Vincent Biscaye
founder
Vincent started his career in Investment Banking back in 2004 and worked for 10 years as a Derivatives' Trader. In 2014 he did a 180 turn to follow his passion for Food and Beverage and joined Love Grace Juice as Partner and CFO. 2 years later he started Step Two Advisors to help CPG founders succeed in the first years of their entrepreneurial journey. With two master' degrees in Engineering & Finance, coupled with a few years as an operator, he now helps early stage startups avoid as many mistakes as possible. A business strategist and fractional CFO, he co-founded an accelerator program in 2019 called BeyondSKU in partnership with SKU Austin and sits on the Board of Nounós Creamery.
Lauren Braithwaite
VP Finance
Lauren began her career in Public Accounting at Ernst & Young and worked as an auditor in the tech sector in the Bay Area for 5 years. In 2017 she transitioned into an accounting and financial reporting role at Curation Foods, and quickly realized that her passion lay in finance and financial modelling. In her time there she was involved in all aspects of the business life cycle for emerging brands, as well as acquisitions, divestitures, and restructurings. Lauren holds both a Canadian and US CPA designation, and her background in accounting provides a strong basis for financial consulting. She joined Step Two Advisors in January 2022 and has worked with companies such as Algae Cooking Club, Everything Legendary, KOR Shots, Loi Food, GoNanas, SNO, Hiyo and Lentiful. Lauren is also an active volunteer in her community, and in 2021, hiked from Mexico to Canada along the 2,650 mile Pacific Crest.
Ashley Maynard
cfo
Ashley is a tenured food CPG operator with over 15 years experience. She started her career at SE Grocers learning the nuances of retail distribution and working in a corporate environment. Looking for a more diverse experience, she transitioned to an omni channel food CPG startup and found her passion. Ashley thrives in small, scrappy organizations looking to improve infrastructure during growth phases. Having worked internally building small brands for 7 years, she understands uniquely the challenges operators & founders face on a daily basis. She is particularly experienced in financial & operational efficiencies, effective cash flow management & working capital solutions. Ashley joined Step Two in June 2023 and has worked with companies such as Tea Drops, Big Mozz and No Bull Burgers.
Ying Miao
cfo
Ying is a tenured food CPG investor with over a decade of hands-on experience. At MacAndrews & Forbes she oversaw innovation and strategic partnerships for their portfolio companies, including Revlon and MAFCO Holdings (chocolate & licorice conglomerate). Ying then joined the ZX Ventures (Anheuser-Busch Inbev’s VC fund) Finance team, overseeing global budgeting and financial analysis for their global beverage and ecommerce portfolio. Ying founded her own investment company in 2018 (Minetta) and joined Step Two Advisors in 2019 where she worked with a variety of startups such as Savorly, NY Shuk, Willa's OatMilk, Eleni's cookies, Loi Food and more. Ying started her career at Bain & Company and has worked in New York, D.C., Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, and Sydney.
Tracy Kahley
controller
Tracy’s career path as a bookkeeper and controller started in the hospitality industry. She was part of the opening team of the award-winning Spa at the Peninsula Hotel on Fifth Avenue, and spent a decade there, ultimately serving as Hospitality and Event Director. She left to work for a Spa Consulting firm that helped build some of the most important luxury Spas in the world, and found that she had a knack for financial problem-solving. This, combined with her lifelong love of diligent record-keeping, led her to pursue work as a freelance bookkeeper for start-ups. Since 2013, Tracy has had clients from a broad spectrum of industries: Financial Services, Market Research, Floral Design, Entertainment, and Consumer Packaged Goods. She joined Step Two Advisors in 2021, helping brands such as Agua Bonita, Big Mozz, Don Londres Tequila, and Spritz Society.
