Rend Al-Mondhiry advises the dietary supplement, food, cosmetic, and over-the-counter medicine industries on a broad range of regulatory and compliance matters, with a focus on helping companies navigate the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape for hemp and CBD products at both the federal and state level. She is committed to helping companies responsibly develop and market products, drawing on her years of experience advising the nation’s leading dietary supplement and food companies on complex ingredient and labeling issues. She is also a frequent speaker and author on emerging legal and regulatory issues in the industry and is regularly quoted in the
trade press.

Rend’s practice focuses on reviewing product labeling, ingredients, and advertising to determine compliance with federal and state regulations, and assisting companies in matters before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and National Advertising Division (NAD). She also advises clients on compliance
with California’s Proposition 65, U.S. Customs issues, class action defense strategies, and FDA matters including Warning Letters, recalls, detentions, seizures, and import alerts.

Rend brings a unique perspective to these issues, having served as Associate General Counsel at the Council for Responsible Nutrition, one of the leading trade associations representing the dietary supplement and functional food industry. She has advocated on the industry’s behalf numerous times before FDA, FTC, Congress, and state attorneys general, and has substantial experience initiating and defending challenges
before the NAD. In addition, she has over ten years of experience analyzing and
responding to legislative and regulatory changes at the federal and state levels, working closely with scientific experts to ensure policy positions are not only legally sound but grounded in science. She has also assisted trade associations with non-profit compliance, strategic planning, and corporate governance matters.

When she’s not spending time with her husband and two very active boys, Rend enjoys running, practicing yoga, and reading historical fiction.

Carlson has been a family-owned and operated company since it started more than 53 years

ago. Carlson was founded in 1965 by Susan Carlson, a pharmacist who made it her mission to improve the health of families nationwide by creating science-based nutritional supplements with high-quality ingredients. Today, the next generation of Carlson, president Carilyn Anderson leads the brand. Carilyn holds a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and has played an instrumental role in business development and product innovations at Carlson. Carlson offers a full product line of more than 200 vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, kid’s products, and other nutritional supplements. Carilyn is on the board of directors at the Natural Products Foundation (NPF) and is a member of the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED).

Tim is a leading authority in the global nutrition industry, blending 30 years of experience in discovery, validation and marketing of bioactive ingredients and consumer packaged nutrition products. He is President of Systems Bioscience, Inc., a company specializing in providing global Fortune 500 companies with business and product development knowledge regarding dietary supplements, natural and organic foods and consumer products and services. Tim's list of past clients includes Cargill, Nestle, Proctor & Gamble, Mars and many others.

In 2005 he founded Zero Worries Food Inc., and developed the ZSWEET® brand, all natural and USDA Certified Organic zero-calorie tabletop sweetener. ZSweet is the first and pioneering formulation blending all-natural ingredients to replace caloric sweeteners and artificial sugar substitutes and the first in the North American market to use erythritol.

Mr. Avila has a twenty-four-year tenure as Senior Executive Advisor to the Newhope Network and SupplySide Show businesses (now part of Informa Markets), pertaining to content and business development.

After leaving Metagenics in 1997 and founding Systems Bioscience Inc., Mr. Avila worked on business and finance engagements, as well as technical and scientific projects. Working alongside accomplished industry colleagues such as Tom Aarts, Anthony L. Almada, Grant Ferrier and many others, Tim was able to connect with a vast network of companies, inventors, universities, governmental and non-governmental entities. As an advisor to Sambazon Inc. beginning in early 2001, Tim contributed to the development and revenue growth of one of the industry’s most respected socially responsible and B Corp. companies and lifestyle/passion brands.

Tim passionately and creatively pushes boundaries for the industry and maintains a global network of radical innovators. Over the last 5 years, early-stage venture development has been a focus with projects ranging from a raft of start-ups, incubator concepts and other industry-wide ‘farm system’ activities, leading to successful new brands and companies. These projects benefit from Tim’s ability to coach and guide entrepreneurs in all aspects of the venturing process. Mr. Avila is an original founding member of the screening committee at Nutrition Capital Network. Lastly, he is a sponsor of Naturally Los Angeles, Naturally San Diego and sits on the board of the Naturally Network, a non-profit membership association that exists to foster access and local community support to all participants in the natural products industry.

