Cynthia Tice

After spending 40 years in the Natural Products Industry Cynthia’s interests are focused on supporting women in business, finding/introducing the highest quality delicious products for healthier living, especially those with no sugar, supporting young entrepreneurs in the better-for-you food and lifestyle space, and sustainability. She began her career in the Natural Product Industry, fresh out of college, when she opened a natural food store in Philadelphia. She remains passionate about natural foods and their benefit to people and the planet on which they live.

When Cynthia started her store, it was the early days, long before it was deemed chic, smart, or cool to be thinking about quality of food, sustainability or the environment. She found a home in the industry because it felt like right livelihood, something that she could do to make money that was also of benefit to people and planet. A true win-win, and Cynthia feels so lucky to have discovered her life’s work at such an early age.

Cynthia entrepreneurial journey led her to create Lily’s, a line of delicious, no sugar added treats that has disrupted the confection and baking categories since its introduction in 2012. Following the successful national Whole Foods launch of four bars, in Sept 2014, she launched Lily’s No Sugar Added Baking Chips, which quickly became the #1 item in Natural Channel Grocery category. In 2018, she partnered with private equity firm, VMG, to capitalize on Lily’s explosive growth. In June 2021, Lily's was acquired by The Hershey Co., making it one of the largest snack food brand deals of the year. In joining the Hershey's family of brands, Lily's has become a brand that makes BFY options more easily accessible to all consumers.

In her latest chapter, Cynthia has joined strategic consulting agency BeyondBrands as a partner, serving in the role of Entrepreneur in Residence. Here she will continue to build the industry with a focus on helping the next wave of BFY brands navigate all stages of business to achieve their goals. Her work as a board member of Naturally Network, as well as advisory and board roles for early stage brands, rounds out her goal to shape the natural products industry for the very best future it can have.