izzio artisan bakery Expands Sara Kafadar's Role to President and Chief Commercial Officer to Co-Lead Business with CEO Etai Baron

The longstanding leaders and collaborators will co-lead the bakery's next phase of growth, building on strong retail performance, expanded baking capacity and real sourdough innovation

LOUISVILLE, Colo., Nov. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- izzio artisan bakery, a family-owned national bakery known for crafting real sourdough with simple ingredients and time-honored baking techniques, today announced the expansion of Sara Kafadar's role to president and chief commercial officer (CCO). Kafadar will co-lead the business alongside chief executive officer (CEO) Etai Baron, jointly guiding the company's mission and vision, long-term strategy, organizational leadership and corporate reputation.

The new peer leadership structure formalizes Kafadar and Baron's longstanding collaboration, combining their complementary strengths to accelerate growth. Together, they will further advance izzio's customer-first approach, increase speed to market with category-disrupting innovation, and strengthen operational efficiency, while maintaining the company's commitment to baking high-quality, real sourdough bread.

"Sara has been an integral partner in building izzio into the business it is today, helping consumers rethink what they expect from their food, from the ingredients it contains to the care behind how it's made," said Baron. "This next chapter builds on what we've accomplished together and the tremendous opportunity ahead. Together, we will remain grounded in servant leadership, strong customer partnerships and delivering the highest quality real sourdough to more tables across the country."

Kafadar joined izzio as CCO in 2015 and has helped shape the bakery's commercial strategy, expand customer relationships and drive innovation. She brings decades of bakery industry experience to izzio, including leadership roles across IAWS Foods and ARYZTA businesses, such as Delice de France, Cuisine de France and La Brea Bakery. As president and CCO, Kafadar will continue to lead sales, marketing, R&D and brand development, with added focus on strategic revenue generation, customer value, and operational efficiencies that uphold izzio's standards of baking excellence.

Baron, one of the founders of izzio artisan bakery, has served as CEO since 2014. He will continue to guide the company's overall direction, institutional strength and long-term value.

"Our passion for baking real sourdough the right way sets izzio apart and clearly resonates with consumers looking for delicious, digestible, and wholesome breads made with simple, high-quality ingredients," said Kafadar. "Etai and I have built an amazing partnership rooted in mutual respect, complementary strengths and a shared vision for izzio. I'm proud of what we've accomplished together, and I am excited to build on that foundation as we bring real sourdough innovation into new categories and to more tables, driving our next phase of growth."

Building Momentum as a Baking Leader

izzio's leadership evolution comes at a time of accelerated growth for the company, with retail sales increasing more than 40% versus a year ago for the second year in a row. The company was also named to Bain & Company's Insurgent Brands list in both 2025 and 2026, which identifies outperforming independent brands reshaping their categories in the fast-moving consumer goods sector.

Under the shared leadership of Kafadar and Baron, izzio has diversified its portfolio while expanding distribution to more than 15,000 retail locations. The company also increased its baking footprint and capacity earlier this year with the opening of a second bakery in Thornton, Colo., supporting continued demand for its real sourdough breads.

The company is building on this foundation through expanded retail partnerships and continued momentum in foodservice, alongside opportunities to increase distribution and retail assortment across the U.S. and Canada.

Bringing Real Sourdough to More Formats and Occasions

izzio continues to reach new households through additional formats and channels, building on its legacy of transforming the in-store bakery by introducing the convenience of sliced artisan real sourdough bread. Earlier this year, the company expanded its offerings with the launch of Organic Artisan Sourdough Sandwich Breads to meet growing consumer demand for high-quality, real sourdough. Additionally, izzio recently launched a direct-to-consumer subscription program making more of its real sourdough breads available to consumers throughout the contiguous U.S.

Additional innovation launching this month includes:

• Cranberry Orange Sourdough Batard: Offering a vibrant twist on classic sourdough, this limited-edition bread combines bursts of sweet cranberries with a delicate infusion of orange for a perfectly balanced flavor that is tart, citrusy, and subtly sweet.
• Super Sour Sourdough: This bread is a familiar classic with a brighter, bolder flavor - balanced, craveable, and made for those who want their sourdough to taste unmistakably sour.
• French Sourdough: Crafted in the spirit of traditional artisan French baking, this delicious sliced loaf has an airy crumb and a nuanced flavor that defines authentic French sourdough bread.

In the coming months, izzio will bring sourdough to new categories outside of bread for the first time while staying true to what makes its sourdough real sourdough: slow fermentation, small-batch baking and clean, simple ingredients

For more information, visit izziobakery.com.

About izzio artisan bakery

izzio artisan bakery is a family-owned national bakery based in Colorado known for crafting real Sourdough with simple ingredients. All izzio breads are made with living sourdough starters fermented naturally over several days using time-honored artisan techniques. Long fermentation combined with small batch baking are izzio's secret ingredients, and the result is clean, delicious and digestible bread. izzio's skilled bakers always start with three main ingredients - flour, water, and salt - and never take shortcuts because they know baking real sourdough the right way is a craft that simply can't be replicated at scale. izzio's Artisan Sliced Boules and Batards, Heat & Serve, and Organic Artisan Sandwich Breads offer real sourdough options for every occasion. Learn more and taste the difference of Real Sourdough™ by visiting izziobakery.com and connecting with @izzio_artisan_bakery on Instagram.

MEDIA CONTACT
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SOURCE izzio artisan bakery