Management Team
Blythe Jack, President & CEO
In partnership with Innovate Partners, an entrepreneurial incubator for emerging consumer products companies, Blythe acquired CahootieTM from its founders in May 2009 at which point she took the helm of the company as President & CEO. In her role, Blythe focuses on developing and executing the strategic and operational plans for CahootieTM, as well as cultivating the CahootieTM brand and company culture.
Prior to joining CahootieTM, Blythe spent nine years as a hands-on private equity investor at Rosewood Capital in San Francisco, a leader in growth equity investments in the branded consumer market. While at Rosewood, Blythe was deeply involved with a wide range of leading and emerging consumer companies in the firm’s portfolio, including Under Armour, Anna’s Linens, Carino’s Italian Grill, Cobalt Boats, and Davaco, as well as Clarisonic and Villa (formerly Sneaker Villa), where she remains on the Board of Directors of both companies.
Blythe has been actively involved with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Program since 2005 where she has served as a National Judge for the Retail & Consumer Products and Services categories. Through this outstanding affiliation, she met the CahootieTM founders in 2008 and saw an incredible opportunity to build upon their vision and expand the CahootieTM platform through new products and distribution.
Blythe earned a BA from Vanderbilt University with Honors. Blythe can be reached via email at: blythe@cahootie.com.
Jeff P. Conner, COO
Jeff joined Cahootie in 2009 and was involved with the acquisition of the business from the previous owners. Prior to joining CahootieTM, Jeff held various operating roles, including general manager, CFO, and COO within a portfolio of companies owned and operated by Innovate Partners, a private equity and consulting firm focused on development stage companies in the technology and consumer sectors. Most recently, Jeff was General Manager for Ocean Minded Inc., which was acquired from Innovate in February of 2007 by Crocs Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX), from January 2005 through July 2008. Prior to joining Innovate, Jeff held various financial analyst and accounting positions at KABC-TV, a subsidiary of Disney Inc., and at Whole Foods Market. Jeff earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Finance from California State University Northridge.
Jeff can be reached via email at: jeff@cahootie.com.
Alan W. Pettis, Chief Legal Officer
Alan joined Innovate in 2008 and has over 30 years experience in public and private financing, acquisitions and dispositions. From 2006-08 Alan was the President and Chief Operating Officer of ORION Property Partners, Inc., a commercial real estate operating company. Prior to 2006, Alan was a partner at the international law firms of Latham & Watkins and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher representing clients in accessing the capital markets and in mergers and acquisitions. In 1987 Alan, then the Managing Partner of the Orange County, California, office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, left the firm to found and become the Managing Partner of the law firm of Pettis, Tester, Kruse & Krinsky. Alan earned Bachelor of Arts and L.L.B. degrees from the University of Texas.
Katie Bennett, Sales and Marketing Manager
Katie joins CahootieTM from Innovate Partners where she served in sales and marketing operations for a number of the Innovate portfolio companies including Ultimate Ears, Ocean Minded Sandals and Kanopy Media. Prior to joining Innovate, Katie was a merchandise marketer at Swell, a leading on-line surf apparel company. Katie earned her BA in Business from the University of San Diego. Katie is fully inspired by the idea of enlightenment, encouragement and engagement that CahootieTM brings to young girls.
Katie can be reached via email at: katie@cahootie.com.
Innovate Partners, Inc is an operationally oriented private capital company
serving emerging technology and consumer based companies in Southern
California. Over the past 14 years Innovate has founded, managed or been the
lead investor in more that 15 businesses. Current Innovate companies include
Cahootie, Ultimate Ears (now a Logitech Company), Ocean Minded Sandals (now
a Crocs Company), Innovate Motorsports (now a Dover company), Innovate
Technology, Expensable Software, Canopy HR Solutions and Metropark. Cahootie
is served by Robert Allison, the founder and owner of Innovate Partners. Bob
and his team are fully engaged in helping Cahootie to execute their mission
of enlightenment, encouragement and engagement to young girls.
