76 South Bay Accent Named a Woman of Influence by the Silicon Valley Business Journal in 2012, Ganzler has been instrumental in pioneering sustainable policies that are having an impact on the entire food chain, from field to plate. Although a small player in the food industry, BAMCO has created new markets for socially responsible food sourcing. Everyone along the food chain is listening and making changes. “It’s fun competing above my weight class,” says Ganzler, who has the lens of her telescopic scope aimed at McDonald’s, Taco Bell and myriad other grab-andgo places her target customers might get a quick, cheap meal. Those customers, or “guests,” include a multitude of Silicon Valley university students and techies from institutions ranging from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business to Google, Yahoo, Twitter and Oracle. The basic driver of BAMCO’s success, Ganzler believes, is that the fresh, unprocessed food it serves tastes better. “I don’t think there’s a purpose in purity,” she says. But “how could anyone argue with their own taste buds?” Ganzler is a practical idealist. She doesn’t expect to win over everyone to eat mindfully at every meal. But she has planted a formidable seed about the connection between farm and fork. She also grants that their business demographic is well educated and inspired by these sustainable food policies Ganzler grew up in Santa Cruz, where she currently lives with her fluffy little Maltese. “I like the independent nature of Santa Cruz,” she says. On weekends, when she isn’t keeping a break-neck schedule from her Mountain View office, you’ll probably find her walking to a local market or strolling on the beach. She also likes to dance. She practices Worldanz, described as “a high-intensity kinesthetic fitness program that is dynamic, inspiring and deliriously playful.” Her parents arrived in Santa Cruz in the 1960s, attracted by what she refers to as a “bohemian” atmosphere. She credits her parents, who both worked for nonprofits, for her attitude toward “social responsibility” and advocacy. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the organic tree,” she says with a smile. At the age of 9 she already knew what she wanted to do with her life. “I wanted museums, corporations and specialty cafes—in 32 states across the country. Ganzler’s indefatigable energy helped BAMCO raise the bar for what once was derisively referred to as “cafeteria food;” casseroles and “mystery meat,” served alongside iceberg lettuce and a sugary drink. It’s different at Bon Appétit tables. All of the food is prepared from scratch by BAMCO chefs; many of the ingredients come from small, local farms. The seafood is certified sustainable; eggs come from cage-free chickens. The beef and dairy is from humanely raised cows. This is the target year for BAMCO to only purchase pork raised without gestation crates. Additionally, the company is one of the first in the food industry to address the connection between the food chain and climate change, as well as put a spotlight on farmworkers’ rights. Ganzler’s high-minded aspirations on humanely treating hogs raised for food takes her to farms such as Pure Country Pork of Ephrata, Washington.
South Bay Accent - Aug/Sep 2015
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