Retaaza announces the appointment of Paul Clements as Head of Strategy & Growth, its first executive leadership hire beyond Founder and CEO, Kashi Sehgal.
ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, July 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Every day, Georgia farmers grow fresh, healthy food. Yet too often, that food doesn't reach enough buyers, while businesses and communities continue looking for better access to locally grown products.
Since 2020, Retaaza has been building a better way.
Today, the Georgia-based food company announced the appointment of Paul Clements as Head of Strategy & Growth, its first executive leadership hire beyond Founder and CEO Kashi Sehgal. The appointment marks an important milestone as Retaaza prepares to scale its business model and expand its impact across Georgia and beyond.
Retaaza builds innovative food systems that connect Georgia farmers with new markets. Through wholesale distribution, mixed produce box programs, employee wellness initiatives, Farm Fresh Markets, healthcare partnerships, strategy and advisory services, and community food access initiatives, the company creates more opportunities for locally grown food to reach businesses, organizations, and families while reducing food waste and strengthening local agriculture.
That work is already taking shape across Georgia. Retaaza supplies fresh produce to businesses and organizations, operates MARTA Markets at transit stations across metro Atlanta, and recently expanded the DeKalb Farm Fresh Mobile Market in partnership with DeKalb County to bring affordable, Georgia-grown food into neighborhoods with limited access to fresh produce.
Since its founding, Retaaza has partnered with more than 70 farms across 37 Georgia counties, rescued and purchased more than 1.7 million pounds of locally grown produce, donated more than 1.3 million pounds of fresh food, and prevented nearly 2 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.
"Retaaza was born when I learned that our incredible farmers were growing the best food, but there were not enough ways for that food to reach the people who wanted and needed it," said Kashi Sehgal, Founder and CEO of Retaaza. "We believed there was an opportunity to build a different kind of food business that strengthens local agriculture and supports our farmers, while making fresh food more accessible.
"For six years, we've focused on proving that model works. Today, we're ready to scale it. Bringing Paul onto our leadership team is an investment in the future of our company and the future of the food system we're helping build."
Clements brings more than two decades of leadership experience spanning agriculture, food retail, nonprofit innovation, food recovery, and strategic partnerships. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of Second Helpings Atlanta, where he strengthened the organization's financial position, expanded regional partnerships, modernized operations, and partnered with Retaaza to launch Field to Fork, an innovative initiative that expanded Retaaza’s reach of connecting Georgia farmers with communities experiencing food insecurity.
Prior to Second Helpings Atlanta, Clements spent a decade with Whole Foods Market, leading corporate social responsibility initiatives across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, including the Nourishing Our Neighborhoods program, which diverted nearly 30 million pounds of surplus food from landfills while increasing access to nutritious food in communities across North America.
"Paul understands how to build partnerships that create lasting impact," Sehgal said. "He sees opportunities where others see obstacles. He brings a range of experience across different types of organizations in the food system, giving him a valuable, well-rounded perspective. As we continue to grow, his leadership will help us expand our reach while staying true to who we are, and I'm excited to have a thought partner in him as we take Retaaza to its next level of impact."
For Clements, joining Retaaza is an opportunity to help scale a business model he believes represents the future of food.
"The future of food isn't about choosing between supporting farmers, feeding communities, or building successful businesses. It's about designing a system where all three succeed together. Throughout my career, I've learned that the biggest challenges facing our food system are deeply connected. The solutions should be too.”
"That's what drew me to Retaaza. They've spent the last six years proving that when you build better connections between farmers and the people they serve, everyone benefits. Farmers gain new markets. Businesses gain access to exceptional local products. Communities gain greater access to fresh, healthy food.
"I’m excited to help grow that impact by building new partnerships, opening new markets, and expanding a model that I believe can strengthen food systems far beyond Georgia.”
"For me, this isn't about joining a new organization. It's about continuing the work of building a food system where doing what's right for farmers, communities, businesses, and the environment are no longer competing priorities. They're part of the same solution."
As Retaaza enters its next phase of growth, the company remains focused on creating better pathways for locally-grown food to reach more people while strengthening the farmers and communities that make that possible.
About Retaaza
Retaaza is a woman-owned B Corp and social enterprise that makes local food more accessible and affordable, directly supports our communities’ farmers, reconnects consumers to their food and planet, and feeds families and individuals struggling with food insecurity. Retaaza is tackling the huge wasted food issue and its implications for the environment, community hunger, and economic prosperity in rural and local areas, through a unique business model.
For more information, visit retaaza.com.
###
Kashi Sehgal
Retaaza
+1 404-939-0495
Visit us on social media:
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Media gallery
