The event, hosted by the Meadows Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at St. Mary’s University, will be held at the Pearl Stable of the Historic Pearl Brewery. Registration, networking and breakfast begin at 7 a.m., followed by the program at 8.
“We’re excited to welcome Mr. Ambelang for September’s Forum on Entrepreneurship Breakfast,” said Tanuja Singh, D.B.A., Dean of the Greehey School of Business. “He brings great expertise and insights into the consumer packaged goods industry, and San Antonio business leaders and our students have much to learn from him.”
Ambelang held several positions at Kellogg’s and Pace Foods before joining NatureSweet. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Dallas and an MBA from the University of Denver.
“Mr. Ambelang’s success story driven by a very focused strategy is an inspiring one that will resonate with our audience,” said Chris Edelen, St. Mary’s Executive in Residence and Chairman of the Breakfast Series.
NatureSweet operates seven production facilities — six in Mexico and one in the U.S. — and focuses on being the “groundbreaking leader of the fresh tomato industry driven through Unleashing the Power of People.” NatureSweet has nearly 8,000 full-time associates who are “experts on growing the best-tasting tomatoes in the world and know how to manage plants to provide flavor 365 days a year.” Ambelang says the associates are the inspiration behind the “Tomatoes Raised Right” campaign.
NatureSweet’s Cherubs, Glorys, Sunbursts, Constellation, Jubilees and Eclipses brands are distributed in all 50 states, as well as in Canada and Mexico, and have achieved 80-percent brand awareness as the world’s most widely recognized tomato brand.
More about the Forum Breakfast series
The Meadows Center for Entrepreneurial Studies promotes and encourages entrepreneurial thought, business and activities locally, regionally and nationally. The purpose of the Forum on Entrepreneurship Breakfast Series is to offer the larger San Antonio community and students of St. Mary’s University a forum to hear from some of the most talented individuals in industry and government. Funds generated from the series support student scholarships and encourage entrepreneurial activities in San Antonio and the region.Dennis Noll, CEO of the San Antonio Area Foundation, will be the featured speaker at the next Forum Breakfast event on Thursday, Nov. 30.
At the previous event, in April, the Forum Breakfast series featured Mike Howard – Chairman and CEO of Howard Midstream Energy Partners, LLC. Past speakers include Daymond John, “Shark Tank” investor and founder of FUBU; Colleen Barrett, president emerita and corporate secretary of Southwest Airlines; Stuart Parker, CEO of USAA; Paula Gold-Williams, CEO of CPS Energy; and Bill Greehey, chairman of NuStar Energy, L.P.
The series’ 2017-18 title sponsor is PwC. For information on sponsorship opportunities and purchasing tables and individual tickets, please contact Pamela Duffy, CAP-OM, at forumbreakfast@stmarytx.edu or 210-436-3124.
St. Mary's University, founded in 1852, is the first institution of higher learning in San Antonio and the oldest Catholic university in the Southwest. It offers 75 programs, including doctoral and law programs, and has a diverse student population of about 3,800 of all faiths and backgrounds. Its vision, as a Catholic and Marianist liberal arts institution, is to become one of the finest private universities in the region, a gateway for graduates to professional lives as ethical leaders in Texas, the nation and the world.