Investor Login
Investor Login

Realized portfolio

Businesses that we’ve grown and exited

Western Smokehouse Partners

In 2018, we acquired Western’s Smokehouse — the preferred manufacturing solution for the top brands and retailers in premium crafted protein snacks — thus creating Western Smokehouse Partners. In 2019, we added Thrushwood Farms to the family. Thrushwood specializes in producing snack sticks, meat bites and meat bars for the top natural and gourmet brands in the category. In 2020, we acquired Prairie Sky Snacks, a family owned contract manufacturer in Springfield, IL and maker snack sticks and human-grade pet treats.

Finally, in 2023, after five years in our portfolio, Western Smokehouse Partners was acquired by AUA Private Equity.

Learn more about the WS journey here and in the below video interviews with WS management. 

Reflections from the Western Smokehouse Team

Play Video

For more video content, please visit our YouTube channel.

Kohana Coffee

In 2021, we acquired Kohana Coffee. Kohana Coffee is a market leading manufacturer in the high-growth cold brew segment. Kohana has a proprietary cold brew process which enables shelf stability without heating the coffee, creating a smooth, low-acid, authentic cold brew product which can be shipped and stored in ambient temperatures. Additionally, Kohana offers world class formulation and production capabilities in ready-to-drink canned coffees featuring high-end ingredients like oat milk, almond milk, adaptogens, protein and other functional ingredients. Kohana sells products through its own brand, retail store brands and as a co-packer.

Leadership

The Charis Consumer Collaborative maintains a lean team focused on the success of its companies. For each business unit, we add category specific advisors and mentors. We are operators first, meaning we don’t spend all our time fundraising and running an investment firm. Instead, we get to work alongside our companies to help them reach their goals.

Ben Rudman

Co-CEO

Ken Plasse

Co-CEO

CEO

Linkedin Envelope
  • As CEO, grew Western Smokehouse, a founder-owned manufacturer of meat snacks, by nearly 5x in EBITDA and from just over 60 employees to 300.
  • Prior, 9 Years I-Banking & PE in Consumer Space, all focused on family & founder-owned companies.
  • Board director roles with Kohana Coffee and The Honest Stand, both differentiated, niche-leading contract manufacturing businesses.
  • Developed idea for Charis Collaborative while running Western on a slightly different but related model: three companies running discrete P&Ls leveraging one another to create a better operating environment.

Vice President

Linkedin Envelope
  • 10+ years of experience working on private markets transactions in private equity and investment banking
  • Prior to Charis, spent 5+ years at private equity firm Resilience Capital Partners, investing in niche manufacturing, business services, automotive, and aerospace companies
  • Prior to Resilience, worked on equity and credit co-investments at StepStone Group, advised on M&A and capital raise deals in the industrials investment banking group at Jefferies, and advised private equity and strategic buyers as a part of the transaction services team at KPMG
Previous
Next

Ben Rudman

CEO

Ben Rudman

  • CEO

  • As CEO, grew Western Smokehouse, a founder-owned manufacturer of meat snacks, by nearly 5x in EBITDA and from just over 60 employees to 300.
  • Prior, 9 Years I-Banking & PE in Consumer Space, all focused on family & founder-owned companies.
  • Board director roles with Kohana Coffee and The Honest Stand, both differentiated, niche-leading contract manufacturing businesses.
  • Developed idea for Charis Collaborative while running Western on a slightly different but related model: three companies running discrete P&Ls leveraging one another to create a better operating environment.

Cory Feller

Vice President

Cory Feller

  • Vice President

  • 10+ years of experience working on private markets transactions in private equity and investment banking
  • Prior to Charis, spent 5+ years at private equity firm Resilience Capital Partners, investing in niche manufacturing, business services, automotive, and aerospace companies
  • Prior to Resilience, worked on equity and credit co-investments at StepStone Group, advised on M&A and capital raise deals in the industrials investment banking group at Jefferies, and advised private equity and strategic buyers as a part of the transaction services team at KPMG

Ken Plasse

Operating Advisor

Ken Plasse

  • Operating Advisor

  • Scales purpose-driven consumer manufacturing companies across growth chasms with proven success in igniting sales, cultivating high-performance teams, elevating operations, and building sustainable competitive advantage.
    • Fishpeople: Grew $2mm sales to $30mm+, becoming the first sustainable and traceable seafood brand to disrupt the large incumbent brands.
    • Solazyme: Founding hire to transform pioneering biotechnology into an award-winning food ingredient division eventually sold to Corbion.
    • E&J Gallo: Led skunk work team to organically innovate $100M+ brands including Camarena Tequila and New Amsterdam Vodka.
    • Hershey:  President of the premium division of three acquired negative EBITDA companies – drove to positive through sales growth and operational efficiencies while optimizing SG&A
  • Early career foundation in finance at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, management consulting at Oliver Wyman, and CPG fundamentals at the Hershey Company. Wharton MBA.
  • Independent board roles at Hickory Farms, Aunt Fannies and Sol Cuisine (recently sold to ADM/Marfig).

Personal investments, board seats, and operating roles

Hershey-Logo
hickory
ejgallowwinery__1_-removebg-preview
626170d025873a97ee971755
The honest stand logo
aunt-fannies-logo-removebg-preview
092319-1.0-Aura-Bora-Final-Logo-Kit_BW-1024x1024
Awakened-Foods-Logo_2-Color
fishpeople-logo
Petes_Logo-removebg-preview
rebbl-logo
Logo.jpeg-removebg-preview
PYM-logo-removebg-preview
Previous image
Next image

Login Form