Michael Bush
Co-founded GrowthWays Partners to provide strategic advisory services to investors, management teams, and related stakeholders to optimize the enterprise value of companies in the natural products industry.
Mike has more than 25 years of experience leading venture-backed businesses in the natural products, healthcare, and bioinformatics industries. As president and CEO of probiotic innovator Ganeden, Michael grew the market of the company’s patented ingredient to over 65 countries and more than 1,000 SKUS, culminating with the 2017 merger with Kerry, Inc. Additionally, he founded a national business growth consultancy firm, co-founded a national biomedical services firm and led acquisitions and merger activities for a global medical services company.
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He has participated in raising over $200 million in growth capital and has participated in dozens of M&A transactions including the successful exits worth over $325 million. He has received numerous awards for his business leadership, including Crain’s Cleveland Business 40 Most Influential People Under 40, four-time Weatherhead 100 winner as well as multiple innovation awards.
Michael is a board member for several for and not-for-profit organizations. Michael is passionate about the natural products industry and speaks frequently at industry events including BevNet, Natural Products Expo and Supply Side. He holds degrees in Biomedical Technology and Business Administration.
Anna Soref
Co-founded GrowthWays and has worked in the natural products industry for more than 20 years as a journalist, consultant and content expert. She served as Editor-in-Chief of Natural Foods Merchandiser magazine, the leading B-to-B publication serving natural products retailers and the official publication of Natural Products Expo West and East.
She has worked as a branding and strategy consultant with numerous companies including LEK Consulting, Danone’s White Wave division, Ganeden, New Hope Natural Media, Aeroscena, Credible Cravings and Think Media.
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Most recently Anna worked as Director of Content for Natural Vitality, guiding its unique content marketing platform through a rebranding from Organic Connections to Calmful Living, a digital-first media outlet with robust social channels, bi-weekly newsletters, and eBooks. She spearheaded and managed a content syndication program that featured Calmful Living’scontent on numerous websites including Better Nutrition, Delicious Living, and Taste for Life,increasing readership to more than 1 million people. Her robust content program added value to the supplement company during its 2017 sale to Nutranext. Additionally, Anna was the content producer for probiotic ingredient company Ganeden when it sold to Kerry, Inc., in 2017.
Anna has been a contributing writer for numerous trade and consumer natural health publications including Yoga Journal, Vegetarian Times, Whole Living, Tea Magazine, Herb Quarterly, Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals and Nutrition Science News. She was the Senior Editor at Herb Quarterly for four years.
Anna is a frequent speaker at industry events including the Natural Products Association’s Natural MarketPlace, HBA Global Expo, LOHAS, International Probiotic Association’s World Congress, SupplySide West and Natural Products Expo West and East.
On a personal note…
Anna and Mike are the co-captains of a busy blended family with these three. Travel tops their list of favorite activities. Time together at home means hitting the gym or yoga studio and lively discussions over good food. The fivesome’s achilles heel may be undue sarcasm but their modus operandi— fun, more than makes up for it.