Aaron Bartz is President at Ortho Molecular Products, Inc. Since joining Ortho Molecular Products, he has been involved in every aspect of the organization. From 1993 to 2000, he served as a sales account executive and built the Chicagoland
territory. In 2000, he took on the role of Vice President of Sales and Marketing, where he used his passion for sales to build a thriving, knowledgeable salesforce, which remains a defining feature of Ortho Molecular Products industry-wide. Under Aaron’s leadership since 2007, Ortho Molecular Products has sustained consistently high growth, expanded internationally and developed unique lifestyle medicine programs while becoming one of the largest and most respected organizations serving the practitioner channel. Aaron strongly believes team members are the company’s greatest asset, and has built a culture of health and wellness at every level. In addition to his duties as President, Aaron serves as Chairman of the executive leadership team and sits on the Board of Directors. From an industry perspective, Aaron has built collaborations and partnerships that have led to industry-first exclusives in raw materials. He serves on the Board of Directors at the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food
industry. Aaron was also named to the American Nutrition Association® Strategic
Advisory Board, where he provides guidance and insight to further the ANA’s
health-focused mission. Throughout his career, Aaron has remained committed to
health care practitioners and passionate about Ortho Molecular Products’
mission to transform the practice of medicine. In his free time, Aaron enjoys
traveling, spending time outdoors and competitive sports. He and his wife
Danelle have three children and reside in Lake Barrington, IL.

Jon Benninger is Vice President and market leader at Informa Markets. He focuses on the strategic direction and growth of the SupplySide portfolio which includes SupplySide West, SupplySide East, Natural Products Insider and Food & Beverage Insider. He coordinates with leaders of the other Informa health and nutrition events and brands including Natural Products Expo, Vitafoods, Food ingredients, NEXT and Nutrition Business Journal. Benninger joined the company in 1995 as the founding editor of the company’s first trade magazine for the nutrition industry. Benninger is a frequent speaker and moderator at industry events. He is active in industry associations and advocacy efforts including as a past board member of Citizens For Health, past board member and president of Dietary Supplement Education Alliance, past board member of Natural Products Foundation, and current member of American Botanical Council Director’s Circle, member of American Herbal Products Association communications committee, member of Council for Responsible Nutrition communications and media outreach committee, and member of United Natural Products Alliance. He received the 2010 CRN Apple Award for Industry Service, the 2014 AHPA Visionary Award, the 2014 Natural Products Association Industry Champion Award, and the 2018 American Botanical Council "Mark Blumenthal" Community Builder Award. He serves as Chair of the board of trustees for Sonoran University of Health Sciences, an accredited 4- year medical school in Phoenix. Benninger received his journalism degree from Arizona State University in 1991.

Mark Blumenthal is the Founder and Executive Director of the American Botanical Council (ABC)—a leading, independent, research and educational nonprofit organization dedicated to disseminating accurate, reliable, and responsible information on herbs and medicinal plants, teas, essential oils, phytomedicines, beneficial plants, and edible and medicinal fungi. Blumenthal is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of HerbalGram, ABC’s international peer-reviewed quarterly journal. For six years, he served as an adjunct associate professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin, College of Pharmacy, teaching the course “Herbs and Phytomedicines in Today’s Pharmacy.” He is also the founder and director of the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program, a nonprofit international consortium committed to extensively researching and exposing adulteration and fraud in botanical ingredients sold in the global market. He is the senior editor of The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines, a 715-page reference book rated second of all medical books published in 1998. In 2010 he received the American Society of Pharmacognosy’s Varro E. Tyler Award and in 2018 he was named Outstanding International Ethnopharmacologist by the Indian Society for Ethnopharmacology. He has appeared on more than 400 radio and television shows and has written more than 500 articles, reviews, and book chapters and forewords for many publications. He was awarded Natural Health magazine’s Hall of Fame Award for “…opening America’s eye to the healing powers of herbs.” Frequently quoted in the media, for more than 48 years, he has been a leader in the global botanical and natural products community, promoting science-based herbal education and respect for scientific and clinical research, ethnobotanical traditions, sustainable and regenerative practices, and authenticity and transparency in the manufacture and marketing of herbs and phytomedicines.

