Woman Led: Meet Daniella, our General Manager
Women Making a Difference
Organics Unlimited is a proudly woman-owned and woman-led company. We believe that through diversity and inclusion in the workplace we can foster creative collaboration and empowerment that strengthens our communities and economies. To celebrate this year’s Women’s History Month we’re highlighting the women leaders that make us who we are.
Third Generation Banana Wholesaler
Daniella is the newest generation of this family business: fourth generation of organic growers in her family and the third generation of organic banana wholesalers.
A San Diego local, she started her career in advertising and dedicated seven years to developing digital marketing solutions when Facebook, Pinterest, and Snapchat’s API platforms were in their nascent stages.
In her free time, she would help out with the family business and join Mayra at industry trade shows. It was at one of these event where, upon seeing how passionate industry members were about impacting social change, that she made the leap to dedicate herself full-time to the family business. She worked her way through the different departments, learning to drive a forklift to load bananas (admittedly not her forte), coordinated warehouse operations and logistics with the farms, and contributed to marketing efforts.
What drives her is her mission to positively impact our food system. She is a firm advocate for fair pricing for growers and a decentralized food system that prioritizes local, independent farmers.
Q & A with Daniella
Why are you passionate about what you do?
Daniella: I’m passionate about contributing to a resilient, sustainable food system. At Organics Unlimited we do that by supporting a decentralized food system that supports families, small growers, and independent retailers: the heart of our communities.
Who has inspired you?
Daniella: I’m inspired by the pioneers of the Organic Movement. Folks like the Lively brothers, David Weinstein, and my own grandfather. As organic has gone “mainstream,” consolidated and absorbed by Big Ag, my intention is to continue to live by the values that drove the original movement. I do this for our communities, for our environment, and our future.
What are your hobbies? Reading and drawing! I love a good novel and on weekends you can find me at a local coffee shop drawing for hours.
What piece of advice would you give a woman who’s just started her career?
Daniella: Nobody knows what they’re doing 100% of the time, confidence matters. You don’t need to know everything to take the next step. Yes, it will feel uncomfortable but discomfort is necessary to grow, learn, and evolve in your career (and it feels SO good when you master it).
What values are most important in a leader?
Daniella: You need to be passionate and believe in what you do because that is transmitted to your team. It’s important to lead by example and walk the talk; a leader doesn’t sit back and tell people what to do, she is down in the trenches working alongside her team.
