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Dohmen Company Foundation
The Dohmen Company Foundation was established in 2008 but redefined its architecture a decade later when then-CEO Cynthia LaConte led the conversion of the...
Dohmen Company Foundation
The Dohmen Company Foundation was established in 2008 but redefined its architecture a decade later when then-CEO Cynthia LaConte led the conversion of the operating company into a foundation-owned model. The wealth originates with Friedrich W. Dohmen, who founded Wisconsin's first wholesale drug store in Milwaukee in 1858. The foundation sits on a portfolio of commercial real estate in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward and Bronzeville neighborhoods, including the former Fein Brothers Building, which generates operating income for the philanthropic mission. Investment strategy centers on the Dohmen Impact Investment Fund, which deploys capital directly into social enterprises with proven food-as-medicine solutions. The foundation participates in direct program-related investments and operates the Food For Health program pilot in partnership with the Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, a Milwaukee-based nonprofit health insurer. Sectors targeted include medically tailored meal delivery and food prescription platforms—solutions that sit at the intersection of healthcare services and food technology. Geographic concentration remains anchored in Wisconsin, with operational reach into the Great Lakes region. The foundation maintains a lean executive team. President and CEO Rachel Roller runs day-to-day operations, while CFO and CIO Michael Italiano manages the Impact Investment Fund. Board directors include Dohmen family members Ted and Ilsa Dohmen alongside former Baptista's Bakery owner Nanette Gardetto. Multiple senior leaders, including Roller and LaConte, hold membership in YPO and TEMPO Milwaukee, reflecting an executive posture that pairs philanthropic grant-making with regional business-network engagement. The foundation also incubates a real-estate arm through its portfolio of three Milwaukee commercial properties held for mission-driven income. What distinguishes this structure is the decision to convert a 160-year-old for-profit operating company into the corpus of a health-focused private foundation—a maneuver more common in European family enterprises than among American industrial legacies. The foundation owns the underlying real estate and operating-company proceeds outright, eschewing the typical endowment model of third-party fund commitments in favor of direct program deployment and impact-first investments managed by an in-house CIO.
General information
Firm type
Private Foundation
Year founded
2008
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Milwaukee
Corporate office
Milwaukee, WI, United States
Principals
Cynthia LaConte
Founder and Chairman
Rachel Roller
President and CEO
Michael Italiano
CFO and CIO
Nanette Gardetto
Director and Secretary
Ted Dohmen
Director and Chairman
Ilsa Dohmen
Director
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How did the Dohmen Company Foundation convert from a for-profit business?
In 2019, CEO Cynthia LaConte led the conversion of The Dohmen Company, a wholesale drug distributor founded in 1858, from an S-Corporation into a foundation-owned philanthropic enterprise. The operating company's assets and real estate formed the corpus of the reborn private foundation. This effectively traded for-profit distributions for a permanent charitable mission focused on ending diet-related illness.
Who runs investment decisions at the Dohmen Company Foundation?
CFO and CIO Michael Italiano oversees the Dohmen Impact Investment Fund, which makes direct program-related and mission-aligned investments in food-as-medicine ventures. Italiano reports to CEO Rachel Roller and Chairman Cynthia LaConte. The foundation does not publicly disclose an investment committee, but board directors including family members Ted and Ilsa Dohmen hold governance authority over significant allocations.
Does the foundation participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The foundation operates through direct investments and pilot partnerships rather than fund-of-fund commitments. The Food For Health program, launched with the Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, exemplifies this posture—the foundation co-designs the program rather than simply writing a grant or buying a fund interest. Its real estate holdings also serve as a direct income-producing asset base.
What investment stages does the Dohmen Impact Investment Fund target?
The fund focuses on social businesses with proven food-solution models, implying a preference for post-pilot, pre-scale enterprises. Specific stage definitions are not publicly disclosed, but the emphasis on 'proven food solutions' suggests avoidance of seed-stage biotech risk in favor of operational businesses ready for scaled deployment in healthcare settings.
How is the foundation's real estate portfolio connected to the mission?
The foundation owns at least three Milwaukee commercial properties, including the former Fein Brothers Building and properties in the Historic Third Ward. Rental income from these assets flows into the foundation's operating budget, creating a self-sustaining income stream that reduces reliance on outside fundraising and allows the Impact Investment Fund to take longer-duration positions.
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