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Individually we make a choice. Together we make a difference.
ROOTED IN PURPOSE
We believe medicinal herbs hold the power to create change.
In any great story, chance plays a vital role. In the late 60s, the stars aligned when herbalist Rosemary Gladstar met community activist and environmentalist Drake Sadler. Entrenched in the spirit of the age, and their pursuit of healthful alternatives to the mainstream — lifestyle, natural foods, and herbal remedies — they planted the seeds for their shared vision of a new kind of herbalism. In 1974, they founded Traditional Medicinals. Nearly fifty years later, we’re going strong — partnering with suppliers and sourcing communities around the world to bring the best ingredients to our products and to you.
Traditional Medicinals has always been a company rooted in purpose. Working with our partners, suppliers, and sourcing communities, we want to create a positive impact on the world. As a certified B Corp and a registered California benefit corporation we continue to improve our partner-centered, people-first approach to produce an engaged, vibrant community that enhances the well-being for everyone we work with.
Our Leadership Team
From the earliest days of Traditional Medicinals, we’ve been driven by a vision that doesn’t settle for status quo, that isn’t content with growth alone, that prioritizes people, product, and planet over profit.
Our Leadership Team
Joe Stanziano
Chief Executive OfficerIn his new role as CEO of Traditional Medicinals, Stanziano will uphold the mission and values of the 50-year-old company and Certified B Corp that serves consumers high-quality medicinal teas and lozenges. Stanziano will lead a strategic and intentional growth plan that both advances Traditional Medicinals’ position as the leader in herbal wellness and elevates the company’s purpose to create a positive impact and to prioritize people, products, and the planet over profit.
Throughout his tenured career at Smucker’s, Stanziano saw the Fortune 500 company’s revenue grow from $500 million to $10 billion, overseeing the largest business division. Having worked in various sectors including coffee, peanut butter, and consumer foods, Stanziano most recently served as Senior Vice President & General Manager of the Coffee division for six years, including well-known brands like Smucker’s, Dunkin’, Jif, Pillsbury, and more. Stanziano led manufacturing, marketing, operations, research & development, and supply chain for several brands.
Along with his extensive knowledge and passion for consumer-packaged goods, Stanziano inspired a spirit of continuous innovation at Smucker’s. Given the complexity of the coffee supply chain, Smucker’s developed a three-pronged strategy for coffee sustainability built around responsible sourcing, smallholder support and integrated environmental efforts including capacity building, climate change adaptation, farm management, farmer training, financing and gender equality. Prior to overseeing the coffee category, Joe held leadership roles for Smucker’s across operations and purchasing, as well as overseeing marketing and advertising activities for leading brands across major categories.
Joe earned a bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University and an MBA from Kent State University. He currently serves on the Board of Directors at Ocean Mist Farms fresh produce.
Scott Bowman
Chief Financial OfficerScott is responsible for the accounting, finance and IT functions of the organization and for leading and developing Traditional Medicinal’s financial strategy.
Before joining Traditional Medicinals, Scott played a key role in growing Dave's Killer Bread from a $20 million, family-owned business in three states to a $200 million, PE-backed company operating nationwide. This transformation, achieved over five years, included establishing robust accounting and IT functions to ensure compliance with food laws and regulations, resulting in two unqualified audits. Scott holds an MBA from Goizueta Business School at Emory University. He believes in encouraging humanity in the workplace and advocates for regenerative agriculture as a necessity and ethical imperative. He believes that plants are medicine and upholds the responsibility food and beverage companies have towards both growers and the land.
Originally from Montgomery, Alabama, where his grandfather owned a 300-acre farm, Scott enjoys exploring new cities, playing guitar, drawing, and solving Rubik's Cubes (in about 4 minutes). He once had the chance to meet the Dalai Lama, an experience he thought was pretty cool.
