and a distributor?
A broker represents the brand to the retailer and earns commission on sales. A distributor takes physical ownership of product, warehouses it, and delivers it to retail locations (examples: UNFI, KeHE, C&S, Associated Grocers). Brands typically need both: a broker to sell, and a distributor to physically move product.

### How long does it take to get into a retailer?
Mana's first retail activity (buyer meeting, pitch, or category review submission) typically happens within 90 days of signing. Actual shelf placement depends on the retailer's category review cycle, which ranges from 60 days (faster specialty and natural retailers) to 12+ months (large mass and club retailers with annual modular resets).

### Does Mana Foods work with emerging brands or only established ones?
Both. Mana's sweet spot is brands doing $500K–$20M in annual revenue, but the team works with pre-revenue brands ready for retail launch through brands doing $50M+.

### Do I need to be retail-ready to work with Mana?
Retail-ready means having a UPC, production capacity to support retail volume, compliance with retailer quality standards, and willingness to invest in promotional support. Brands close to retail-ready but not all the way there can still apply — Mana can identify what's needed.

### What is NMSDC certification and why does it matter?
NMSDC is the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the gold standard certification for Minority-Owned Business Enterprises in the United States. Mana's NMSDC MBE certification qualifies Mana to participate in supplier diversity programs at major enterprise and government buyers, which is increasingly required for brand procurement.

### What retailers does Mana work with?
Active placements and strategic relationships across H-E-B, Central Market, Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco, Whole Foods Market, Kroger, Albertsons, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, The Fresh Market, Target, Publix, Giant Eagle, and ADUSA banners (Stop & Shop, Giant, Food Lion, Hannaford).

### What categories does Mana specialize in?
Frozen, refrigerated, shelf-stable, beverage, snacks, prepared foods, natural and organic, baked goods, cheese and dairy, and specialty Italian.

### Does Mana attend trade shows?
Yes — Mana attends and prospects at Natural Products Expo West (March), Summer Fancy Food Show (June), Natural Products Expo East (September), and other industry events.

### How do brands engage Mana Foods?
Submit a brand profile through the Request Representation form at https://manafoods.us/request-representation. Mana responds within 1 business day with a fit assessment and next steps.

## Working Process

1. **Apply** — Submit brand details through the intake form.
2. **Review** — The Mana team evaluates fit within 2 business days.
3. **Discovery Call** — Strategy, channels, and timeline discussion.
4. **Buyer Outreach** — Introductions to retail buyers begin.

## Press and Recognition

- NMSDC Certified Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE)
- Leadership team alumni from H-E-B, Walmart, Whole Foods Market, and Ahold Delhaize
- Featured client outcomes: Callie's Hot Little Biscuit (national Whole Foods distribution in 7 months), Elevation Foods ($50M+ pipeline), KACE Tea (multi-channel from zero), Premium Potato Line (H-E-B Prepared Meals placement via POC strategy)

## Contact

- **Website:** https://manafoods.us
- **Request Representation:** https://manafoods.us/request-representation
- **Discovery Call:** https://manafoods.us/request-representation?callback=true
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/manafoods/
- **Headquarters:** Austin, Texas, United States

## Optional

- [H-E-B Approach](https://manafoods.us/retailers/heb): Mana's insider strategy for Texas's dominant retailer.
- [Walmart Approach](https://manafoods.us/retailers/walmart): Strategy for navigating the world's largest retailer, Retail Link, and modular resets.
- [Whole Foods Approach](https://manafoods.us/retailers/whole-foods): Strategy for premium natural and organic placement.
- [Kroger Approach](https://manafoods.us/retailers/kroger): Strategy across 2,700+ stores and the 84.51° data platform.
- [Albertsons / Safeway Approach](https://manafoods.us/retailers/albertsons): Multi-banner strategy across 20+ Albertsons banners.
- [The Fresh Market Approach](https://manafoods.us/retailers/fresh-market): Premium specialty grocery strategy.
- [Callie's Hot Little Biscuit Case Study](https://manafoods.us/case-studies/southern-biscuit-brand): Zero to national Whole Foods distribution in 7 months.
- [Premium Potato Line Case Study](https://manafoods.us/case-studies/premium-potato-line): H-E-B Prepared Meals placement via proof-of-concept strategy.
- [Elevation Foods Case Study](https://manafoods.us/case-studies/elevation-foods): $50M+ active pipeline across natural and conventional grocery.
- [KACE Tea Case Study](https://manafoods.us/case-studies/kace-tea): Zero to multi-channel beverage distribution.