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Michael Funk

Co-Founder & Independent Director, UNITED NATURAL FOODS INC

Search every verified Michael Funk interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Michael Funk, co-founder of Mountain Peoples Warehouse and United Natural Foods (UNFI), has continued to speak publicly about the organic food industry and his experiences building the natural foods distribution sector. In a 2026 Food Foundry session on business mentorship, he discussed lessons from scaling a company, noting that his early years were financially difficult and that he initially doubted the venture's success. He also reflected on the industry's growth, from small-scale beginnings to large, automated warehouses, and offered advice on accountability and knowing when to step back from a business. During earlier appearances, Funk addressed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food distribution, describing how demand shifted dramatically from restaurants to home consumption and strained supply chains. He also discussed the need for testing standards to prevent genetic contamination in organic crops, acknowledged instances of fraud in the organic sector, and encouraged individuals to grow and process their own food. In a 2014 interview, he credited the merger of his company with an East Coast counterpart as a key step in creating UNFI and expressed pride in helping bring organic food into the mainstream.

Recent appearances

  • Business Mentorship and Growing to the Next Level with Michael Funk - Co-Founder, UNFI

    July 22, 2026 · 📺 Sierra Commons

    In this Food Foundry Session on Business Mentorship and Growing to the Next Level, Michael draws on decades of building a company from the ground up to share hard-won lessons on scaling a business responsibly. He discusses what it means to stay accountable — to your team, your business, and yourself — as growth accelerates, and offers candid insight into recognizing when it's time to push forward and grow, versus when it's time to step back and move on. Michael Funk co-founded Mountain Peoples Warehouse in 1976 and grew it into the leading natural foods wholesaler in the western U.S., before…

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  • "Evolution of Organic" Panel from WSFF Foody Films Night

    July 27, 2020 · 📺 WildScenicFilms

    As part of Wild & Scenic Film Festival’s Foody Film night presented in partnership with BriarPatch Food Co-op we were joined some very special guests! Enjoy this panel featuring a number of organic pioneers discussing the industry. The panel features Michael Funk of UNFI, Izzy Martin of the Sierra Fund, and Amigo Bob of The Felix Gillet Institute.

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  • BriarPatch Presents: Evolution of Organic Q&A with Michael Funk and Izzy Martin

    October 26, 2017 · 📺 BriarPatch Food Co-op

    BriarPatch Food Coop proudly presented the Nevada County premiere of Evolution of Organic by Mark Kitchell on October 23rd, in Grass Valley, CA. The special screening was followed by a Q&A with organic industry pioneers Michael Funk (Mountain People's Warehouse, UNFI) and Izzy Martin. Their conversation on the past and future of the organic food industry was truly illuminating. We are so grateful to have hosted this community event and fundraiser for this fantastic film. To contribute to the film or check for upcoming screenings see http://evolutionoforganic.com/

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  • Life Legacy presents; Michael Funk

    April 05, 2014 · 📺 Sandy Brooke

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  • The Sustainable Journey

    July 11, 2008 · 📺 lisamadsen12

    This presentation details the journey UNFI continues to embark on toward sustainablility. Narrated by CEO Michael Funk and Vice President of Sustainable Development, Tom Dziki.

    Watch on YouTube ↗

The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →