2023 Produce Business 40 Under Forty Award Winner: Alyssa Hind

Age: 31

East Coast Sales & Marketing Director
GM Produce Sales | Marathon Mangos
Hidalgo, TX

Hometown: Santa Elena, TX
Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, Cattle ranching, Riding horses, Traveling
Family/Community: Married, 2 children, Board Member of the American Akaushi Association, Member of Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association
Motto in life: “Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.” – Henry David Thoreau

Hind learned hard work and resilience at an early age growing up on a cattle ranch in South Texas. Working cattle alongside her parents gave her an appreciation for the land and a passion for agriculture. After graduating from Texas A&M University, she returned home in 2014 to work as a sales assistant at GM Produce Sales — one of the largest importers and distributors of Mexican mangos in the U.S. and founded by Hind’s grandfather and uncle in 1984. She started as a sales assistant and logistics account manager. While working in that position, she recognized the need for a marketing and social media presence for the company brand, Marathon Mangos, and spearheaded a total re-brand of Marathon Mangos that included the company website, social media, logo, boxes, and marketing point of sale materials.

In 2016, she took on the role of East Coast sales and marketing director, and now focuses on developing new sales opportunities and maintaining existing accounts for the company. In 2021, she became the youngest member of the National Mango Board. Recognized for her social media and marketing talent, she became the board’s marketing and communications chairperson in 2022. In that role, she has been instrumental in developing new programs such as the Mango Origin Stories and Party With Mango, which have both been extremely successful and helped increase the sale of mangos industry-wide.
In addition to her produce responsibilities, she also manages the social media and online marketing for her parents’ 2F Akaushi Beef brand. She helped launch that company from an unfamiliar brand to the first place winner of HEB’s Quest for Texas’ Best competition in 2021.

Q: What aspect of the business challenged you the most early on?
The produce industry is extremely fast-paced and changes constantly. Handling fresh commodities in a volatile market is challenging and extremely tough to navigate as a newcomer. Fortunately, I had great mentors who taught me how to look at past performances, gather new information and predict future markets.

Q: What are some ways we can increase produce consumption at the point of sale?
Educating the consumer is the easiest way to increase produce consumption. The most effective way to educate the consumer is through digital marketing on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, YouTube etc. One of the most valuable things I learned while serving as the marketing chairperson of the National Mango Board is the incredible market impact that short videos can have. Short videos can educate the consumer in a plethora of ways, including recipes, produce handling, and healthy produce facts.

Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of in your career?
I am most proud of being nominated to serve on the National Mango Board. Being nominated by the industry and appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture was a huge honor for me. During my three-year term, I was nominated as the marketing chairperson for 2022 and 2023.