A season executive in the grocery industries, Michael J. Mendes has since leveraged his food distribution and marketing expertise to become the CEO of Just Desserts, which offers hand-crafted and organic confections in the San Francisco Bay area. Michael Mendes also maintains close working relationships with a variety of professional organizations, including the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the IDDBA.
Under the guidance of CEO Michael J. Mendes, baked-goods company Just Desserts, is always looking for creative ways to meet emerging trends. In 2014, the company launched a line of portion-controlled organic treats, which Michael Mendes describes as “world-class, hand-crafted desserts.” The company has also made plans to appeal to other health-conscious consumers with new vegan offerings.
Vegan baked goods appear to be a lucrative business opportunity, since interest in vegan diets is on the rise. The number of Americans self-identifying as vegan doubled in the three-year period from 2009 to 2012. Many factors may be influencing the adoption of a vegan lifestyle. These include high-profile vegan celebrities, noted health benefits, and the recognition that lowered meat consumption offers environmental benefits. With high-quality foods from recognized companies, such as Just Desserts, individuals can more easily make the shift to a vegan diet without sacrificing flavor. Whether they want to make the change gradually or all at once, consumers can keep a supply of quality vegan foods on hand to support their transition. Michael Mendes has had extensive experience in the food industry, both as an executive leader and in a governance capacity. Mendes served on the board of directs of Hormel Foods, The Wine Group, and the Grocery Outlet, and served on the board of the GMA. He currently serves on the board of directors for National, a privately held organic and private-label manufacturer and distributor. Michael Mendes serves as chief executive officer and director of Just Desserts, an industry leader in high-quality all-natural desserts.
Based in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, Just Desserts products are available across the United States. Known for their premium, wholesome ingredients, the company’s dessert options come in a variety of shapes and styles. Cakes, for instance, come in both single-serve portions and as traditional, full-sized cakes. Just Desserts recently expanded their cake offerings by adding four new organic choices to a contemporary lineup that includes a whole-grain carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and a whole-grain vanilla cake with milk chocolate frosting. Another new addition to the Just Desserts cake menu is a vegan midnight chocolate cake, available in stores beginning in 2015. In addition to unique flavors such as sour cherry pomegranate, classic choices include cookies-and-cream cake and chocolate with chocolate frosting. With more than 15 years of experience in the food distribution industry, Michael J. Mendes currently serves as the CEO of Just Desserts, a San Francisco Bay area company that has recently developed a vegan cake and four new organic cakes slated to begin appearing in stores in 2015. Michael Mendes has also balanced his responsibilities at Just Desserts with his position on the board of directors for Envision Education.
In a recent press release, Envision Education publicized an interview with Mark Isero, Envision Education’s Director of Instructional Development, who discussed his Kindle Classroom Project in an interview with Edutopia. Isero began the Kindle Classroom Project when he was an educator at a San Francisco charter school, where he found that both the budget for books, and student’s interest in hard-copy texts, was low. After loaning his personal Kindle to a “reluctant reader,” who ended up loving the digital reading device, Isero decided to launch a project to provide more students with donated Kindles. In the Edutopia interview, Isero announced that the Kindle Classroom Project had recently received its 200th donated device. He also stated the project will continue accepting donations in order to help 1,200 students across three Envision high schools access a complete library at any time using a Kindle. According to Isero, the Envision Academy in Oakland also found that students with a Kindle grew their reading abilities by a grade level more than students without a digital reading device. An experienced leader in the food distribution industry, Michael J. Mendes currently serves as the CEO of Just Desserts, where the company offers a wide range of hand-crafted confections. Michael Mendes and Just Desserts most recently launched a new vegan cake and four new organic cakes, which the company produces as a certified organic company with California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). To become CCOF certified, a company must submit an Organic System Plan (OSP) that outlines compliance with organic standards and describes the company’s organic practices. Applications are reviewed by a CCOF certification specialist who will notify a company if they do not meet certain requirements, or if further clarification is needed. After the OSP has been accepted, companies undergo a thorough inspection to verify that the organic practices described in the OSP are fully implemented onsite. Every certified operation is inspected at least once a year to confirm that organic practices are maintained, and these inspection reports are reviewed by the CCOF office. &nb |