Meet Daren Cliff: Colleague of The Morning Star Company since 2024.

Meet Daren Cliff, one of Morning Star’s newest and dynamic team members. Daren joined us in 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to our enterprise. His mission here is clear and ambitious: to achieve our sales objectives while meeting our enterprise goals.

Daren’s journey to Morning Star began about eight years ago when he first came across a Harvard Business Review article about our company. Intrigued by the people and the entrepreneurial spirit of our enterprise, he was drawn to join us. Since starting, he’s described Morning Star as innovative, honorable, and dynamic—qualities that resonate deeply with him.

Prior to joining Morning Star, Daren’s career was predominantly in the wine industry, where he excelled in business development, sales, and strategy. His extensive background includes experience across both distribution and production tiers. Interestingly, his professional journey also took him to URS Corporation as an assistant project manager, where he worked on CEQA and NEPA compliance within the Energy sector—a unique and varied experience that adds to his diverse skill set.

While Daren’s transition into the tomato world is new—particularly in gaining a foundational understanding of our products and processes—his determination and eagerness to learn are evident. Outside of work, Daren is passionate about mountain biking. He relishes the camaraderie with his riding buddies and the opportunity to explore beautiful locations across California and beyond. Next spring, he’s looking forward to a biking adventure with his friends in the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina.

Daren’s personal life is equally vibrant. He and his wife, Jennifer, who is involved in marketing for their local Chamber of Commerce, have one amazing and talented daughter, Parker. Parker is a Division 1 athlete at the University of Georgia, studying Agribusiness and Applied Economics. The family enjoys cooking and baking together, with a particular fondness for sourdough. They’ve maintained a sourdough starter for a very long time and bake bread at least a few times a week.

They also love traveling, with Europe being their favorite destination. They have fond memories of a magical Christmas holiday in Italy and are currently planning a trip to Spain for this Christmas season. Additionally, skiing and watching Parker’s competitions are family favorites.

A fun fact about Daren is that he and Jennifer were the founders and original publishers of the food magazine Edible Sacramento. His hobbies extend to playing guitar, reading, and gardening, with favorite pastimes including mountain biking, indulging in Italian cuisine, and enjoying live music.

As for his future aspirations, Daren doesn’t have a specific wish list but strives to make each day the best it can be, both personally and professionally. On his bucket list, he hopes to see the Great Pyramids and the Northern Lights, ideally with his family by his side.

Daren’s blend of experience, passion, and enthusiasm makes him a valuable asset to our team, and we’re excited to have him as part of the Morning Star family.

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