Taryn Forrelli, ND
Chief Science OfficerTaryn Forrelli, ND, is the Chief Science Officer at Traditional Medicinals, where she oversees the Innovation, Research and Development, and Quality teams. As a member of the executive leadership team, she helps define the company’s strategy and collaborates with department leaders to execute it, ensuring alignment with the organization’s goals and objectives. She is deeply inspired by TM's purpose, which aligns with her life mission of awakening people to the wonders and intelligence of plants and partnering with them to heal ourselves, our communities, and the planet.
Taryn holds a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree from Sonoran University of Health Sciences, and her values include honesty, humility, optimism, innovation, creativity, and connectedness. With over 20 years of experience as a naturopathic physician and a passion for herbal medicine, she has created dozens of natural products that connect people with plants. She feels honored to be part of a company that is recognized across the industry as having uncompromising quality, efficacy, and fair, ethical, and sustainable sourcing practices.
Outside of work, she loves spending time in nature, connecting with plants, elements, and other beings. Nature exploration helps her feel alive and in tune with her intuition, offering opportunities to observe the cycles of life and learn about herself. Cooking is another lifelong passion, central to her creativity and connection to plants, where she explores making mealtime a magical intersection of medicine and delight.
Dale Gelinas
Chief Customer OfficerDale Gelinas is the Chief Customer Officer at Traditional Medicinals, where he leads and advances strategic global sales efforts. A customer-centric champion, Dale focuses on working closely with cross-functional partners to continually improve the company's capabilities in service models, supply chain, and customer activation. He ensures the Sales organization is prepared to successfully launch products in new segments and categories with a profitable path to sustainable business.
Dale's achievements include helping Traditional Medicinals achieve the #2 brand rank in US Bagged Tea and #3 in Canadian Bagged Tea categories, and transitioning Canada to a company-led Sales team. He initiated a strategic brand refresh and US package alignment project in Canada and was instrumental in establishing the Sales Strategy & Planning center of excellence within the Sales function.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from the University of Calgary. He values integrity, respect, collaboration, and inspiration, and holds the foundational belief that partnering with key stakeholders and being customer-centric builds lasting relationships and is essential to delivering long-term growth and performance.
Outside of work, Dale enjoys vacationing with his family, walking the family dog, attending live music events, watching sports, and gardening.
Jamie Horst
Chief Purpose OfficerJamie Horst is the Chief Purpose Officer at Traditional Medicinals, where she oversees all environmental and social strategies. Her role includes managing the impact generated by the company’s activities and outreach to communities across the 40 countries in Traditional Medicinal’s supply chain. Additionally, Jamie leads the human resources function, recognizing that people are central to the business model and purpose attainment. She is also responsible for overseeing the company’s activation of Purpose, Mission, Vision, and Values, and is the Executive Director of the Traditional Medicinals Foundation. With broad expertise in all things corporate responsibility, Jamie has built and led world class programs for companies with 100,000+ employees to privately held B Corps, with impact areas spanning financial literacy and inclusion, STEM education, workforce development, environmental regeneration and resilience, oncology support, and rural agricultural development.
Jamie welcomes the opportunity to share her expertise, having been featured in Forbes, Newsweek, BBC, CBS, university lectures and a case study, and more. She was honored with multiple invitations to the White House in recognition of pro-bono service and cross-sectoral leadership.
With a passion for travel, Jamie believes that exposure fosters a broader perspective, deeper compassion, and greater curiosity. Whether through personal adventures or sharing tea with people in Traditional Medicinal’s source communities around the world, she always leaves humbled and hopeful.
She embraces the mantra "We are all needed," reflecting her dedication to working on systemic challenges alongside those committed to better outcomes for all. Jamie holds an MS in Sustainability from the University of Vermont and an MBA from the University of British Columbia. Her commitment to sustainability and leadership is further demonstrated by her recognition as a Presidio Fellow in Cross Sector Leadership and receiving the President's Volunteer Service Award.
Outside of work, Jamie enjoys outdoor adventures such as skiing, climbing, backpacking, and camping. At home, she is often found gardening, cooking, studying holistic health modalities, deepening relationships with her friends, neighbors and their pets, or journaling her observations on life.
