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

TBD: Marketing Specialist

Background: ChopLocal is hiring a marketing specialist!

Learn more here!