Cathy Kolumbus
Director of Marketing at Teaspoon Boba Tea
Cathy is a marketing leader with deep experience building and growing premium, mission-driven brands across food, beverage, and wellness. She has led brand strategy, innovation, and integrated marketing programs for companies including Blue Diamond Growers, Straus Family Creamery, Rainbow Light, and Tetley Tea, translating product quality, sourcing, and health benefits into ownable, compelling consumer stories that move beyond category truths to drive sustainable growth.
At Straus Family Creamery, Cathy led a full brand repositioning that shifted the narrative from producer-focused to consumer-driven, connecting organic farming practices, product quality, and nutrition to clear, relevant benefits. The work established the “Taste the Straus Difference” brand platform and drove meaningful results, including an average 11% sales lift across key product lines, increased brand awareness, and share gains. She also led a packaging redesign that balanced mission, product, and premium positioning, earning 2020 and 2019 Transform Packaging North America Awards. Under her leadership, Straus’ Organic Chocolate Milk was named a 2018 Expo West Nexty Award finalist.
Following Straus, Cathy worked with Blue Diamond Growers, leading brand strategy, integrated marketing and innovation across Almond Breeze and Snack Nuts. Her work spanned annual operating planning, digital, social, influencer, PR, and retail, contributing to strong engagement and incremental growth through new buyer acquisition and expanded usage occasions.
Cathy is an active member of the natural products community and serves on the Marketing Communications Committee for Naturally NorCal, where she contributes to messaging and outreach that supports awareness, participation, and community connection. She previously held similar roles with Naturally North Bay and the Food Industry Group (FIG) and volunteers with the Redwood Empire Food Bank.
She holds an MBA from Saint Louis University and a BS in Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia and has completed executive education in Digital Marketing Strategies at Northwestern University. She also earned a Spanish Language Fluency Certificate from the University of Madrid.
Based in Petaluma, California, Cathy enjoys staying close to the food community and is inspired by the role brands can play in connecting people to products, values, and each other. She looks forward to bringing this perspective to her role as Director of Marketing at Teaspoon Boba Tea.
The child of European and South American immigrants, Cathy has been shaped by diverse cultural influences and loves traveling and exploring new destinations. Her dog, gardening, pickleball, and any ocean-related activities keep her fulfilled.