Jeremy Johnson
General Counsel & Corporate SecretaryJeremy joined Traditional Medicinals in 2011 and was promoted to General Counsel in April 2022.
Prior to joining the company, Jeremy worked at several law firms in areas related to intellectual property and consumer products litigation. He then realized his skills could be better used towards a purpose driven company, helping it grow and flourish.
Jeremy earned his BA in Spanish Linguistics from UC Irvine, his MBA from UC Berkely Haas School of Business, and his JD from Tulane University Law School.
In his spare time, Jeremy enjoys working out, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Dale J. Perrott
Chief Operations OfficerDale Perrott is the Chief Operations Officer at Traditional Medicinals, overseeing production, planning, sourcing, distribution, and customer service functions. Dale is responsible for maintaining the supply of the company's cornerstone element: the highest quality medicinal herbs. These herbs must meet stringent requirements for being organic, pharmacopeia quality (efficacy-forward), and sourced through Fair-for-Life, FairWild, or FairTrade certified sources.
With a background deeply rooted in operating adaptable supply chains, Dale has a distinguished track record of pioneering leading-edge techniques and technologies. He led efforts to introduce US products into Mexico and South American markets early in his career. He collaborated with leading scientists, including Nobel laureates, to apply predictive mathematics from the Santa Fe Institute to business challenges, laying the groundwork for what would become AI. His innovative work led to a provisional patent and the development of algorithms acquired by SAP.
Drawn to Traditional Medicinals by its commitment to quality and fair trade, Dale finds fulfillment in contributing to the company's purpose and navigating the complexities of its supply chain. His core values include social and professional integrity, honesty, and fairness, all underpinned by kindness. He is known for building strong internal and external customer relationships and fostering high-performing teams. His leadership and innovative approaches have earned him notable recognition, including contributing to Starbucks' supply chain being ranked among Gartner's Top 10. Dale also serves on the Board of Directors for FairWild, an organization building a world where biodiversity, people, and business thrive in harmony through sustainable wild harvesting.
Dale holds an International Business-Logistics Executive Program certification from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His work experience and awards reflect his expertise and commitment to excellence in the field, including his pivotal role in developing programs and internships at major institutions such as the University of Washington, San Diego University, University of Maryland, Massachusetts Insitute of Technology, Arizona State University, and for Navy externships.
Outside of work, Dale is passionate about mentoring and supporting the next generation of supply chain professionals. He enjoys traveling, hiking, and indulging his interests in home improvement as a novice architect, engineer, and general handyman. Dale's favorite tea is Lemon Ginger.
Brew Tea with A Purpose
Watch NowRooted in Wellness
The early days of Traditional Medicinals first took root in a small herb shop alongside the winding Russian River surrounded by towering redwoods in Sonoma County, CA.Â
Rosemary Gladstar, now a renowned herbalist in her own right, was blending our original herbal formulas for Throat Coat, Mother’s Milk, and Smooth Move in her home to give out to friends and family. Drake Sadler, a young activist, saw the need in the community for accessible herbal wellness and together the first seeds were planted.
Pioneering Organic
We source organic, because we believe in the positive impacts it has on environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and overall ecosystem health.Â
Beginning in 1980, we were the first U.S. manufacturer to market a range of organically and domestically grown herbal products. These products were primarily sourced from our long-term partner Trout Lake Farm in Washington - one of the first organic farmers of medicinal plants who we still source from today.
The Power of Plant Science
Led by the art and science of long-held plant knowledge, we also recognized the importance of scientific rigor. In 1982, we established our first in-house lab. We began documenting our formulations and systemizing our product quality processes.
From the wild to the field, the spirit of herbalism and powerful plant science are rooted in all we do.
