Nick Benz, Managing Partner
Nick Benz is a seasoned CPG executive and founder with 20 years of experience building, scaling, and professionalizing consumer brands across functional beverages, wine, food, and hospitality. He brings deep operating expertise across strategy, P&L ownership, fundraising, sales, marketing, supply chain, and organizational development, with a proven ability to lead businesses from early stage through national scale.
As President of Caliwater, Nick has led the company’s evolution from early stage startup into a nationally recognized brand distributed in more than 15,000 retail doors including Costco, Walmart, Albertsons, Sprouts, Wegmans, and Target. Working closely with the founders and board, he has driven triple digit revenue growth, raised multiple rounds of growth capital, and built the operational, financial, and governance infrastructure required to support national scale and institutional growth.
Previously, Nick founded and served as CEO of Betera, an adult nonalcoholic beverage brand he built from concept through national recognition. As founder, he owned the full P&L and led all functions including brand strategy, product development, fundraising, supply chain, and go-to-market execution. Betera achieved rapid early growth, secured national distribution through KeHE, raised venture capital, and earned top tier media coverage including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Imbibe.
Nick also served as CEO of Barrel Creek Provisions, where he was recruited by new ownership to lead a full turnaround and relaunch of the business. In that role, he implemented disciplined financial controls, reduced operating burn by approximately 50 percent, modernized brand and packaging, and expanded distribution across five U.S. regions, positioning the company for sustainable national growth.
Earlier in his career, Nick held senior leadership roles at Jackson Family Wines and FIJI Water, where he managed large scale direct to consumer and hospitality businesses generating more than $30 million in annual revenue. These roles provided deep experience operating within complex, multi-brand organizations while delivering consistent growth and operational excellence.
Paul Eschbach, Partner
Partner and CIO Paul Eschbach is a Michelin-star–trained chef with more than 20 years of professional culinary experience spanning fine dining, global hospitality, brand building, and consumer experience. From kitchen leadership to executive operations, Paul has been involved in nearly every facet of the hospitality business. He is known for building and coaching high-performing teams and for consistently delivering elevated consumer experiences that drive loyalty, retention, and long-term brand value.
Paul previously oversaw operations for Jean-Georges restaurants across China and Hong Kong, including Jean-Georges Shanghai and Three on the Bund. During his tenure, he played a key role in opening and expanding the Mercato brand and led the reopening of Jean-Georges Shanghai, which earned its first Michelin Star in 2018. His international leadership experience blends culinary excellence with operational discipline at scale.
In 2020, Paul founded Betera, bringing his culinary and hospitality expertise into the consumer products space. He currently serves as Executive Chef at The Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton, New York.
Extending his influence beyond restaurants, Paul is also the author of Marvel’s Spider-Man: The Official Cookbook, translating iconic pop culture into thoughtfully crafted culinary experiences. The project reflects his ability to connect food, storytelling, and brand in a way that resonates with modern consumers and broad audiences.
Earlier in his career, Paul worked at Perry Street and served as Executive Sous Chef at Jean-Georges in New York. He was also Executive Chef of the Hermitage Resort in Vermont and Culinary Director at Airbnb, where he helped shape food and hospitality experiences at a global platform level.
Paul holds a B.A. in Hospitality Management from the Culinary Institute of America.