Josef works at Traditional Medicinals, Inc. (Sebastopol, CA), a manufacturer of herbal medicinal products, where he has held positions including VP of R&D, VP of Sustainability, and presently as Research Fellow for Medicinal Plants and Botanical Supply Chain. He also serves as President of the American Botanical Council (ABC) Board of Trustees. Presently serving in his fourth 5-year term (since 2005) with the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), Josef is an elected member of the USP Botanical Dietary Supplements and Herbal Medicines Expert Committee (BDSHM-EC), and of the USP DSHM Nomenclature Joint Sub-Committee. Since 2006, he has also served the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) as an advisor on commercial sources & handling and international regulatory status for AHP monographs.

Dr. Gena Kadar is the founding dean of Sonoran University of Health Sciences’ College of Nutrition where she established and led the development of the online Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition degree program and the first of its kind, online Executive Master of Science in Nutrition Business Leadership.  She also conceived and led the creation of a bespoke Virtual Health Center Experience, as well as a self-paced, telehealth-based, online Supervised Practice Experience (SPE) Program for clinical nutritionists pursuing the Certified Nutrition Specialist® credential. As part of the SPE Program she launched the Virtual Center for Personalized Nutrition, the first university-based center dedicated to the remote delivery of evidence-based, personalized nutrition care at no cost to patients.

Over the past 20 years, Dr. Kadar has distinguished herself as a clinician, author, educator, bridge-builder, and innovator of practical and evidenced-based curricula and programs. She has served as a professor, an academic leader, and as a champion of evidence-based integrative medicine. She has presented her work around the world, been published in peer-reviewed journals and textbooks, developed a nutricosmetic product line, and led the development of clinical nutrition guidelines on obesity and cardiovascular health. She has also authored a book on nutrition and lifestyle medicine entitled, A Manner of Living.

She served four-terms as Faculty Senate President at Southern California University of Health Sciences, is a Member of the American Nutrition Association, the American Society for Nutrition, and the American College of Nutrition, and serves on several boards and councils including the Accreditation Council for Nutrition Professional Education (ACNPE).

Dr. Kadar has been recognized with awards for research, service, leadership, and teaching including a teaching award from the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine at UC Irvine School of Medicine. She is a graduate of University of New England, Southern California University of Health Sciences, and McGill University with additional studies completed at the University of Salamanca in Spain and the Sorbonne, University of Paris.

Paul Mittman, ND, EdD is President & CEO of Sonoran University of Health Sciences. He holds a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine from National College of Naturopathic Medicine, and a Doctor of Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania. He practiced naturopathic medicine for 25 years. His 1990 study on the use of Urtica dioica in the treatment of Allergic Rhinitis was the first randomized controlled trial on a botanical medicine published in a peer-reviewed journal (Planta Medica). Dr. Mittman received the American Association of Naturopathic Profession (AANP) President’s Award in 1990, was the Arizona Naturopathic Medical Association Physician of the Year in 2000, and the AANP Physician of the Year in 2007. Paul leads by example, follows a healthy diet and races as a master's 65+ cyclist.

Diana Morgan is VP, Global Regulatory Affairs for Nutrabolt, makers of C4®. She is passionate about the natural products industry and has served it for over 15 years, having held previous roles at Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, Care/of, The Vitamin Shoppe and Solgar Vitamin & Herb, a Nature’s Bounty company. In addition to Nutrabolt, Diana is founder of What's Up With Supps, which hosts Natural Products Industry networking events and podcasts.