Playing Fair: Supporting Farmers and Collectors
As we continued to grow as a company, so did our relationships in our sourcing communities. As our founder Drake traveled to sourcing communities, he saw the economic disparity in rural areas for farmers and collectors. Â
To ensure that we continued to have access to quality herbs that met our high standards, while also supporting the wellbeing of our farmers and collectors, we began exploring fair trade certified herbs.Â
These certification provides traceability and pays farmers and collectors premiums in addition to fair market value prices for their quality herbs.
For the Love of Pandas, Berries, and Tea
In 2004, we began a long and incredibly meaningful journey while searching for a sustainable source of schisandra for our EveryDay Detox® tea.Â
Schisandra berries share habitat with the endangered, giant panda bear, which needs a balanced ecosystem to survive. Fifteen years later our collaborative resulted in the world’s first panda-friendly certification. Sustainable harvesting practices now protect the biodiversity of the region, allowing both schisandra berries and pandas to thrive.
We are proud to be the world’s first company to feature Giant Panda Friendly-certified products and honored to have our EveryDay Detox® tea as a history-making product.
Partnering for Equity
As we continued to support communities through certifications like Fair Trade and FairWild, we also saw specific needs in our sourcing communities that weren't being met. The Traditional Medicinals Foundation was formed with a mission of focusing on supporting community led initiatives in our source communities around the world.Â
Together with farmers, collectors, and their families the Foundation worked to address fundamental issues of food and water security, healthcare, education, and women’s empowerment.
Holding Ourselves Accountable
In 2010, we became one of the first natural products companies to receive a B Corp certification.Â
As a certified B Corporation our company’s overall environmental and social performance is measured and independently verified by B Lab. Choosing this third-party verification gives us the best chance for transparency and reinforces our commitment to business as a force for good.Â
Since then, many other natural food and beverage companies have joined the movement and gained B Corp certification. We are honored to have been a part of this by showing the value of investing in equitable and sustainable business.
Tending our Roots
We approach taking care of our team and local community with the same level of passion as we do for our source communities. We are all connected and working together towards our greater purpose of healing and protecting the natural relationship between plants, people, and the planet.
In 2020, as an organization, we voted to partner with five incredible Sonoma County-based nonprofit organizations. These organizations are involved with increasing food security and access to medicinal herbs through funding and engagement activities like gardening. Each of these partners receives a yearly grant and creates unique opportunities for our team to volunteer and connect back to their community.
Looking to the Future
Today, we are still a company rooted in purpose. We are an independent, botanical wellness company that embraces sustainability, ingredient purity, and social and environmental activism.
We are continually looking for ways to increase these efforts. We are setting a Science Based Targets initiative, the gold standard for ambitious emissions goal setting. This effort deepens our relationships within our source communities and continues to nurture the vital connection between herbs and humanity.
Drake Sadler
Chair, Board of DirectorsIn the early 1970’s, Drake Sadler was a community activist who believed that empowered people could change the world for the better. His mission was to promote the knowledge of Traditional Herbal Medicine, while creating fair and equitable trading relationships with the mostly impoverished people around the globe who collect and grow medicinal plants. For the past four decades, Drake has guided Traditional Medicinals through a time of incredible change, leading people to a newfound respect for herbalism.
As Drake said recently: “With the support of our health conscious consumers and the introduction of organic agriculture, we have developed a unique business strategy which reduces poverty and hunger, rebuilds families and restores their self-sufficiency, and provides economic stability in the rural indigenous communities where our herbs come from. Herbal experts from Traditional Medicinals are constantly working to improve herb quality and social conditions in these communities, but it isn’t necessary to travel to distant native villages to see that the entire planet desperately needs new social business models which are non-exploitive, free from discrimination, environmentally sustainable, nurture our spirits and serve humanity.”
Traditional Medicinals has pursued the rigorous process of getting nearly every product certified organic, and many also certified Fair Trade and now Fairwild. We’ve also built strong relationships with supply partners that affect real change.
For Drake, Traditional Medicinals is a vision realized, and after all these years, the ideals he started out with remain fundamental to the core values of the company.
