Sonoma Brands Capital

Founder and Managing Partner Jon Sebastiani leads all aspects of the firm's investment strategy and portfolio company management. He is supported by Managing Directors Kevin Murphy and Shahir Amin, who are actively involved in sourcing, diligence, execution and portfolio oversight. Investment decisions are made by this core team, with board-level participation standard for portfolio companies.

The firm sources through a founder-to-founder network anchored by Jon Sebastiani's experience building and selling KRAVE Pure Foods to Hershey. Operating partners like Katherine Power — who launched three Sonoma portfolio brands — provide additional origination capacity. The team's blend of institutional investors (Encore Consumer Capital, UNC Management Company) and operators gives them reach into both branded consumer circles and intermediated private equity deal pipelines.

Jon Sebastiani's personal capital base originates from the 2015 acquisition of KRAVE Pure Foods by The Hershey Company, where he was Founder and CEO. The sale price was undisclosed. Sebastiani deployed proceeds from that liquidity event to anchor Sonoma Brands Capital, though the firm now manages a pool that may include external limited partner commitments alongside his own capital.

Sonoma Brands Capital makes direct minority and control investments in operating companies; there is no public indication the firm participates as a limited partner in other private equity funds. The firm leads rounds of $5 to $30 million and takes board-level positions, consistent with a direct growth-equity approach rather than a fund-of-funds model.

The firm targets growth-stage consumer businesses generating at least $5 million in revenue — a threshold that filters for companies with established product-market fit and initial retail traction. Investments can span early-stage scaling through late-stage expansion, though all fall within the firm's core consumer packaging and brand verticals.