Chris Linzey

I was fortunate enough to have traveled at an early age to satisfy my curiosity and interest in culture and language and travel continues to be a focus in my life with frequent family trips. I have always called California home. I discovered the natural foods industry while working in a farmers market during high school and experiencing what good fresh food and impassioned smaller business owners could bring to the community to make food exciting and better for us. My retail career continued through college where I managed independent stores in Southern California. I enjoyed focusing on differentiating our stores and products from conventional grocery with the latest local products from smaller producers. My career moved into sales where I worked in distribution for Tree of Life for many years. Since then, I have represented key manufacturers in the natural foods industry and currently work for Teeccino, a proud Provender member and supporter.

My passion has always been collaborating with customers and colleagues and experiencing the innovation and forward thinking that drives our industry. I am also an avid soccer fan having coached at the competitive club level while my kids were growing up. While not traveling I can be found planning our next trip, spending time with family, working in our garden, hiking or walking the dog. I live in Clayton California with my wife Kathryn, and our dog Barclay.

Throughout my career I had heard of this legendary community called Provender when visiting the Pacific Northwest. Last year was my first Provender conference (finally!) and I can’t say enough about how honored I am to be able to contribute to this organization.