Stephen Hohenrieder
Board of DirectorsStephen serves as the CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Grounded Capital, a firm he founded after exploring the role of capital in building the health of diverse systems over fourteen years. He works with investment teams to build strategies and manage investments, and collaborates with aligned partners to pursue ideas and solve problems.
Stephen is particularly interested in the opportunity to support the health of people and our planet through food and agriculture, in relationship with capital, the built environment, energy and natural ecosystems. He has invested private capital across different categories of food, from soil to the consumer, over the past decade. For the first part of his career, Stephen invested across a broad range of assets on behalf of family offices and related entities. He graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a degree in Agribusiness. Stephen enjoys being outdoors, in the mountains, skiing, hiking, playing tennis, and traveling with his family
Katie Huggins
Board of DirectorsIf you want to understand Katie’s basic approach to life, all you need to do is read the bumper sticker that says,” I am a tree hugging dirt worshiper.” Her interest in plants began in childhood, when she would spend time visiting the various plants in her backyard. Eventually, she went on to study plants through the lenses of a variety of scientific disciplines and through her work in the natural products industry.
Katie has been with us since 1997 and is definitely one of our preeminent herbal experts, as well as a key member of our management team. She has been responsible for developing our Quality Control testing laboratory and testing programs, as well as growing the QC department from a staff of 5 to 12. She’s been instrumental in our work to transition to mostly organic, pharmacopeial ingredients. She’s also devoted time over the past number of years to an agricultural study of senna (the primary ingredient in our popular Smooth Move teas). Prior to her work with us, Katie spent a decade in the natural products industry at Celestial Seasonings and 4 Health.
Katie brings an exceptional level of knowledge and passion to her work in Technical Services, where she oversees our Quality Control, Legal & Regulatory, and Research & Development Departments. Katie’s advocacy for plants—whether that shows up in a commitment to pharmacopeial standards, rigorous quality control processes, rational formulation approaches or sustainability efforts—has fundamentally influenced the culture of our organization and we are very grateful for her contributions.
When not in the lab, you can find Katie working in her organic garden, which she aspires to turn into a small-scale farm, where she grows herbs, vegetables, flowers, fruit and nut trees on her urban lot.
Tripp Baird
Board of DirectorsTripp is an entrepreneur, impact investor and advisor who has dedicated his entire career to health, wellness and sustainability. As a younger man, Tripp was heavily influenced by his father, an early investor in the organic movement. This early exposure, coupled with his active outdoor lifestyle, a spiritual practice in Buddhism, and a love of systems has driven an ongoing passion for supporting the Health and Natural Foods (HNF) world.
After co-founding Partnership Capital Growth, a merchant bank focused in healthy, active and sustainable living, Tripp founded and is serving as managing partner for The Builder’s Fund. This private equity platform and fellow B-Corp invests in purpose-driven companies in the areas of sustainable food and agriculture, health and wellness, environment and resource efficiency, and social justice.
Throughout his career and among his many credentials, Tripp has invested in, secured funding for and helped develop successful brands like Manduka, Sambazon, Planet Organic, Pure Organic, Equator Coffee, BOGS Footwear, Muscle Milk, Faraday Bicycles, Ragnar Relay, Urban Remedy, New Leaf Paper and Mrs. Green’s Natural Markets. He is a dual magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University.
When not lending his financial expertise to the next great HNF company, Tripp can be found teaching yoga, making art, or enjoying the outdoors with his wife and two sons near their home in the San Francisco Bay.
Caitlin Landesberg
Board of DirectorsOn a quest to develop the best beer in the world for active people, Caitlin Landesberg was the founder and CEO of Certified B Corporation and functional beer pioneer, Sufferfest Beer Company. After being fully acquired by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in 2019, Caitlin launched This Is Water, an investment fund focused on mission-driven consumer companies. Caitlin brings 20 years of consumer marketing experience from global brands such as Adobe Systems, Mozilla Firefox, and Strava to her portfolio brands, corporate board seats, and advisory roles.
