Breakout Breakfast with Koel Thomae
Join Yahoo Finance reporter Melody Hahm as she brings you up-close and intimate conversations with today's young, stand-out stars in the business world. Breakout Breakfast is an opportunity to learn more about the professional and personal journeys of entrepreneurs who are leading some of the world's most dynamic companies. Koel Thomae is the co-founder of Noosa yoghurt, a company she founded in 2009. A passion for good food has always driven Koel's life. After college, the Aussie expat settled in Boulder, CO and dabbled in different industries from IT to non-profits. Koel began her natural foods career in 2004 as supply chain coordinator and later manager on the operations team at IZZE Beverage Company, a position she held through PepsiCo's 2006 acquisition of the company. Noosa started out from humble beginnings, with Koel and Robert Graves making yoghurt in small batches and selling just four flavors at local farmer’s markets and Colorado Whole Foods stores. Today, Noosa is sold in 25,000+ stores nationwide and Koel continues to be instrumental in the brand’s growth. Named among the “Top Women in Grocery” by Progressive Grocer and “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Colorado BizMag, Koel is also a passionate member of the thriving natural foods community in Boulder, CO, where she acts as a mentor to young food entrepreneurs in the early start-up phase.
