Daniel Lubetzky

Daniel Lubetzky
Born	1968 Mexico City, Mexico
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, philanthropist, author
Known for	Founder and executive chairman of Kind LLC
Notable work	Do the Kind Thing

Daniel Lubetzky (born 1968) is a Mexican-American entrepreneur, billionaire, philanthropist, author, and the founder as well as executive chairman of the snack company Kind LLC.

Early life and education

Daniel Lubetzky is the son of Sonia and Roman Lubetzky. His father, a Lithuanian Ashkenazi Jew and Holocaust survivor, was involved in duty-free retail chains located in Laredo, Texas. Raised in Mexico City, Lubetzky relocated to the United States during his teenage years.

He graduated magna cum laude from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and international relations. During his undergraduate studies, he spent time abroad in both Israel and France. Subsequently, he obtained his Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School in 1993.

In March 2008, Lubetzky married Dr. Michelle Lynn Lieberman. The couple has four children together. He is also related to Emmanuel Lubezki, a cinematographer who has won three Academy Awards.

Business career

While attending college, Lubetzky launched a retail watch company named Da'Leky Times. After completing law school, he briefly worked for both Sullivan & Cromwell and McKinsey & Company. In 1993, he was awarded the Haas Koshland Fellowship to investigate legislative methods encouraging Arab-Israeli business partnerships. During this period of research, he came across a sun-dried tomato product that inspired the creation of PeaceWorks Inc., a "not-only-for-profit" enterprise that blends peace initiatives with profitability. Its leading brand, Meditalia, is manufactured through collaboration among Middle Eastern neighbors.

In response to unhealthy snacking habits and increasing obesity rates in the United States, Lubetzky introduced Kind Snacks in 2003 under the motto "Kind to your body, your taste buds and your world." By 2015, Kind had become the fastest-growing snack brand nationwide.

In 2010, he co-established Maiyet, a luxury fashion company that works with artisans from developing countries to produce premium products while fostering entrepreneurship and economic independence.

President Obama and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker appointed Lubetzky as a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship in 2015. In 2018, he founded Equilibra, a family office based in New York that invests in entrepreneur-led packaged goods companies including Greek yogurt producer Ellenos and social enterprise Yellow Leaf Hammocks. As of November 2021, Lubetzky’s net worth was estimated at $2.2 billion.

Mars acquired Kind North America for $5 billion in November 2020. Despite this transaction, Lubetzky maintained his ownership stake and continued to participate actively in the company’s operations.

Investments

In 2018, Lubetzky established Equilibra Partners Management Inc. to support entrepreneur-driven businesses focused on packaged consumer products.

During a guest appearance on Shark Tank in May 2020, Equilibra purchased a 25% interest in Yellow Leaf Hammocks for $1 million. Later that year, it invested $18 million into Greek yogurt brand Ellenos and contributed $250,000 to fitness company FitFighter, which expanded its offerings from firefighter training equipment to comprehensive fitness tools. In 2021, Equilibra acquired a 10% share in Quevos, an egg white protein snack business also featured on Shark Tank, and invested in Tandm Inc., creators of tandem boogie boards.

Additional investments include stakes in Cava Group, Justin's, Krave Jerky, gimme Snacks, Chapul, Belgian Boys, and HummViewer.

Media

Lubetzky is the author of the New York Times bestseller titled Do the Kind Thing, Think Boundlessly, Work Purposefully, Live Passionately, a work influenced by his entrepreneurial journey and inspired by his father's Holocaust experiences. Additionally, he has contributed opinion articles to CNN, focusing on strategies to combat violent extremism and imparting valuable insights for future generations.

Between Seasons 11 and 15, Lubetzky appeared repeatedly as a guest investor on Shark Tank, and as of 2024, he has been elevated to the role of a primary shark on the show.

Philanthropy and advocacy initiatives

In 2002, Lubetzky co-established the OneVoice Movement, a grassroots campaign dedicated to amplifying moderate Israeli and Palestinian voices advocating for peaceful conflict resolution.

Together with Kind Snacks in 2015, he launched the Kind Foundation. Its major project, Empatico, is an online platform designed to connect classrooms worldwide with the aim of fostering empathy and expanding cultural understanding.

Lubetzky founded Feed the Truth in 2017, an advocacy organization aimed at challenging food industry influence over policy and public health. He committed $25 million to advance its objectives.

During the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, the Kind Foundation introduced the Frontline Impact Project in collaboration with Project N95. This initiative provided frontline workers with access to essential supplies and collaborated with more than 40 companies—including Unilever, Nestle, and Mars—benefiting over 180,000 healthcare professionals.

In 2021, Lubetzky initiated Starts With Us, a social movement that partners with notable figures such as Jason Alexander, Mark Cuban, and Andrew Yang to encourage compassion and address divisive cultural conflicts.

Involvement in advocacy and influence

In 2019, Lubetzky became a member of the first board of directors for the Anti-Defamation League.

In May 2024, according to a report by the Washington Post, Lubetzky was involved in a WhatsApp group composed of business leaders shaping American public opinion regarding the Gaza war following the 7 October attacks on Israel. This group also organized a Zoom call with New York City Mayor Eric Adams after his remarks condemning antisemitism at Columbia University, during which they discussed possible political donations to Adams.

Awards and recognition

• Koshland Fellowship
• Named among 100 Global Leaders for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum
• Recipient of the Trinity Outstanding Alumnus Award
• Awarded Peace, Reconciliation and Security Prize from the World Association of NGOs
• Honored with Blessed Are the Peacemakers Award from Catholic Theological Union
• King Hussein Humanitarian Leadership Prize recipient
• Fellow of the Young Leaders Forum by the National Committee for United States-China Relations
• Included in "43 Entrepreneurs Who Are Changing the World" by Fast Company
• Recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum
• Awarded the Skoll Prize for Social Entrepreneurship
• Listed among "America's Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs" by Bloomberg News
• Featured in "25 Responsibility Pioneers" by Time magazine
• Honored as Entrepreneur of the Year by Entrepreneur magazine
• Named one of Advertising Age's 50 most creative individuals
• Included among 100 most intriguing entrepreneurs by Goldman Sachs
• Winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2013
• Recognized as Heroes of Conscious Capitalism (2017)
• Recipient of 2017 Common Ground Awards from Search for Common Ground
• Hispanic Heritage Award for Entrepreneurship honoree
• Awarded the Horatio Alger Award
• Honored with the Great Immigrant Award from the Carnegie Corporation of New York in 2023