About Us
Jak’s Natural Food Brokerage
We are a premier broker representing manufacturers in the conventional and natural class of trade with a wide variety of high-quality specialty goods, including natural and organic products.
Motivated by achievement with a passion for providing high-quality service.
We bring to our clients more than 20 years of experience, along with unparalleled knowledge of our business. From new product rollouts to line extensions
Through incentives, demos, advertising partnerships, and special events, we get products onto the shelves and give retailers the important tools they need to move them into the hands of consumers. Our clients trust us because we bring them success.
We provide strong programs for manufacturers seeking to reach distributors, as well as direct sales from manufacturers to retailers.
We Will Help You Every Step Of The Way
we work hard
FOR YOU
Our Mission Statement
We strive to be the best in the Specialty and Natural Food Brokerage while meeting the needs of our vendors, distributors, retailers, and consumers through innovative thinking. We are small and passionate about the brands we carry. Unlike large brokers, we stay small, so we can concentrate and give your brand the attention it deserves.
We bring to our clients more than 20 years of experience, along with unparalleled knowledge of our business. From new product rollouts to line extensions
Through incentives, demos, advertising partnerships, and special events, we get products onto the shelves and give retailers the important tools they need to move them into the hands of consumers. Our clients trust us because we bring them success.
We provide strong programs for manufacturers seeking to reach distributors, as well as direct sales from manufacturers to retailers.
Karen Baker
Owner, President, CEO
With over 20 years of experience in the Natural Products Industry, Karen has honed her natural skills as a salesperson and product promoter. Her extensive network of industry relationships enables her to push her client’s products toward winning outcomes. Her strong strategic mindset has served her clients profitably well.
While some of her abilities are innate, her industry-specific knowledge sets Karen apart. Her Natural Products Industry experience began in sales with Tazo Tea. During her time with Tazo, Karen was promoted to West Coast Sales Directory and quickly became the National Sales Director. Since her time with Tazo, Karen has expanded her achievements with many other manufacturers as Sales Director, covering the US and Canadian markets.
When Karen is not traveling the county promoting her client’s products, Karen resides in Superior, CO, where she enjoys hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, and yoga.
Carole Levine
Sales Support
I’m Carol Levine, and I have been passionate about the Natural Food Product Industry for the past ten years. Eating healthy has become an essential way of life for me. As a mom of two growing boys, I will stop at nothing to keep them focused, happy, and healthy. Having healthy snacks and food readily available to take skiing, on hikes, and to karate tournaments is something I take seriously. I truly believe we are what we eat! I am excited to work in an industry
that helps people make better choices without compromising flavor and ingredients.
Let’s work together and get your products on the shelf!
Eat! Live! Play!
Kirsten Barnocky
Operations
Kirsten has over 20 years of experience in operations, sales, and marketing in a range of industries including hospitality, technology and events. Her true great passion lies in celebrating a healthy lifestyle and playing in the outdoors.
Kirsten is thrilled to be a part of this exciting team.
Cathy Kukan
Sales Manager
Bringing over 30 years of meaningful experience in the CPG Industry, she is a results-driven leader in sales, category management, schematics and business development. She has a proven track record of growing national and regional accounts by leveraging data-driven insights, market trends, and industry relationships through customer nurturing.
Her expertise spans general merchandise and health & beauty care, where she has consistently delivered performance improvements and expanded market share for both established and emerging brands. She is well-known for her collaborative style and customer-first mindset.
Wake up, show up and engage life in a positive way. Be kind and touch people’s lives with care, you never know what happened in their day.
Michael Levine
Sales Manager
Born and raised on Long Island, Michael began his career in the Natural Products industry while attending The University of Arizona over 25 years ago. While simultaneously making changes in his personal life toward more natural living, Michael’s love and passion guided his career choices to stay within the industry. Over time, he has held positions within most aspects of the supply chain, including retail, manufacturing, distribution, food service, and brokerage. Since 2011, Michael has narrowed his focus to growing sales for brands in various Sales Management roles for startup and emerging companies. In his free time, Michael enjoys hiking, golf, disc golf, live music, and cooking. He resides in Boulder, CO with his partner, Alison, and stepson, Kai.
Lorraine Stallones
Sales Manager
Certified Herbalist, Broker, Rep, Trainer… Domestic and international Markets.
Lorraine is a seasoned expert with over 20 years of experience in the Natural Products Industry for food, supplements, HABA and household categories. Utilizing market trends, networking partners, and effective sales strategies to introduce and expand brands in this competitive landscape. Creating relationships and navigating the market to get your products on the shelf and in the hands of the consumers.
Steve Stallones
Sales Manager
Having been in the Natural Products industry for more than thirty years Steve brings a wide range of expertise and experience to Jak’s. Working with supplement companies large and small he has developed and built brands by formulating products, working with contract manufacturers, label creation and compliance, as well as other operations such as shipping and distribution logistics – to bring products to market. Further, his extensive sales experience is bottom to top including sales management, international business, and Head of Sales positions within the industry.
Steve brings to Jak’s the knowledge to help with small details such as label and ingredients acceptability all the way to the “thirty- thousand-foot view” of how to ultimately get your products into as many consumers’ homes as possible.
Jody Martin
Sales Manager
Having grown up in the restaurant industry, the daughter of an Italian born chef, Jody’s entire life has been built around good food and entertaining. Jody has held many executive level positions across many diverse global brands but her heart has always remained around food. Jody’s interest in maintaining a healthy lifestyle has driven her towards a daily ritual of finding new foods and recipes that impact her mental and physical well-being. Jody partakes in a two-hour walk every morning listening to music, taking photographs and taking in the natural beauty, claiming that this time is her daily therapy session. Jody lives in Westchester, NY.