ABOUT US

Patrick Mateer is founder and CEO of Seal the Seasons, the first CPG brand to utilize a distributed supply chain model to bring Americans nationwide "locally grown, locally frozen and locally sold produce". Founded in his dorm room at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Patrick has grown the business to serve 30 states and approx 4,000 retail locations. With a background in political science and economics, Patrick sees Seal the Seasons as a tool to empower farmers in rural economically-depressed communities. Patrick and the company have been recognized with numerous awards, include Forbes 30 Under 30, the Chobani Incubator, Next Award 2019 and the Kroger Zero Hunger Zero Waste Award. In his free time, Patrick serves as Entrepreneur in Residence at UNC-Chapel Hill, rides his motorcycle and is successfully learning to cook everything from scratch.

As the Chief Operating Officer, Alex is in charge of running day to day operations at Seal the Seasons. He also assists with strategic development, financial model development and day-to-day cashflow management. He has experience in investment banking with Bank of America and Merill Lynch, management consulting with Deloitte and business development and Groundwork Labs. Alex holds a degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he graduated with highest distinction and honors in Business Administration and Global Studies. In his free time, Alex enjoys hiking, biking and eating his mother's cooking.

Serafina Palandech is a two-time founder in the natural foods industry, specializing in sales and marketing. In 2011, she created Hip Chick Farms, organic poultry company, which scaled into national distribution. Prior to working in natural foods, Serafina served as a Director for multiple non-profit agencies and fundraising events across the country. She is passionate volunteer, animal lover and voracious reader.

A native of North Carolina yet raised in Lancaster, Pa., Eric brings 25 years of management, logistics and operations experience to Seal the Seasons. Most of his leadership experience has come in the food and beverage industry, as well as the moving industry. Eric has a knack for analyzing situations and creating the best possible outcome while maintaining the highest integrity and keeping the customer's needs first. When he's not streamlining processes, Eric enjoys spending time with his family, boating and coaching youth sports. He loves sports, especially basketball, and is an avid UNC fan.

Andrea has spent most of her career at advertising agencies both large and small, with a diverse range of clientele. As a Creative Director, she's conceived, developed and executed strategic solutions for 360 campaigns, as well as specialty projects in both print and digital spaces. Andrea received her B.A. from U.C. Berkeley, and has completed additional coursework at Brooks Institute of Photography and UCLA Extension. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the foodie scene, shooting pool, and driving with the top down.

Neil has a varied background in business. After eight years in a private law practice with a large firm, he transitioned his career to business. Because he is a "numbers guy," he gravitated towards finance, working primarily with small businesses. Neil holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Go Heels!), a J.D. from SMU and a Master's in Tax from NYU. In his free time, Neil enjoys being outdoors backpacking and hiking with his son and his dog, kayaking and sailing.

Samantha joined Seal the Seasons in January of 2021. Samantha has spent her career in the PepsiCo system on the conventional side of grocery and the C&G channel. She held multiple sales leadership roles during her time with PepsiCo and is excited to transition over to the better-for-you category and natural channel. Samantha is passionate about building on brands that are locally sourced and nourishing for the body. Outside of work, she enjoys hot yoga, tent camping with her husband and dog, training for marathons, brewing kombucha, and exploring healthy foods for her & her family.

Danielle joined Seal the Seasons in March of 2020 as the Procurement Specialist. After graduating college, she spent 2 years living and working on small produce and livestock farms throughout the Southeast. From there she spent 3 years getting plugged in at a NC food hub where she went on to manage day to day operations for Firsthand Foods. She is passionate about building and supporting resilient local food economies and connecting consumers to food production. Outside of work, she enjoys doing just about anything outside with her partner and dog, baking all things sourdough, tending to a backyard flock of chickens and rock climbing whenever possible.

After scratching the itch to wander with an extended road trip all over the US, Delanie joined Seal the Seasons in January of 2021. She brings with her over 14 years of varied operations experience, but selling salmon at the Seattle neighborhood farmers markets sparked her passion for promoting local food producers. She's a fierce advocate for getting consumers excited about where and who their food comes from as well as the sustainability of local food supply chains. Outside of work she's a dog mom to two adorable basset hounds, enjoys fly fishing and camping, and plans to cook and eat all of the food in the Triangle.

Haley Buggs joins Seal the Seasons in May of 2021 after working in the fashion industry for the past 8 years. Fueled by her passion for understanding healthy life habits she has returned to her roots in the food industry. Haley brings over 20 years combined sales and operations experience to her new role. While balancing her work life she enjoys hiking, camping and raising tiny humans.

Tanya Dianto joined Seal the Seasons in the Spring of 2022. She possesses 30+ years of bookkeeping experience across a broad spectrum of industry segments including small business, large nationwide construction, and retail corporations. Tanya grew up on 40 acres of land outside of Atlanta, GA where her family maintained a 2-acre garden. She learned at a young age how to freeze the crops from their small farm, which drove her to understand the importance of access to fruits and vegetables for healthy, vibrant living. In her free time, Tanya enjoys spending time with her husband and four adult children, usually relaxing on a beach, or exploring nature at a State or National Forest in Florida or Georgia.

Mandy joined the Seal the Seasons team as Jr. Graphic Designer/Content Specialist in March of 2022. After graduating from IUPUI in Indianapolis, she was a graphic designer in the Indy area before fulfilling her lifelong dream of moving to Colorado. In 2017, she took a brief hiatus from working in the marketing field to be a mentor as a Middle School and High School Media Arts Teacher. After returning to the commercial realm, she found her love of helping our planet and its people through food by being the Creative Marketing Specialist at a natural foods company in Loveland, CO for two years. Mandy is passionate about telling the stories of our farmers, finding new ways to enhance our customer journey, and creating an overall positive brand experience through design. In her free time, she enjoys collecting vinyl records, attending Red Rocks concerts, cooking over a campfire, and being a total pop culture trivia nerd.

Billy joined Seal the Seasons in July of 2022. He has spent most of his career working in the food and beverage industry, specializing in health and wellness brands. He held multiple marketing leadership roles at Glacéau (Vitaminwater / Smartwater) and KIND Snacks. Billy has developed a passion for building not only better-for-you brands but promoting 'real food' that has transparent ingredients and sourcing practices. Outside of work, he enjoys spending quality time with his wife and daughter, visiting local breweries and restaurants, attending live music shows and binging the buzzworthy streaming shows.