In her role at Nutrabolt, Diana is heavily involved in almost every aspect of the business. She plays an instrumental role in new product innovation, guiding the Business on regulatory pathways, strategic claim positioning, safety and market intelligence. She also supports the
claims process from ideation to substantiation to approval and partners with Marketing to ensure communications positively impact the consumer while also being truthful and not misleading. In addition to physical product responsibilities, she monitors the regulatory and government landscape to determine business impact, providing comments to the Agency and lobbying on behalf of the industry.

Diana received her Master’s in Nutrition from University of Saint Joseph and BS in Nutrition, Food Science and Dietetics from Montclair State University in NJ. Her graduate research included conducting studies to understand consumer attitudes, knowledge and acceptance of non-GMO and gluten-free foods. She is also a Certified Sports Nutritionist (CISSN) from the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 

Dr. Guru Ramanathan is Managing Director and Board Member of Dutch Medical Food B.V. based in the Netherlands focused on design, development and distribution of Foods for Special Medical Purposes.

Dr. Ramanathan is an Adjunct Professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge Louisiana. He is also a founding Director and President of Brilliant Care Inc. based in New York focused on Population Health Management of Hypertension, Diabetes and Congestive Heart Failure.

Dr. Ramanathan currently serving on Corporate and Advisory Board’s for established and early stage companies in Global Food, Nutrition, Pharma, OTC, Digital Health and Primary Care Medicine industry sectors. He is very active in Nutrition Industry initiatives having been a founding member and current Chairman of the ‘Supplement Safety & Compliance Initiative’ (SSCI). He currently serves on CRN’s OWL Registry advisory board, the US Hemp Authority’s Board, as well as the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine’s Advisory Board.

Dr. Ramanathan is a globally recognized expert on Innovation Management and his advisory concentrations include Scientific Affairs, Regulatory Compliance, Quality Assurance and Control, Clinical Trials Design & Management, Technology Acquisition, Alliance Management, Product Development and Manufacturing in the Global Health and Wellness Industry.

Dr. Ramanathan’s industry experience spans Clinical care, Pharma, Consumer health, Animal health and the Retail sectors. His most recent appoint was with Pittsburgh based General Nutrition Corporation (GNC) as its Chief Innovation Officer, Senior Vice President and Member of the Executive Committee. Prior to that Dr. Ramanathan was a Senior Director for the US subsidiaries of Nutricia (Danone). Before this he was Medical Director for the US subsidiary of Scotia Pharmaceuticals. He has also held various industry consulting, research and teaching appointments in India and the US.

Dr. Ramanathan holds an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business focused on global business practices. He earned his Ph.D. from Tufts University in Healthcare Innovation Management.

Steven Shapiro has over 35 years of experience in food and drug regulatory matters and regularly counsels clients in the areas of food and drug law relating to the manufacture and marketing of foods, dietary supplements, over-the-counter drugs, and cosmetics. Among other services, he reviews product labels, ingredients, claims, and websites assists companies with bringing new products into the market.

A part of the Firm’s Health Services Practice Group, Steven concentrates on areas of interest to the natural products industry and spends much of his time advising companies on the intricacies of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), as they concern the marketing of dietary supplements.

Steven has also assisted clients in matters relating to enforcement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including handling FDA inspections, responding to Warning Letters, and injunctions and seizure actions. He is a contributor to many natural product industry trade magazines and a frequent lecturer on topics of concern to the natural products industry at various trade shows.

In addition, Steven has extensive experience in reviewing advertising and marketing materials, as well as representing companies in investigations initiated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the various state Attorneys General. He has also represented companies in matters arising from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s control of List I chemicals, and the U.S. Customs Service’s control of imports into the United States.

His litigation practice includes involvement in several cases concerning interpretations of the Food and Drug Act, including the Traco and Oakmont Black Currant oil cases, which have resulted in judicial precedents.

