Former Co-Founder of Horizon Organic Dairy, Organic Trade Association, Eden Foods, Alfalfa’s Markets, Aurora Organic Dairy and Climate Foods is CEO of Natural Habitats USA.
Mark Retzloff is a true pioneer in the natural organic and sustainable food and agriculture industry with a 52-year career starting and managing a number of successful companies. He is co-founder and former chairman and CEO of Alfalfa’s Markets, Boulder-based natural foods stores. He also co-founded Aurora Organic Dairy in 2003, and currently acts as a senior advisor to the company.
He was the University of Michigan’s School for the Environment and Sustainability, (SEAS), Practitioner in Residence for 2014/2015 and 2015/2016, and serves on the Colorado State University School of Agriculture Dean’s Ag Leadership Council. Prior to becoming CEO Mark is a past Chairman of the Board of Natural Habitats. Mark currently mentors, counsels, consults and advises numerous leaders and companies in the Natural, Organic, Local and Sustainable food and agriculture sector.
In 2019, Mark co-founded Flock LLC, which is a dynamic movement aimed at fast-tracking regenerative agriculture for the preservation of the planet and people. In the summer of 2021, Mark decided to bring his work at Flock together with the founders of AEI Institute where he now serves on the board and is the Senior Advisor to the Ag Systems studio. He was also CEO of Climate Foods, a regenerative food company focused on bringing carbon-positive, native perennial grains to market. Mark left Climate Foods in November 2022
Mr. Retzloff started his career in natural foods retail in 1970 as co-founder of Eden Foods in Ann Arbor MI, Rainbow Grocery, in 1974 in Denver, and the original Alfalfa’s Markets,1979, which merged with Wild Oats Markets in 1996. In 1990, Mr. Retzloff was chairman of the Organic Food Alliance which was instrumental in passing the federal Organic Food Production Act in Washington D.C.
In 1991, Mr. Retzloff became the co-founder of Broomfield, CO-based Horizon Organic Dairy. There he served as Chairman, CEO, and President of International. He then became Chairman of Rudi’s Organic Bakery, a leading Colorado-based national organic brand, where he helped execute a successful turn-around.
He lends his knowledge as a board member and advisor to emerging companies, which have included Blue Horizon Organic Seafood, BlueSun BioDiesel, Boulder Ice Cream, Crocs Footwear, Evol Burritos, Goddess Garden, Haystack Mtn. Goat Cheese, Sambazon Acai, Traditional Medicinals, Tempt Hemp Milk, and Uncle Matt’s Organic Juice. Mr. Retzloff was a founding partner at Greenmont Capital Partners, and founder and former Chairman of The Organic Center and he is a past 11-year board member of RSF Social Finance.
Mr. Retzloff sits on the University of Michigan’s School for the Environment and Sustainability, (SEAS) Dean’s Visiting Committee and is past chairman of the Advisory Board for the University of Michigan’s Center for Sustainable Systems (CSS). He also serves on the Board of the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility, (CESR), at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and also is past Co-chair of the advisory board of CU’s Masters in the Environment school, (MENV). Mr. Retzloff is also a Member of the Blackstone Entrepreneur Network (BEN) leadership group. In the greater Boulder-Denver community, he is the past president of Community Food Share, past President of Growing Gardens, past board member of Boulder Open Space Conservancy, BOSC, and co-Founder and Senior Advisor of Naturally Boulder, a 240 + company, 1400-member organization. Mark served as a member of the Boulder County Agriculture Advisory Council, 1997-2007, Chairman, of the Boulder County GMO Technical Task Force, 2001-2005. He served as a Trade Forum member of the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements, IFOAM, from 1998-2012. Mark is also a board member of Boulder based Mad Agriculture.
Mr. Retzloff received his B.S. degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Michigan and has received several awards, including the Organic Trade Association’s Lifetime Leadership award, the Boulder Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and Entrepreneur of the Year award. Naturally Boulder’s Lifetime Achievement Award (Naturally Boulder is an organization with over a 1000 individual members and over 400 Brands in the Natural food and products industry). He was inducted into the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame and New Hope Natural Products Hall of Legends.
Mr. Retzloff lives outside of Boulder, Colorado on a farm with his wife Terry where they raised their three children. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, golfing, and visiting his home in Hanalei Kauai, Hawaii.
