The ChopLocal Team
Jared Achen
Founder & CEO
Background: Jared grew up on a multi-generational Iowa farm with turkeys and row-crops.
Education: B.S. Ag Business '11, Iowa State University
Work Experience:
- raising turkeys, corn, and soybeans
- involved in Iowa Turkey Grower's Cooperative (owns medium-sized meat processing facilities)
Family: 3 kids & wife, Tawnya
Expertise:
- business analysis & financial analysis
- shipping frozen meat
- asking Katie really important questions to talk her out of her crazy ideas
Katie Olthoff
Founder & COO
Background: Katie grew up in rural Iowa but did not live on a farm. Now, she lives on the farm where her husband raises turkey and cattle.
Education: B.S. Elementary Education '06, Iowa State University
Work Experience:
- former teacher
- children's book author (My Family's Farm series)
- ag communications - Iowa Turkey Federation, Iowa Cattlemen's Association
- involved in Iowa Turkey Grower's Cooperative (owns medium-sized meat processing facilities)
Family: 3 kids & husband, Bart
Expertise:
- small biz marketing specializing in SEO, email marketing and writing
- making a million spreadsheets and google docs only to never find them again
- coming up with new ideas and starting new projects
Sydney Hadacek
Producer Support Specialist
Background: Sydney grew up on her family's Angus cow-calf operation in Eastern Iowa.
Education: B.S. Agricultural Communications '21, Iowa State University
Work Experience:
- agricultural SaaS start-ups
- higher education student support (ISU Agricultural Education & Studies)
Family: John Deere loving husband, Bailey
Expertise:
- setting up ChopLocal microstores and handling vendor requests
- providing amazing vendor support being literally unable to let anyone down
- finishing Katie's projects to perfection