Let's solve something real.

Fractional operations leadership for food businesses - manufacturing, product development, finance, and growth. Built from twenty years of hands-on work.

With steady attention and patient work, most problems in food operations are more solvable than they look.

Contact → zac@tovada.com

01 / Who we work with

Food brands finding the edges of their operation.

aManufacturers and CPG brands moving from early growth into more complex operations, or from concept to shelf
bFounders, executives, and investors who need senior operations support without a full-time hire
cTeams managing production, new product launches, or margin pressure
dCo-manufacturers looking for growth, and brands working with co-manufacturers
eOperators looking for a measured, more reliable way to run

02 / Common situations

Do any of these sound familiar?

i.Production output feels inconsistent, or harder than it should be.
ii.A new product is stuck between development and a full launch.
iii.Co-manufacturer relationships aren't delivering the way you'd hoped.
iv.Costs are rising, and the reason isn't obvious.
v.Growth opportunities are stalling for operational reasons.
vi.Systems exist, but aren't being followed or trusted.
vii.The team is spending too much time reacting.

03 / Where we focus

A nimble and modular team.

Engagements are scoped and tailored to the situation — short-term diagnostic, embedded, or ongoing fractional support. Here are a few sample engagements.

3.1

Fractional advisory & COO support

Serve as an operations partner to the founder or CEO
Bring senior judgment to the decisions that matter most
Steady the business through growth, transitions, or pressure

3.2

Manufacturing operations

Improve throughput, consistency, and cost
Find where processes break down, and put them right
Select, stabilize, or reset co-manufacturer relationships when it's time

3.3

New product development & commercialization

Move products from concept through pilot to full launch
Bridge R&D, operations, and commercial so launches actually land
Scale cleanly from the first run to ongoing production

3.4

Business development

Pursue growth the operation can support
Shape pricing, contracts, channels, and customer relationships with operational reality in mind
Strengthen the link between what's sold and what's delivered

03.5 / Also supported

Non-food industry consultation

—Translate your vision, mission, and values to the financial picture
—Practice radical honesty early to challenge your business thesis and strategy

04 / Background

Twenty years.
One core discipline.

Food manufacturing and operations, end to end.

20+yrs

In food manufacturing & operations

$10M+

Mfg business owned & operated

P&L

Full responsibility and accountability

Both

Emerging brands & established teams

01Led by the former owner and operator of an 8-figure food manufacturing business, along with 3 food brands
02Experience across production, supply chain, finance, legal, investor relations, product launches, sales & marketing, and more
03Prior work with both emerging brands and established teams
04Hands-on, patient, and execution-focused

05 / How we work

Look carefully. Prioritize. Then move decisively.

Most engagements start with a careful look at where things are actually breaking down — not where it's easiest to point.

From there, we focus on the work that will make the biggest difference, and move through it together, one step at a time.

Short-term diagnostic / ongoing support

Project-based / embedded / fractional

Focused on execution, not recommendations

06 / A few observations

Patterns we've come to trust.

Most operational issues come down to honesty, process clarity and consistency.

Business is messy. Scaling without structure tends to create avoidable problems.

Product launches that skip operational preparation rarely hold.

The right manufacturing partner matters more than most expect.

Small inefficiencies grow quickly when left alone.

07 / Get in touch

Send a note. We'll tell you honestly if we can help.

If we can't help, we'll tell you that too.