Willow Growth Partners

Willow Growth Partners Research Investment Thesis Willow Growth Partners is an emerging growth fund providing early institutional capital to entrepreneurs building next-generation, values-led consumer brands. The firm believes that today's most successful consumer companies are rooted in authentic founder stories, strong unit economics, and alignment with cultural shifts toward healthier, more transparent, and more sustainable products. Willow invests at the critical first institutional round where they can be most helpful through operational expertise, talent recruitment, and board support. Sector Focus Willow Growth Partners invests exclusively in consumer brands across four primary categories: Beauty & Personal Care - Research-backed skincare, haircare, grooming, and cosmetics brands (Bubble, Dae, Kosas, Jupiter, YSE, Uoma Beauty) Food & Beverage - Premium, nutrition-focused food brands with strong margins (Goodles, De Soi, Jesse & Ben's) Health & Wellness - Doctor-made vitamins, supplements, and wellness products for specific life stages (Perelel, Manscaped, KilgourMD, Feals) Baby, Home & Pet - Premium products for families and pet owners (Coterie, Lalo, Maev, TomboyX) They explicitly avoid mainstream consumer goods and focus on "conscientious consumer" brands that prioritize quality, sustainability, and authenticity. Stage Focus Willow specializes in emerging growth stage - the critical first institutional capital round: Revenue Stage : Brands with $2M-$5M in trailing twelve-month (TTM) revenue Proven Traction : Demonstrable product-market fit with repeat purchasing and engaged communities Pre-Institutional : Companies that have not yet received institutional VC funding Follow-on Reserves : Willow maintains reserve capital for follow-on rounds in successful portfolio companies Check Size & Investment Strategy Typical Initial Check : $2M-$4M for first institutional round Investment Approach : Willow leads the first institutional round (not a follower) Will occasionally take a participating check with a strong, aligned lead investor Maintains 50%+ reserve capital for follow-on financing Disciplined approach to valuation and capitalization for long-term profitability Key Principle : Values rational capital structure and capital efficiency over aggressive growth at all costs. They seek quick paths to profitability through strong margins and unit economics. Team Deborah Benton, Founder & Managing Partner - 20+ years in consumer operations including President & COO of Nasty Gal, COO of ShoeDazzle, EVP Inside Sales & Operations at Teleflora, management consultant at eToys. MBA and BA (Health) from Queen's University. Amanda Schutzbank, Co-Founder & General Partner - Consumer venture investor at Amplify and Primary Venture Partners, VP Marketing at Karma (consumer hardware), Techstars New York Associate, Investment Banker at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. BS Finance and Marketing from Wharton School of Business. John Cochran, Operating Partner - 20+ years consumer goods operations including CEO roles at Hollandia Produce, Ole Smoky Distillery, Pabst Brewing Company. Leadership experience at FIJI Water, Justin Winery, Neptune Shipping. Prior: McKinsey management consultant, GE P&L leadership. MBA and Masters of Architecture from University of Michigan. Silvia Mazzucchelli, Operating Partner - 25+ years consumer, retail, e-commerce experience. CEO of Coyuchi and The Collected Group. Senior roles at TOMS, American Apparel, ModCloth. Board member: VTEX (NYSE), TOMS. Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group. MBA from UCLA Anderson. Recent Activity Recent Investments (2025) : KilgourMD: Led $5M funding round (scalp health, menopausal hair loss) Coterie: Acquired by Mammoth Brands for potential $1B+ valuation (October 2025) YSE Beauty: Series A investment with L Catterton and Silas Capital Jesse & Ben's: Major retail expansion to Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme, Sprouts (August 2025) Jupiter: Series A funding with expanded retail Notable Exits & Achievements : Coterie: Acquired for potential $1B+ valuation - disrupted premium diaper market Goodles: Featured in WSJ on disrupting Kraft Heinz's mac & cheese dominance Bubble: Leighton Meester global ambassador - leading DTC skincare De Soi: Katy Perry co-founder; expanded to 28 new markets via Southern Glazer's Perelel: Acquired LOOM women's health platform; expanding in femtech Maev: Fastest-growing pet brand in US; launched on Chewy Fund Status : Inaugural $28M fund (2021) oversubscribed. Currently actively deploying. Portfolio of 33+ consumer brands. 75% of investments have female or minority founders. Investment Decision Process Philosophy : Founder-first approach - view every investment as true partnership. Values-led investing where brands align with conscious consumer trends. "Always on, always there" - partners are founders' first call. Key Selection Criteria : Authentic founder and compelling brand story Strong fundamentals - sustainable unit economics and margins Defensible differentiation - clear positioning and competitive moat Supporting cultural shifts - wellness, transparency, sustainability Exceptional execution team with relevant experience Operational Support Beyond capital, Willow provides: CEO-level operating expertise (20+ years across team) Talent recruitment (deep consumer networks) Capital raising strategy and Series A planning Active board support and guidance Sector expertise in beauty, food/bev, health/wellness, baby/home Retail and distribution connections Geographic Focus Primary headquarters in Malibu, California, but nationally active with recent expansion activity across all US markets. Values & Culture Honesty & Transparency (no matter what) Always On, Always There (founders' first call) Empathetic Partnership ("we know it's hard, we've been there")