
Jason Cohen
FOUNDER & CO-CEO
Jason Cohen, Founder/Co-CEO, grew up in Northern NJ and attended the University of Maryland at College Park where he earned a BS in Marketing and Minor Finance.
In 1999 Jason founded Mamma Says, a food manufacturing company that produced biscotti and cookies in a plant he built in upstate NY with the money he saved from his insurance sales. Working insurance by night and plant by day, within a few years, the company was able to establish a national brand where Jason partnered with Kellogg’s to grow the brand even further.
In 2005, the business was sold to NONNIS Inc., a portfolio brand of Windpoint Partners for 4x revenue.
In 2005, Jason co-founded World Gourmet Marketing, creating better-for-you snacks under the flagship brand Sensible Portions, which included snacks such as nationally recognized Veggie Straws. Under his management, the company achieved double-digit growth and became one of the fastest rising snack food industry purveyors. The company grew to just under $100MM in 4yrs.
In 2010, Sensible Portions brand sold for $210MM to The Hain Celestial Group, one of the leading providers of organic and natural foods. While at Hain Celestial, Jason served as President of the Club and Snack Division.
In 2011, Jason founded Rickland Orchards, the first shelf stable Greek yogurt brand. In October 2013, after sales soared to $50 million in just 18 months, the company was sold for $57.5 million to B&G Foods, a public company.
In 2013, Jason partnered with the founders of SkinnyPop Popcorn an early stage better for you play on popcorn.
In 2014, Jason received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Excellence in Emerging category in the New Jersey region.
In 2015 after enormous success SkinnyPop went public for 1.4 billion in shareholder value through Goldman Sachs and was recently acquired by Hershey’s.
In January 2015, Jason co-founded Halen Brands, Inc., which quickly funded Chef’s Cut Real Jerky a premium jerky brand in March 2015. In July 2015 Halen Brands, Inc. partnered with Core and most recently acquired OWYN. Which stands for ONLY WHAT YOU NEED. A simple clean approach to plant-based protein without compromising taste or style.
In 2015 Jason and his wife Jamie created an Entrepreneurship Endowment at the University of Maryland to assist the Dingman Center of Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland.
In 2017 Jason was nominated to the University of MD Smith School Advisory Board and Mass Eye & Ear Advisory Board. In addition, Jason set up a foundation for Traumatic Brain Injury & Concussion Research at the University of Miami in 2017.
In 2018 Halen Brands created Real Food From The Ground Up, a new innovative snack food company developed behind vegetables utilizing snack food products under a healthy vegan plant-based umbrella.
In 2019 Jason was nominated to the University of Maryland board of trustees for the entire school.
Jason currently resides in Northern NJ with his wife Jamie and two beautiful daughters Jordan and Hailey.