Joseph (Joe) Giildenzopf Email & Phone Number

Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

As a founder with over three decades of experience, I’ve built and scaled 13 businesses from the ground up, with four exits. I bring a wealth of knowledge in product strategy, growth dynamics, and financial modeling to provide actionable insights that drive success.- Advising CPG, B2B and DTC brands on effective growth strategies, financial planning, and sustainable scaling.- Providing expertise in capital raising and financial modeling for founder-led businesses.- Consulting on business development, product strategy, and market expansion tailored to the unique challenges of start-ups and growth-stage businesses.

Stepping back from day-to-day operations, as a board member, I continue to help guide the company’s strategic direction and ensure our commitment to innovation and excellence remains strong. The board, alongside our team, are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what in-bottle finished spirits can be.

Oak & Eden is a distinguished whiskey brand celebrated for its innovative approach to finishing whiskey. The company was founded by me, my brother James, and the world’s best storyteller, Brad Neathery. Our mission was to reinvent and elevate the finished spirits category through groundbreaking (patent protected) product development, strategic brand communication, and targeted consumer engagement.Under my leadership as CEO, we created a line of novel products and built a brand known for exceptional craftsmanship and product innovation, protected by 7 issued patents. We successfully implemented our vision introducing innovation to the Finished Whiskey space, all the while capturing market share and industry praise. Some of our notable accomplishments include...- Named #9 on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Company list in 2024.- Established over 15,000 POD’s and sold over 100,000 cases. - Product availability scaled to 37 states with retailers such as Spec’s, Total Wine & More, Walmart, Binny’s (Chicago), and Meijer’s. - Notable partnerships include Forrie J Smith from the hit TV Series Yellowstone, Jamestown Revival, and Penny & Sparrow. - Awarded over 31 Gold, Double Gold, or Platinum Level Awards.

West Monroe, Louisiana

Pine Valley Foods is a manufacturer of cookies and dough, cakes, and various other refrigerated bakery products. A leading supplier in the $4B product fundraising industry, we built and scaled this business on grit, humility, innovation and operational excellence. We transformed a hard day’s work and a customer’s smile into a success formula, helping our fundraising clients and groups raise over $500 million.Our mission was clear: start fresh every day, stick to our values, and provide exceptional products and streamlined processes. We aimed for excellence and led with a pioneering spirit.Highlights of my tenure include:- Scaled annual sales from $0 to $30M in 8 years- Created brands: Crazy About Cookies and Swiftlicious- Expanded our customer base to 500+ wholesale distributors- Achieved SQF Level 2 Food Safety Certification- Grew product line from 6 to over 500 SKUs- Developed industry-leading IT systems for operational efficiency

West Monroe, La.

Hammons Properties was dedicated to real estate development and management, specializing in single-use facilities and investment properties. We acquired and managed warehouses and manufacturing spaces, offering essential infrastructure for growing brands to scale their operations effectively.

Grapevine, Tx

Zencas revolutionized the product fundraising industry with a high-availability, cloud-based platform designed to create, distribute, and redeem fundraising gift cards. Our solution provided customizable micro-sites for fundraising organizations and product suppliers, ensuring brand integrity with minimal client effort.Highlights include:- Created and redeemed over 5,000,000 fundraising gift cards- Partnered with prominent organizations such as Future Farmers of America, Special Olympics, and Lions Club International.Zencas was sold to Pine Valley Foods, Inc. in 2014, further integrating our innovative technology into their operations.

West Monroe, La.

Polar Express Transport was born out of necessity when facing rising logistics and shipping costs at Pine Valley Foods. We became a national LTL and FL refrigerated freight carrier, licensed in 48 states, to tackle these challenges head-on.Our mission was to provide reliable and cost-effective refrigerated transport solutions, ensuring that perishable goods were handled with the utmost care and efficiency across the country.

West Monroe, La.

Chefco was a key player in the product fundraising industry, specializing in the distribution of perishable foods for clubs, schools, and various other organizations. We provided high-quality products that fueled popular fundraising campaigns across the United States. Our focus was on delivering top-notch perishable goods efficiently and reliably, helping organizations achieve their fundraising goals with ease.

After selling The Golden Bake Shop to Clearlake Bakery, Clearlake created a new subsidiary, Clearlake Specialty Products. The new division focused specifically on Grocery and Club Markets (Costco, Sams, etc.) I took on the role of Head of Sales and was responsible for expanding our presence within these markets.

The Golden Bake Shop was born on June 6, 1990, inspired by a cookie my wife made that I knew the world had to taste. After thoroughly analyzing the numbers and testing the market, I launched the company. In just three years, I scaled the business and successfully sold it to Clearlake Specialty Products, a new subsidiary of Clearlake Bakery.