Steven has been appointed to the SCNM Master of Science in Nutrition Business Leadership Advisory Council, where he advises on the course content for the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine’s M.S. program.

The Health Services Practice Group has been listed in the prestigious Legal 500. The practice also has been included in the Chambers USA directory in the Healthcare category.

Dr. Kantha Shelke is a Certified Food Scientist and a Fellow of the Institute of Food
Technologists. She teaches food safety regulation at Johns Hopkins University and is Founder and Principal at Corvus Blue LLC, a food science and research firm that expedites development and commercialization of new food products and technologies with regulatory compliance, competitive intelligence and risk management in the food and nutrition sector. Dr. Shelke has helped develop and launch more than 100 food and supplement products that continue to be successful in the marketplace.

For three decades Suzanne Shelton has consistently championed the natural products industry, advocating best practices. She founded The Shelton Group, the oldest PR & marketing firm working exclusively in the dietary supplements and natural products industry, in 1990.   With deep expertise in this specialized sector, her approach goes far beyond traditional PR & marketing tactics, incorporating regulatory concerns, market sensibilities, and industry issues and best practices. Clients are international and domestic dietary supplement suppliers and brands that keep Suzanne on retainer for many years: she has worked with market-leading ingredient supplier Sabinsa, the venerated NOW brand, and the practitioner-quality herbal products company Herbalist & Alchemist for over 20 years, and with legendary Alkemist Labs since 2016, among others. What all those clients have in common is they are segment leaders demonstrating and advocating best practices, and Suzanne’s strategic participation is a common thread.

Suzanne’s board experience includes Citizens For Health, and the Natural Products Foundation. She is currently AHPA Communications Committee Chair. Suzanne came to the natural product industry after her first career in the music business; she keeps threatening to DJ her specialty, punk rock and new wave music, at an industry reception one day.

Pradeep Thaker led quality control, new product development, research & development, and formulation at Country Life Vitamins for nearly 25 years. Prior to that, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry in quality control and lab management. During his time at Country Life, the company won several awards for dietary supplements, including the NEXTY Award 3 years in a row, from 2019 to 2021. He has extensive knowledge about ingredient sourcing, product development, formulation, quality control systems, GMP compliance, and regulatory issues. Earlier this year, he co-authored the paper “Herb Stevia Rebaudiana’s Functionalities, Safety, and Applications: A Review” which was published in the journal Archives of Clinical and Biomedical Research. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Science College in Raipur, India. He speaks English, Gujarati, and Hindi.

Wellvest Capital is a contemporary Merchant Bank enabling health and wellness on a
global scale. We achieve this by investing in and providing strategic advisory services to companies creating healthy living products and services. Like our portfolio companies and clients, we take a holistic approach to creating stakeholder value.

David T. Thibodeau is Managing Director of Wellvest Capital. David is a seasoned corporate finance executive within the wellness industry with a successful history of entrepreneurship, corporate strategy, mergers & acquisitions and equity raising. He was an early player in the consumer health and wellness sector where he has developed a particular expertise over the last 25+ years. Prior to founding Wellvest Capital, David spent 10 years at the investment bank Canaccord Genuity (formerly Adams, Harkness and Hill), where he was responsible for the evolution of the firm’s Healthy Living practice into the broader and more robust Health, Wellness and Lifestyle sector. Over that time David was an advisor on many of the industry’s leading and transformative M&A transactions that have defined the evolution of the emerging wellness industry.

Marc S. Ullman, Esq., is of counsel at Rivkin Radler LLP. His practice focuses on FDA and FTC compliance, including labels, labeling, claims, substantiation and GMPs. He has represented clients in complex adversarial proceedings with FDA relating to the scope of the agency’s powers under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), and its ability to seek remedies such as consumer restitution. He also assists clients in managing FDA inspections, 483 and Warning Letter responses as well as providing counsel on general litigation related issues. Marc successfully guided the first self-GRAS review for stevia that allowed his client to legally import this herb as a sweetener and has assisted numerous other clients through the NDI process for dietary supplements.

