VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada – Billy Goat Brands Ltd., a venture capital platform focused on identifying, sponsoring and incubating environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) focused companies in the ocean economy, is pleased to announce that it has appointed six individuals into senior management roles within its wholly owned portfolio business, FunGuys Beverages (“FunGuys” or “Portfolio Business”).
The appointments are expected to accelerate bringing FunGuys’ KOLD line of cold-brew coffee beverages to market as the Portfolio Business is planning for production to begin in the first half of 2022. Headquartered in British Columbia, FunGuys is a sustainable cold-brew coffee manufacturer and distributor that infuses its products with organic mushroom varieties including Chaga and Lion’s Mane.
In order to optimize the effectiveness of FunGuys’ go-to-market strategy, the following six individuals have been appointed to its senior management team in various capacities:
Zaki Mohammed, President
Zaki Mohammed brings over 10 years of international experience managing the corporate activities of various companies in real estate, hospitality, cannabis, and plant-based technology sectors. Mr. Mohammed is currently the Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Secretary of the Tony Harris Group of Companies. Additionally, Mr. Mohammed is a member of the Board of Directors of the Tom Harris Community Foundation. Zaki will dedicate his focus to the strategic delivery of the Portfolio Business’ vision of KOLD becoming the leading sustainable mushroom-infused cold brew coffee on the market, including streamlining manufacturing and production to ensure that a high-level of operational efficiency is met from initial concept to end product.
Strother Simpson, VP Research and Development
Strother Simpson is a coffee expert who brings over 30 years of experience in revolutionizing the cold-brew coffee market, including the development and formulations of cold-brew coffee recipes. Mr. Simpson has been a driving force of innovation in the industry and has created a patented process that extends cold-brew coffee’s shelf life. Further, Mr. Simpson is the Founder and Chief Food Scientist of Brew N Bottle, working with various well-known coffee producers to develop new products including the likes of Arizona Tea, Hershey, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Wendy’s, Seattle’s Best and Whole Foods Market. FunGuys plans to leverage Mr. Simpson’s expertise to bring the KOLD line of beverages to the forefront of the sustainable cold-brew coffee market as a leading innovator in mushroom-infused beverages.
Lucas Russell, VP Sales
Lucas Russell is an expert in driving growth in private and public companies, having spent over a decade leading highly successful teams and financing initiatives in the consumer-packaged goods sector. Mr. Russell has forged long-lasting partnerships that have led to the development of successful online retail strategies with several well-known companies. Currently, Mr. Russell serves as the CEO of Valdor Technologies International, where he oversees the strategic direction and implementation of new business processes. With over a decade of retail and sales experience, Mr. Russell will be responsible for driving FunGuys’ revenue growth and expanding its retail channels for the KOLD line of beverages across North America.
Paul Marr, Marketing Advisor
Paul Marr is an award-winning executive creative director and has held various positions with well-known retail, hospitality and telecommunications companies. Mr. Marr will act in a consulting capacity regarding the advancement of FunGuys’ marketing initiatives and seeking retail-channel opportunities for FunGuys. Currently, Mr. Marr is the head of Marketing and Communications at EA Sports. With Mr. Marr’s extensive marketing experience, he is strongly aligned with the strategic objective of bringing the KOLD line of mushroom-infused cold-brew beverages to the North American market, through the development of its e-commerce website as well as the manufacturing and production of the KOLD beverages.
David Jackson, Branding Advisor
David Jackson is a highly regarded brand marketeer. His experience is comprised of globally visible public and private sector advertising, focused on various industries including entertainment, consumer packaged goods and financial services. Mr. Jackson is a VP of Brand at Electronic Arts where he oversees a multi-billion-dollar sports simulation portfolio for a licensed sports gaming franchise. Acting in a consulting capacity, Mr. Jackson’s expertise in sponsorships and partnerships will further accelerate the connection between KOLD and LOOP to leverage sustainable business practices and eco-friendly packaging solutions.
Asghar Khan, Strategy Advisor
Asghar Khan has extensive experience working with public and private enterprises, while driving long-term shareholder value creation. Additionally, Mr. Khan is part of GOAT’s Investment Committee and helped ensure that the Company’s portfolio of investments follow an ESG-focused approach while being positioned to generate strong returns for investors. He has served as Regional Head of Strategy and Business Development for PepsiCo Asia Pacific, driving strategy and M&A activity of an international multi-million dollar portfolio across Asia Pacific. Prior thereto, Asghar held a senior finance position at Rogers Communications Inc. and PwC. Mr. Khan served on the boards of various MNC’s in Asia Pacific and is a member of CIMA Australia. He obtained a Bachelor’s Degree from Albright College, an MBA from Lerner School of Business, University of Delaware, and a Master’s Degree in Finance from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.
Through the appointments, FunGuys is focused on strengthening its operations, distribution and marketing efforts. The Portfolio Business continues to enhance its KOLD-line of beverages through various value-added opportunities including but not limited to:
- Securing a manufacturing and distribution agreement in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas;
- Placing a large order of bottles for KOLD’s first production run;
- Completing the initial phase of its bottle testing program in partnership with LOOP; and
- Advancing its e-commerce store, including fulfillment by third-party logistics providers.
