Shop Women Led Companies

Posted by Olive Oil Lovers on March 3, 2022

Tuesday March 8th, 2022 is International Woman's Day and at Olive Oil Lovers we are proud to work with many companies featuring tremendous female leaders, including Castillo de Canena, Colonna, De Carlo, Franci, Iannotta, Mandranova, and Nobleza del Sur. Check out the full list below to learn more about all the women led companies we work with at Olive Oil Lovers!

Calivirgin

In 2005 the Coldani family decided to take decades of farming knowledge and establish a new venture in olive oil production. This family business includes immediate family, spouses and children who handle every aspect from tree to bottle alongside a small but dedicated group of employees. The ownership and management team include Julie Coldani and Gina Sans, who lead the the Coldani Olive Company and Coldani Family Winery. Together this family business farms 6-7 commodities across over 1000 acres including 150 acres of olives and 20 acres of vines. Shop Calivirgin

Castillo de Canena

Led by siblings Rosa and Francisco Vaño, Castillo de Canena is a family-run business involved in the complete process of creating extra virgin oils, from the trees and the land to its commercialization. Rosa Vaño built her career as a Marketing Manager, working for Coca Cola, Universal and Paramount before returning home to help lead the family business. Castillo de Canena is a pioneer in the use of modern technologies to produce high quality olive oils while promoting the health and biodiversity of their groves. Shop Castillo de Canena

Colonna

Like a journey back in time, traveling along old roads buried deep in Molise's green hills with their rarefied air and ancient ambiance; here in this gently undulating Italian countryside is where Colonna's extra virgin olive oil came to life. Managing over 15 cultivars, Marina Colonna values each stage of production, from tending the plant to extracting the oil, and understands its importance in achieving a high quality extra virgin olive oil. Shop Colonna

De Carlo

The De Carlo family heritage of magnificent olives cultivated in their groves can be found in the archives of Bitritto dating back to the 16th century. Today the family uses the most advanced technology while still preserving its traditional, artisanal origins. The current generation includes siblings Francesco and Marina De Carlo, who share the same passion inherited from their parents. Their company focuses on a short supply chain, top quality, great flavor and the very highest levels of customer satisfaction. Shop De Carlo

Grove 45

Grove 45 Extra Virgin Olive Oil began in 2009 when two long time friends, Nena Talcott and Bonnie Storm, agreed to go into business together. A decade after its founding, the women sold their company to mother-daughter team Ana and Marcela Hernandez. Carrying on the legacy as female entrepreneurs, Ana and Marcela have combined their family groves in Sonoma County, from which they have produced their own local organic oils, with the original trees from Grove 45. The duo are involved in every aspect of the oil production, from driving the tractor to selling and delivering bottles of Grove 45, ensuring the quality of their oil is never compromised. Shop Grove 45

Grumpy Goats

Grumpy Goats Farm produces California-grown extra virgin olive oil on a small farm in Capay Valley, about 80 miles northeast of San Francisco. Owned by partners Stuart Littell and Pamela Marvel, Grumpy Goats aim to produce only the best extra virgin olive oil and believe people will enjoy the great variety, complexity and subtle differences in flavor their oils offer. Littell and Marvel are known for their preference for oils with high levels of polyphenols to complement their belief in a healthier lifestyle. Shop Grumpy Goats

Frantoio Franci

Frantoio Franci was founded in 1958 when brothers Franco and Fernando Franci purchased the famous Villa Magra olive grove and proceeded to transform the old barn into an oil mill where the family today produces some of the most outstanding oils in Tuscany. While Giorgio Franci is well-known as the face of the company, his sisters Laura and Lucia Franci play crucial roles in the success of this family company. Frantoio Franci continues to honor their commitment to producing true, genuine quality extra virgin olive oils without compromise. Shop Frantoio Franci

Iannotta

Lucia Iannotta grew up among the olive groves as the daughter and granddaughter of olive farmers and olive press workers. After graduating from university, she decided to take the reins of the family business and create something entirely new: a company that was modern but at the same time respectful of tradition. It would be a business devoted to quality where the difference was in the details. From this dream was born the reality that bears her name. Since 2008, piece by piece, day after day, the business has grown, winning accolades and devotees. Her team is part farmer, part artisan, and part archaeologist, always full of enthusiasm to inspire emotions through fragrances and flavors. Shop Iannotta

Librandi

The three sisters in the Librandi family, Carmela, Lucia and Angela, work alongside their two brothers, Pino and Michele, in the management of their award winning organic olive oil company, Tenute Librandi of Calabria, Italy. Carmela serves as the business controller, dealing primarily with administration and sales. Lucia is responsible for public relations, and works with promotion, sales activities and social profiles. Angela handles quality control and holds the role of "master miller" in the family, both crafting the monocultivar olive oils and curating other products put on the market. Today the family continues the work of their father Pasquale, lovingly caring for their trees day after day. Shop Librandi

Magna Olea

Based in Vale de Madeiro, Mirandela, Portugal, Magna Olea is run by partners Jerónimo Abreu e Lima and Pilar Abreu e Lima. The farm results from the fusion between two properties held by the Andrade and Gama families, both families with a long tradition of caring for the land. Noted by researchers for its biodiversity, their farm has a small grove of Cobrançosa variety olives tended by an integrated mode of production that respects nature. Such dedication results in one of the finest and most exclusive olive oils in the market: rare, pure, intense, and full of personality. Shop Magna Olea

Mandranova

Combining traditional knowledge with modern methods, Mandranova products are not only of excellent quality, but are true expressions of the land and people of Sicily. The farm, owned and operated by the dynamic husband and wife team, Giuseppe and Silvia Di Vincenzo, is situated on a hill just a few miles from the Southern sea in a green oasis where select olive trees, some over one hundred years old, grow to witness the labor of the area's ancestors. Here they produce the finest quality monocultivar extra virgin olive oils that are expressions of their land, sun and terroir. Shop Mandranova

Nobleza del Sur

Lola Sagra is the managing director of Nobleza del Sur, overseeing the complete process of production from cultivation, harvesting, processing and storage, to packaging and marketing. The Peñuelas-Sagra family has been managing the family groves in the Jaen area of Andalusia since 1640, across 12 generations. Each year they select the best fruit of their family farms and carefully harvest by hand at the optimum moment of ripeness to obtain the best natural olive juice. The company uses sustainable methods and environmentally friendly production resulting in exceptional quality extra virgin olive oil for the most discerning palates. Shop Nobleza del Sur

NovaVera

Seeking a return to nature and a healthy life, in 2016 Bahar Alan acquired an olive grove in Ayvalik, near the west coast of Turkey. After nearly 2 decades working in the technology and industrial sectors, Bahar Alan now focuses her energy on the soil, the century-old trees and the goal of producing the finest extra virgin olive oil from Turkey. By focusing the team's efforts on clean, sustainable farming methods that benefit and improve the land, the trees in their groves create exquisite fruit. Then through the use of carefully selected equipment, a meticulous team doing their job lovingly, and inspection processes implemented without compromise, the results are the beauftiful cold-extracted olive oils of NovaVera. Shop NovaVera