Charles Kosmont

Charles Kosmont has had a multi-faceted career involved in managing and investing in food, agribusiness and nutrition companies. He has managed a variety of entrepreneurial companies including those involved in rapid growth, troubled situations and start-up endeavors.

Mr. Kosmont is the CEO of Steven Roberts Original Desserts LLC. Mr. Kosmont is also Chairman of Fabes Natural Gourmet, Inc., Van Nuys, CA. Fabes manufactures and markets a line of branded desserts for ingredient minded people who are seeking high quality desserts that are natural, sugar-free, vegan or organic.

In 1997, Mr. Kosmont co-founded Next Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Irvine, CA. Next is developer of patented ingredients from plants used for self-care purposes.

During its period of rapid growth, from the middle of 1994 through the first quarter of 1996, he was President of the MET-Rx companies, Irvine, CA. MET-Rx was one the largest sports nutrition companies in the United States with national distribution in health, natural and mainstream retail stores.

Previously, Mr. Kosmont was a co-founder and CFO of Westbrae Natural, Inc. (originally named Vestro Foods), based in Carson, a publicly traded company that acquired and managed natural food companies.

In the late 1980's, Mr. Kosmont turned around Monterey Peninsula Horticulture, Inc., Salinas, CA. MPH, through its Growers Transplanting subsidiary, is one of the largest vegetable seedling and transplanting companies in the world. Through its branded Rocket Farms subsidiary, MPH grows and supplies well-known retailers with ornamental plants in containers, such as poinsettias and orchids.

After completing the Entrepreneur Program with honors and receiving his MBA from the Marshall School of Business (USC) in 1982, Mr. Kosmont joined and later became a Partner of Princeton/Montrose Partners, a venture capital limited partnership, which invested in food and agribusiness companies.

Steven Fabos, CEO
Steven Roberts Original Desserts and Ticklebelly Desserts

Steven Fabos is the co-founder and CEO of Steven Roberts Original Desserts and Ticklebelly Desserts. With over 40-years experience in the baking industry, Fabos has successfully started and grown several national and international bakeries over the course of his career. His interest in baking truly began during his college years while studying with Master Bakers and innovative chefs from around the world.

In 1976, Fabos purchased Heidi's Retail bakery in California, which he grew into a multi-unit bakery chain specializing in wedding cakes. The company's great tasting recipes and popularity quickly distinguished them as the leading cake and dessert company in the Los Angeles area for both consumers, as well as wholesalers.

Fabos expanded the Heidi's brand in 1983 by opening Heidi's Fine Desserts, which then gained national prominence and became the first U.S. company to make upscale desserts for the Food Service industry. To support this new model, Fabos developed and implemented new shipping and packaging methods, setting up the first nationwide cake program that became a standard for foodservice dessert distribution throughout the United States.

In 1989 Fabos reconnected to his health conscious roots and co-founded Fabe's All Natural Bakery, which was the first bakery in the retail natural food industry to provide gourmet healthy desserts that were sweetened with fruits, vegetables, and grains - made with no refined sugar, preservatives or food coloring dyes. This progressive industry move proved that real ingredients and good health didn't necessarily mean compromised taste. Today Fabe's offers the largest selection of naturally sweetened vegan, whole grain, gluten-free and organic desserts.

Fabos relocated to Colorado in 1995 to co-found Steven Roberts Original Desserts. His vast expertise and skilled staff helped establish yet another leader in the dessert field industry catering to family dining customers. In 2000, he helped move the company to its present Denver facility and upgraded all the equipment to support the company's successful growth. In 2008, Fabos was instrumental in finding and refitting the company's second plant in Longmont, Colorado. His most recent project was the completion and opening of the company's newest plant in Pembroke, North Carolina in August, 2011. Today Fabos continues to serve as CEO of the companies helping to expand his original visions to make each company a true innovator in the marketplace.