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Tom Straw
Founder | CEO
Thanks for visiting Twister's Café, named in honor of our last Airedale, Mr. Twister.
I started making frozen treats over 20 years ago with healthy, whole-food ingredients in the kitchen blender for our Airedales. Retail frozen treats back then were loaded with chemicals and took up freezer space - not much has changed. So, the team began developing Twister's "freeze at home", powdered ingredient treats, for your furry friends in April '22.
Twister's Cafe is getting ready to launch its new product, Drool Whip™, a superfood creamer for dogs! Drool Whip is a combination of human-grade ingredients, formulated for your dog's taste buds, and digestive and oral health, unlike the dairy-based treats available today at your local cafés and restaurants.
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Twister's Café aims to continue to grow the oral and digestive-friendly pet treat markets with other superfood treats coming soon!
Alex Taylor
Advisor | Distribution Partner
Woofabes Gourmet Dog Barkery, Iowa
Alex is the Managing Director of the Iowa Startup Accelerator and an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Iowa. Alex brings his passion for mentoring entrepreneurs to the team at Twister’s Café. Alex, with his wife Laura at the helm, also owns Woofables Gourmet Dog Biscuits in Coralville, Iowa. Woofables treats are sold in over 700+ pet, and non-pet retailers, throughout the United States. Woofables is prepared to distribute Twister’s treats to their retail partners on a wholesale basis.
David Osborne
Chief Financial Officer | Co-Founder
David is a seasoned start-up executive with high-growth consumer product companies. The most recognizable brands David has worked with include Redbox, the DVD rental company; and Instacart, the leader in grocery delivery. David recently joined The Pampered Chef, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, to introduce fresh ideas to a very stable, 40-year-old business. David is an active seed-stage investor, founding shareholder of Twister’s Café, and lives in the Chicagoland Metro.
Kevin Szurek
Chief Product Officer
Atlast Pet Supply, Minnesota
Kevin has literally grown up in the pet industry. Kevin’s parents launched Atlas Pet Supply in 1990; an independent retail pet supply company that had a total of 5 locations in the greater Minneapolis area at its peak. As it often is with a family business, Kevin has worn many hats over the years for the company. In addition to fostering a welcoming atmosphere that focuses on finding the perfect fit for the needs of pet parents, he has spent a lot of time acting as a merchandising specialist and as the buyer. In his role as buyer, Kevin interacts with distributors and directly with product manufacturers. He attends many of the national and regional pet industry trade shows annually and is prepared to get Twister’s treats on store shelves nationwide and displayed prominently at industry trade shows around the U.S.
Samantha Henson
Clinical Pet Nutritionist
Next Generation Pet Wellness, Michigan
Samantha is a licensed clinical pet nutritionist and founder of Next Generation Pet Wellness. Samantha started her career as the CPN for Premier Pet, before launching Next Generation in 2017. Samantha has been advising Tom since Nov ’21 on commercializing the team's novel pet treat concept. When Samantha isn't living and breathing all things pet nutrition with her clients, you will find her at home spending time with a husband, 3 kids, and a zoo's worth of beloved pets in Grand Rapids, MI.
Steve Campbell
Board Member | Co-Founder
Steve has owned and operated a number of consumer product companies in Iowa, including the Harley Davidson distributor he launched in the 90s upon retiring from a high school teaching career. Steve currently distributes hot tubs and recreational ATVs in the Midwest, plus working on his game-changing frictionless payment systems and mobile applications for the non-profit sector. Steve is an active seed-stage investor, founding shareholder of Twister’s Café, and lives in Des Moines, IA.
