Our Mission
We aspire to increase accessibility of healthy foods for all people while educating communities about the importance of fruits and vegetables. Our team is here to prove that fruits are pretty cool.
Jennifer Chan
Founder and CEO
Jennifer Chan is the founder and CEO of Banato who started the company in July 2019. She has a Bachelor's & Master's degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Accountancy.
She has a wealth of knowledge regarding Food and Beverage manufacturing & distribution as the is also currently an Internal Operational Auditor for Reyes Holdings, one of the largest food distributors in the world. In her current role in Reyes, Jennifer improves the operational effectiveness of distribution & manufacturing centers globally for products such as Coca Cola. Prior to Reyes, Jennifer has 5 years of experience working in management consulting for Ernst & Young.
James Gentile
Chief Financial Officer
Jimmy Gentile joined the Banato team in 2024. He supports the company from a finance and accounting perspective. He has a Bachelor's in Accounting and Finance from Indiana University, as well as a Master's in Business Administration from Northwestern University.
After undergraduate studies, he spent 5+ years consulting for various manufacturing companies with specific focus in the CPG and automotive industries. Additionally, he has prepared financial statements for a public Fortune 500 company. After graduate school, his focus has been working in a go-to-market function, supporting the sales teams at a Chicago-based technology company.
Erik Khamphouy
Chief Customer Officer
Erik Khamphouy is the Chief Customer Officer of Banato who joined the company in December 2019. He has a Bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in General Engineering.
He assists Banato in connection with the customer and team by coordinating sales, especially with field teams at events, markets, and pop-ups. He has also assisted Banato in an internal HR role, conducting recruitment and onboarding of team members. His sales experience comes from 5 years of field sales and marketing, working for companies such as Inspire, Boxed Water, KIND bars, and alcohol products. Outside of Banato, Erik is a Staff Sergeant in the Illinois Air National Guard and the principal network engineer of a defense contractor company.
Once upon a time, there was a comedian who got drafted into a beauty pageant. In the midst of preparing for this absurdly random competition, Banato was created - A treat with no dairy or added sugars. All of Banato's sweetness comes from fruit!
Hundreds of batches later, we are excited to bring Banato to your door.
Follow our journey @Go.Banato on Instagram!