Food Brand Entrepreneur in Residence
Brad Rostowfske is a food and beverage industry leader with deep expertise in product innovation, commercialization, and scaling consumer brands. His work focuses on helping companies translate strategy into execution, aligning product development, marketing, and operations to drive profitable growth.
Brad brings extensive experience across both consumer packaged goods and business-to-business product development. During his career with leading brands including Oscar Mayer, Sargento Foods, and Palermo’s Pizza, he led the development and launch of products that collectively generated more than $500 million in annual sales. His background spans innovation, engineering, marketing, and cross-functional leadership, with a focus on building integrated systems that support sustained business performance.
In his role as Director of Industry Growth at FaB Wisconsin, Brad led the development and execution of the FaBcap Business Accelerator Program in collaboration with partners including the Food Finance Institute, SBDC, and WEDC. Under his leadership, 40 participating companies secured more than $16 million in combined grant, debt, and equity funding and reached nearly $30 million in annual sales, strengthening Wisconsin’s food and beverage ecosystem.
At the Food Finance Institute, Brad works with entrepreneurs to strengthen business fundamentals, refine growth strategies, and align resources toward scalable and profitable outcomes. His work often centers on new product development, organizational alignment, and building systems that support innovation and growth.
Outside of his professional work, Brad maintains an active lifestyle and manages a small acreage in the Kettle Moraine region, where he focuses on land stewardship, gardening, and agricultural projects with his family.
- Master of Science, Engineering/Marketing Management – Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE)
- Bachelor of Science, Engineering Mechanics – University of Wisconsin–Madison
