Daniel S. Grinberg, Founder, President and Managing Partner
Dan Grinberg is the Founder and President of Meadow Ridge Capital LLC.From 1990 to 2005, Dan was an owner, Chief Executive Officer and a Director of FoodHandler Inc., a family business started by his father in 1969. Dan transformed the company from a $4 million regional distributor of plastic bags and disposable medical supplies into an $80 million branded supplier of NSF certified food contact gloves, food storage bags and food safety management services, with restaurant and institutional customers throughout the United States and Europe. Grinberg also developed and managed an extensive network of best-in-class manufacturing partners in the Far East, including China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand.
In 1999, Dan led the buyout of the company with private equity investors, cashing out family shareholders while continuing to lead the company’s rapid expansion. In 2005, Dan achieved his own successful exit when FoodHandler merged with Microflex Inc. to create BarrierSafe Solutions International, a $170 million entity. Prior to FoodHandler, Dan was a television business news producer for NBC and The Wall Street Journal, where he covered a wide range of companies and industries.
Grinberg is on the board of Command Packaging (Vernon, CA), is a Director and Treasurer of Island Harvest, a Long Island food rescue organization, and is an active member of Young Presidents’ Organization International (YPO). Dan is a graduate of Clark University, where he received a B.A. in History.
Paul J. Bevilacqua, Managing Partner
As a Managing Partner, Mr. Bevilacqua is responsible for deal sourcing, opportunity assessment, due diligence and providing strategic, financial, and operational support to MRC portfolio companies. Prior to joining MRC, Mr. Bevilacqua was CFO of FoodHandler Inc. and BarrierSafe Solutions International (parent company of FoodHandler and a $200 million supplier of branded disposable gloves and related protective products for the foodservice, medical and industrial markets). He was also Corporate Controller at Yellowbook, the leading independent publisher of print and online yellow pages. Over the course of his career, Mr. Bevilacqua has played a key role in multiple strategic and financial acquisitions and has served as the CFO of private equity-owned portfolio companies. He has also developed and implemented sophisticated financial models for a wide range of uses, from detailed customer profitability analysis to advanced financial reporting and analysis for private equity sponsors. A CPA, he started his career as an auditor with Ernst & Young and is a graduate of the State University of New York at Binghamton where he received a B.S. in finance.
Donna Cherulnik, Vice President
Ms. Cherulnik is responsible for Meadow Ridge Capitals marketing and administrative functions and will assist in sourcing transaction opportunities, due diligence and portfolio company support.
Ms. Cherulnik, a Certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR), brings 30 years of experience in operations management, administration and planning to Meadow Ridge Capital. Prior to joining Meadow Ridge, Ms. Cherulnik was responsible for Human Resources at FoodHandler Inc., the foodservice industrys largest supplier of NSF certified food contact gloves and related food safety products and services. Ms. Cherulniks career also encompassed key roles in operations management at Publishers Clearing House, the direct marketing giant.
Ernesto E. Grinberg, Partner
Ernesto Grinberg is a Partner at Meadow Ridge Capital LLC. He was the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Island Poly, the predecessor to FoodHandler Inc. Grinberg possesses extensive experience in Asian manufacturing, importing and distribution.Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ernesto is the quintessential American success story. In 1962, at the age of twenty two, he left his native Argentina for the United States. He arrived in New York possessing little more than the desire to work hard and build a better life than he could in Argentina. Ernesto started his own clothing business right away, eventually sold it, and moved on to the plastics industry. In 1969 he founded Island Poly, a New York area supplier of plastic bags and disposable medical products. His wife Rita joined the business in 1979. In 1991 they were joined by their son, Daniel.
Ernesto and Rita retired in 1999 when Dan bought the company with private equity partners. Ernesto was Chairman of FoodHandler’s Board of Directors from 1999 through its 2005 merger. Today, Ernesto is an investor, an advisor to other entrepreneurs, and is involved in a number of philanthropic activities.
David R. Willensky, Advisor
David Willensky is an advisor to Meadow Ridge Capital. Mr. Willensky is the founder of The Advisory Group, Inc., an acquisition advisory firm that helps its clients to achieve their middle-market M&A objectives. The Advisory Group works primarily in the broadly defined consumer products and services industries, with an emphasis on food and food-related businesses.Prior to forming The Advisory Group, Mr. Willensky’s career encompassed multiple roles relating to the development of corporate strategy and mergers and acquisitions. As Senior Vice President of Corporate Planning and Development for ConAgra Foods, Inc. Mr. Willensky guided the corporate, group and business unit strategy development and M&A activities of this $27 billion (at the time) diversified food company. During his tenure ConAgra acquired 88 companies, entered into 22 strategic alliances and divested 11 non-core businesses.
Prior to ConAgra Foods, Mr. Willensky was the Managing Director of California Strategic Investors, Inc., where he provided strategic consulting and acquisition advisory services to private equity groups and corporate clients. Finally, as a 15-year veteran and Partner with McKinsey & Company, Inc., Mr. Willensky served as Co-Leader of the Firm’s Corporate Finance Practice and Director of Research.
Gary R. Pearl and Deborah K. Eininger, Advisors
Mr. Pearl and Ms. Eininger are advisors to Meadow Ridge Capital. In 1996, they founded Seak International, a Human Resource consultancy employing strategies and actions to align organizational priorities, employee skills, incentive and human resource processes. Seak works with a broad spectrum of large and small companies with an emphasis on consumer products manufacturing and service providers.
Prior to founding Seak, Mr. Pearl was Senior Vice President, Human Resources, and a member of the Executive Committee for a leading worldwide consumer goods manufacturer. During his career, he successfully developed and implemented human resource strategies to support the achievement of business goals through a project management approach that emphasizes clear diagnoses of issues, challenges and opportunities as the foundation for customized solutions for clients. Mr. Pearl has a Masters Degree from Columbia University.
Ms. Eininger was Director of Organizational Development and Training for a leading worldwide consumer goods manufacturer prior to her career at Seak. Ms. Eininger specialized in developing and executing individual, team and organizational learning strategies designed to support the organizations vision, values and goals. She is also a certified Executive Coach and is bilingual in German. Ms. Eininger graduated Magna Cum Laude from Ithaca College and received her Masters Degree from Fairleigh Dickinson.