Sometimes an experience doesn’t just change your life — it calls you to create something bigger than yourself.

In 1999, Ryan Black was living what most might call the dream —professional football in the NFL and Europe, a Finance degree from the University of Colorado, and the discipline of an elite athlete. But beneath his helmet was a restlessness to achieve something exceptional that no playbook could satisfy.

On a surf trip to Brazil to celebrate the millennium, Ryan tasted an Açaí bowl for the first time. It wasn’t just delicious — it was transformative. The vibrant purple, the rich flavor, the mystical energy it carried. In that moment, he envisioned something bigger: how an ancient Amazonian food, sustaining over a million people in the Varzea — the flooded forest basin of the Brazilian Amazon — could become a force for good, protecting the region’s biodiversity rather than consuming it.

In 2000, with little more than a credit card and a dream, Ryan, his brother Jeremy, and friends Ed "Skanda" Nichols and Travis Baumgardner launched a company appropriately called SAMBAZON— Sustainable Açai Management of the Brazilian Amazon — to introduce the world to the king of all Amazon Superfoods in a way that would truly matter.

Two decades before "ESG" became a buzzword, SAMBAZON began operating under a revolutionary philosophy — the Triple Bottom Line, measuring success not just economically, but socially and environmentally. In partnership with local and international NGO’s and Organic and Fair Trade certifiers, they pioneered the first standards for wild-harvesting Açaí through sustainable agroforestry. They weren't following a trend. They were setting one.

What made it possible was what Ryan calls Underdog Economics. He learned early that overlooked people are often the ones with the most potential. He saw that same truth in the Amazon’s farmers: guardians of a global treasure, invisible to the world that depended on them. SAMBAZON was built to change that equation. The underdog recognized the underdog. And he and his partners proved that a business could scale and both sides could win.

Today, SAMBAZON is the pioneer that has brought Açaí from the Amazon to nearly 60 countries, meaningfully improving the health and wellness of people worldwide while elevating the socio-economic status of thousands of Amazonian small family farmers. What began as a surf trip has become a global movement.

Ryan lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and son and two Rhodesian Ridgebacks. He’s still passionate about social entrepreneurship, surf adventures and yet to be famous Amazonian fruits.

Ricardo Perdigao serves as Global Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Sambazon, Inc., the world’s leading Certified Organic and Fair Trade Açaí brand. In this dual executive role, Ricardodrives the company’s financial strategy, supply chain verticalization and operational excellence, and sustainable growth initiatives, helping reinforce Sambazon’s position as a mission-driven leader in the natural foods industry.

Bringing more than 25 years of international leadership experience, Ricardo has built a distinguished career in strategic finance and commercial operations across global enterprises. Prior to joining Sambazon in 2017, he held senior finance roles at major global companies including Coca-Cola, British American Tobacco, and SHV Energy, where he led financial planning, treasury, corporate finance, and operational transformation teams in diverse markets around the world.

At Sambazon, Ricardo plays a central role in shaping the company’s triple bottom line strategy — people, planet, profit — ensuring financial strength while advancing Sambazon’s commitments to sustainability, community impact, and ethical business practices. Under his leadership, the company has advanced innovative financing initiatives and sustainability-linked partnerships that align with its mission to protect the Amazon Rainforest and positively impact producers and communities throughout its supply chain.

Ricardo holds an MBA in Corporate Management from Fundação Dom Cabral, an MBA in Executive Finance from IBMEC, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro, underscoring a strong academic foundation that complements his global business leadership.

As Chief Commercial Officer at SAMBAZON, Chad Coester is dedicated to expanding the reach of the world’s first Certified Organic and Fair Trade Açaí brand, advancing a business model that uplifts communities and preserves the Amazon rainforest.

Chad Coester is a visionary executive with over 20 years of experience driving growth, innovation, and profitability across leading retail and CPG organizations. He is widely recognized for successfully leading multi billion dollar portfolios and large-scale cross-functional teams to deliver sustainable top-line expansion and margin improvement. His deep value chain expertise spans manufacturing—across 20 self manufacturing and 650 co manufacturing facilities—supply chain, ecommerce, consumer insights, loyalty, and commercialization.

A results driven operator, Chad transformed Albertsons’ $16B Own Brands business, representing 26% of total company sales, by delivering growth that outpaced the core business, unlocking over $115M in cost savings, and launching more than 4,000 innovation items. He is known for elevating brand equity by shifting organizations from transactional to emotional shopper engagement, with a strong focus on packaging innovation, sustainability, and speed to shelf.

From 2023 to 2025, Chad led the transformation of L.A. Libations by strengthening sales, marketing, merchandising, and incubation capabilities through top-tier talent, an optimized structure, and aligned execution. He also spearheaded national merchandising capabilities through joint ventures and co launched the Taste Tomorrow Venture Fund. Across his career, Chad has become known for combining strategic foresight with operational rigor and a passion for developing high impact, empowered teams. He is energized by building brands and growing people.

Outside of work, Chad enjoys hiking with his wife, Desiree, and their two boxers, Nala and Zoa. He is also a passionate cyclist and committed to an active, outdoor lifestyle.