j. eric lawrence
founder & ceo
Eric founded if.food to align his passions for food, consumer brands and growing emerging businesses. With more than three decades of consumer focused investing, business advisory and executive leadership, Eric has led highly successful entrepreneurial businesses and organizations in the role of CEO, Managing Member, Partner and Board Member. He is also a founding partner with Ignite Consumer Partners, an opportunistic and special situations investment and advisory firm focused on larger consumer branded businesses, including a recent investment led by Lion Capital in True Food Kitchen.
Prior to founding if.food and Ignite, Eric most recently served as Managing Member of Matter Family Office, a national, family office advising on more than $6B of investments and net worth for select families based in the U.S. and internationally. At Matter, Eric led the firm’s strategy, growth, investment activities and overall operations of the firm. Under his leadership, Matter more than tripled in size and became recognized as one of the top family office wealth management firms in the country.
Prior to Matter, he served as President & Chief Investment Officer for Cervantes Capital (now SIF Partners), leading the management of approximately $1.6 billion in investments and consumer operating business interests, including Quiznos and Smashburger. Prior to Cervantes, Eric was a partner with Retail & Restaurant Growth Capital, and participated in the investment of equity and mezzanine capital into many consumer brands including Restoration Hardware, Quiznos, Uncle Julios, Elizabeth Arden, and Red Door Salons, among others.
Eric began his career at Arthur Andersen, where he was a Senior Consultant and CPA. Eric received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting with a Minor in Economics from Southern Methodist University. He also completed studies at University of Oxford, Oxford, England with a concentration in International Economics. Eric is an advisory board member of True Food Kitchen and an active member of YPO, including serving as a seven-year board member and Chairman of the Rocky Mountain Chapter. An avid and passionate cook, fly fisherman and outdoorsman, Eric is the proud father of three amazing adult children and resides in Denver and St. Louis.