Crystal Webber is a Registered Dietitian, Food Biochemist and Founder of Formulation Innovations Group (FIG). With more than 20 years of experience in the natural products industry and over 100 products launched in US and global markets, she loves supporting ingredient manufacturers and retail brands of all sizes in the creation of finished products with a focus on fortified gummy development. Webber served as an Informa JEDI advisory council member, holds multiple board positions for CPG companies in the natural products industry, and is Vice President of the Board for a 501(c)(3) non-profit LGBTQIA+ professional networking association, Naturally Proud Network. 

There is a relatively small segment of leaders in the business world; individuals who seem able to build relationships, trust, and rapport with almost anyone, and then are able to broker the relationships and make connections between people, creating partnerships and alliances, and motivating forward momentum to “get things done.”  Ori Amrami is one of those people, and he approaches each new business challenge with his intrinsic flair for innovation, creative problem-solving, and measured risk-taking to drive consistent bottom-line improvements and shareholder returns.

Ori’s career in Strategic Sourcing and Procurement spans 25 years and has impacted both the Dietary Supplements and the Food & Beverage business segments.  He started his career at Herbalife International, where he was promoted three times during his eleven-year tenure; culminating in a Director position.  Ori’s contributions centered on developing a diversified and dependable global supply base, establishing strategic sourcing capabilities at the Global Procurement group, and developing new product programs to meet market demands and help deepen market penetration.  His unique ability to drive improvements at both ends of the P&L brought $20 million in cost reductions and $100 million in increased revenues in just his first five years with the company.

Ori’s career took a major leap forward when Nestlé, the number one food company in the world, invited him to join their NBS (Nestlé Business Services) organization and manage the commercial relationship with contract manufacturers and Co-Packers for the Confections & Snacks division.  During his three years at Nestle Ori established a consistently dependable suppliers’ network while reducing costs and enabled - by finding and setting up new external manufacturing capabilities - the launch of a major confections brand.

Recognized as a high-potential manager, Ori’s career took
another leap forward when he was sought out by Unreal Brands, the “hottest”
start-up company in the better-for-you confections & snacks industry at the
time, to set up the Procurement Function and to ensure an unprecedented
national launch of its initial confection product line.  Faced with extremely tight deadlines and enormous supply challenges, Ori has created a supply base that delivered when it counted, ensuring that Unreal’s products were launched in over 20,000 mainstream stores in less than one year.

Following his stint with Unreal Brands, Ori created Sourcing
Alternatives, a company that specialized in helping its clients optimize their
supply base, drive innovation, and accelerate new product launches.  During that time Ori also engaged in article writing and public speaking; concentrating on how the Procurement function can increase its value to the organization.

Ori is currently the Procurement Manager at Guittard Chocolate - a San Francisco-based 5th generation family-owned high-end chocolate manufacturer – where he is responsible for raw materials, packaging components, and specific commodities. 

Katrina is an award-winning executive director and has successfully led and scaled multiple innovative nonprofits. She launched the M/O Fellowship, a 6-month program that accelerates diverse founders, which is now beginning its second year of success. As the ED at Naturally Network, she also founded the Women in CPG Summit, which became a national program in 2022. She is bringing in 18 years of experience and expertise in community building and engagement, program development, events, fundraising, and partnerships.   

Debi is a seasoned swiss army knife that has played integral roles in the success of CPG brands and programs. She was an early team member at BeatBox Beverages, helping to scale the company from 15 employees to 75 in her operations role. Through that relationship, she also supported the formation and launch of Naturally Austin, which brought her to her current role as Senior Director of Community Engagement at Naturally Network. She is bringing more than 25 years of nonprofit program, operations, and fundraising experience. She has a long history of fair trade advocacy, sales, and program implementation, and most notably has sat on Boards and held Executive Director positions at Ten Thousand Villages.