Lance Blanshei, Managing Director

Lance began his creative marketing career with Ketchum Advertising in San Francisco managing many of their national packaged goods accounts. From there he joined Freeman Blanshei Partners, a national brand and advertising agency that specialized in new product innovation. For clients such as General Mills, Proctor & Gamble and Del Monte.

After 15 years of brand and new product consulting, tea entrepreneurship was Lance's next professional challenge. With his wife Shelly, they created Teaz Me, what many marketing professionals refer to as the foodservice industry's most contemporary tea concept in the country today.

Lance's brand and new product innovation skills range from strategic assessment, market research, concept development, new product innovation, package design, and product development to advertising and marketing communications executions.

Shelly Blanshei, Operations Director

Shelly began her foodservice career by creating Bidwell Perk, a regional, premium-espresso inn that achieved market share leadership over well-established national concepts. The key to her success was defining the market gold standard for product quality, customer service, and cleanliness.

She then joined her husband in becoming a tea entrepreneur and championed all aspects of operations for Teaz Me. Her leadership in operations and customer service was a driving force in the firm's successful multi-unit expansion.

Shelly's offers well-defined QSR foodservice operations skills, and accomplishments relating to culinary development, store design, operations planning, customer service, procurement, cost of goods management, and team development.

Shannon Thompson, Marketing Director

Shannon began her foodservice and marketing career at Bidwell Perk, a regional coffee concept, where she established her operations and marketing skills by driving this regional espresso inn to market share leadership.

She then pursued her marketing passion at Yahoo where she focused on the use of interactive advertising, while building and managing the search giant's online advertising technologies team. It was leading this team that allowed her to hone her skills for delivering exceptional customer service and delivering advertising results that pushed beyond expectations.

Her six years of successful foodservice operations plus her impressive internet advertising accomplishments, offer Tea Innovation’s client partners a unique combination of marketing communications skills, coupled with a positive and contagious “We'll make it happen,” attitude.