Jeff Goldman

Vice President - Carol’s Cookies, Inc.
Vice President - Reed-Union Corporation (sold in 2018)
Founding Partner and Board of Directors Member – Green Thumb Industries (GTI)

Jeff Goldman brings expertise in sustainable business practices, commitment to localized business models and results-driven strategic thinking. As the Vice President of Carol’s Cookies, Inc. - the family-owned business founded in 1979 by his mother in their home kitchen - Jeff has achieved new sectors of growth locally as well as nationally. Under his leadership spanning 24 years, Carol’s Cookies has enjoyed double-digit growth annually successfully partnering with Fortune 500 companies such as Whole Foods Market, Sprouts and Sysco Foodservice. He cultivated relationships with local suppliers to grow their company which started with 3 employees to over 30 employees today producing over 8-million cookies annually.

In addition to his role with Carol’s Cookies, Jeff served as Vice President of Reed-Union Corporation, former owner and marketers of the top selling automotive appearance product in their category. For over 20 years, Jeff led domestic as well as international sales helping to make their Nu Finish brand the top selling brand in their category in the US, Canada, and Australia. Jeff called on Fortune 100 companies such as Walgreens, Target, Walmart and AutoZone to enhance the partnerships in Reed-Union’s fourth-generation consumer packaged goods business. Jeff oversaw the company's advertising budget totaling over $30,000,000 over two decades. In addition, he assisted in purchasing/sourcing projects, new product development, brand management, sales & marketing as well as retail merchandising. Jeff orchestrated the sale of the company’s brands to Energizer Holdings in 2018 for 16.5x adjusted EBITDA, which is nearly double the industry average.

Besides running two successful CPG businesses, Jeff was one of the original founding members at GTI. He was an integral part of the Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Ohio application processes leading to being awarded the most licenses for any cannabis startup in the country. In each market, GTI was one of the highest scored applicants party due to Jeff’s diligence in focusing on community-minded initiatives and partnerships. As the company launched its first store in 2015 through the company going public in 2018, Jeff was the lead on packaging design and sourcing, marketing, and public relations for the Rythm cannabis brand and their first store, The Clinic Mundelein. The Clinic Mundelein (now Rise Mundelein) was the first store to open its doors in Illinois and due to his help in establishing public media campaigns. Rise Mundelein is still one of the top performing stores in the state today. In Jeff’s current role as a Member of the Board of Directors, he serves on the Audit and Compensation Committees of GTI which currently generates over $1B in revenue with nearly 4500 employees nationwide.

Jeff graduated from Tulane University magna cum laude with a B.A. in Psychology, and he met his wife at the university his 2nd semester. Jeff lives with his wife and two daughters in Deerfield, IL. Jeff is an active member of the board of directors of the Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Program which helps teach 1000 people with disabilities annually how to sail on the open waters of Lake Michigan. The Goldman family is also heavily active with the Gastro-Intestinal Research Foundation, Scleroderma Foundation, Shirly Ryan Ability Lab (formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago), and Tulane University's Goldman Office of Student Accessibility. When he’s not attending dance shows, tennis matches, or field hockey games, Jeff can be found playing soccer, paddle tennis, or 16” softball.