Residing in Mill Valley, California, Caitlin has a deep passion for supporting and protecting Marin County’s farmers, farmland and coastline through her involvement and Board work with Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) and the Agricultural Institute of Marin (AIM). Caitlin is an avid hiker and trail runner, proud wife and mom of three, farmers market regular, and graduate of Kenyon College, where she proudly serves on its Campaign Leadership Committee to support the school’s equity and diversity initiatives.
Sheryl O’Loughlin
Board of DirectorsSheryl O’Loughlin is an accomplished entrepreneur, CEO, and board member with 30 years of experience leading fast-growing, innovative consumer branded companies as well as a classically trained business manager and marketer with multinational corporations.
Sheryl is a current Board Member at Pet IQ Inc., Simple Mills Inc., S. Martinelli and Co., and One Step Closer. She has an impressive track record as the former CEO and President of REBBL Inc., Co-Founder and CEO of Plum Inc., CEO and President of Clif Bar & Company, Co-Founder and Board Chairperson of Women on Boards, and Co-Founder of the JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) Collaborative. Previous boards O’Loughlin served on include Zuke’s pet treats, thinkThin nutrition bars, Gardein plant-based meats, Sugar Bowl Bakery, Sustainable Business Council and Women’s Initiative.
Sheryl was the Executive Director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She held a faculty position at Sonoma State University, where she taught hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs. Sheryl started her career at General Foods and Quaker Oats as a classically trained business manager focused on marketing and innovation.
In 2018, Sheryl co-founded the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (J.E.D.I) Collaborative, a project of OSC. In 2018,she co-founded the Women on Boards Project and had served as the Board Chair. Both non-profits focus on supporting and advocating for a more inclusive industry and economy to drive innovation, growth, profitability, and justice.
In 2017, Sheryl introduced her first book, Killing It: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Keeping Your Head Without Losing Your Heart (Harper Business) focused on the mental health of entrepreneurs. The book was featured in Fortune, Conscious Company, Inc., Forbes, and Huffington Post, among others. Sheryl has earned numerous awards including a 2018 Silver Stevie Award Female Executive of the Year – Consumer Products, 2018 BevNET in Leaning Into Beverage: Conscious Company Magazine: 2017 Conscious Leaders Award for Personal Journey, and Forbes Consumer Catalyst Award: The Consumer Industry’s Top Dealmakers and Influencers of 2016.
Sheryl earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and her Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. With a passion for the outdoors, Sheryl is an avid camper and traveler. She lives in Santa Rosa, California, with her husband, Patrick, as a new empty nester and missing her sons Connor, a recent college graduate, and Gavin, a college sophomore.
Nioma Sadler
Vice Chair, Board of DirectorsNioma Narissa Sadler is the Founder of WomenServe, the Co-Owner of Traditional Medicinals, and the Co-Founder of the Traditional Medicinals Foundation. She has spent over ten years working on social change for women and girls, turning her life’s passion into a powerful force for change.
In 2006, as the Goodwill Ambassador for Traditional Medicinals, Inc., her dedication led her on a journey into herb sourcing communities in Rajasthan, India. She began developing initiatives around gender inequality, education, and water scarcity and founded WomenServe as a nonprofit organization dedicated entirely to unlocking the potential of women and girls.
Nioma bases her community development philosophy on the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and takes her life mantra, “Love and Serve,” from India’s spiritual leader, Amma.
John Elstrott
John Elstrott is a Board Observer at Traditional Medicinals and former Chairman of the Board of Whole Foods Market until it was sold to Amazon in 2017. He is also the Emeritus Director of the Entrepreneurship Center at Tulane and serves on the board of several purpose based multi-generational family-owned businesses.John served on the TM board for 42 years before moving into an observer role.
William Culler-Chase
William Culler-Chase is Principal and Co-Founder of Grounded Capital and a Traditional Medicinals Board Observer. Â William is part of a team investing long-term private capital across the value chain of our food system, managing a portfolio that includes investments in food companies, processing infrastructure, and farmland.
