Zambezi Receives Strategic Investment from Manna Tree

Zambezi, the award-winning, women-owned creative agency known for building category-defining brands, today announced a strategic investment from Manna Tree, a global private equity firm investing in companies that empower consumers to live better, longer. The investment provides Zambezi with the capital and strategic platform to pursue its most ambitious growth objectives to date.

Headquartered in Los Angeles and celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026, Zambezi helps brands drive outsized growth through integrated creative, strategic storytelling, production execution and partnerships in sports and entertainment. The agency has a proven track record of helping companies become category leaders, most recently propelling Liquid I.V. to billion-dollar brand status.

Fueling Next Growth Chapter

With Manna Tree’s investment, Zambezi gains the resources to pursue growth initiatives and take its capabilities to the next level.The agency also opens relationships with Manna Tree’s portfolio companies, a roster of fast-growing consumer brands including Generous Brands, Good Culture, Gotham Greens, and Verde Farms that align directly with Zambezi’s expertise in health, sports, and culture.

“We’ve spent two decades building something we’re deeply proud of, a fully integrated, women-owned agency that competes at the highest level and wins,” said Jean Freeman, CEO of Zambezi. “This partnership is the right next step because it takes what we’ve built and fuels what’s next. Manna Tree understands that brands are built through real stories and real relationships with consumers, not just campaigns. That shared belief is what makes Manna Tree the best partner for Zambezi’s next chapter.”

Zambezi will continue to operate independently, serving its existing client base and pursuing new business, while also working alongside Manna Tree’s investment and portfolio operations teams to identify and act on shared opportunities. The agency will remain headquartered in Los Angeles and be led by its existing management team, including CEO Jean Freeman and President Laura Stayt.

“Zambezi has built something rare in this industry, an agency that has spent twenty years turning brand conviction into measurable growth and a culture people fight to be part of. We’re proud to back what they’ve built and even more excited about this next phase,” said Ross Iverson, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Manna Tree.

In just eight years, Manna Tree has established itself as a leading investor in consumer health, backing category-defining brands across food, beverage, and wellness with a platform designed to give its companies every advantage to win. With Zambezi, Manna Tree adds creative, media and production marketing capabilities that enhance its ability to support companies across their growth cycle while extending its reach across the broader health and wellness ecosystem.