About KIWI

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Marian "M" Iglesias
Founder

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Gabriel Iglesias
President

Marian Iglesias is a prominent brand strategist with a solid sales background and over 25 years of hands-on brand management experience. She is widely recognized for her accomplishments in strategic communication, marketing, publicity, and business development. Marian has been invited to share her branding insights at marketing conferences and professional associations in the US and internationally. Her professional journey has taken her across the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, where she has collaborated with leading firms and Fortune 500 clients.

A trailblazing strategist, Marian is renowned for her brand transformations and unconventional business development tactics. Her meticulous analysis of a client’s brand, in-depth understanding of their target market, and robust sales background have paved the way for a remarkable reputation. KIWI’s strategies have elevated good products to extraordinary brands and propelled unknown brands to category leaders, a testament to the firm’s ability to drive growth.

Marian Iglesias is an ingenious professional and a proficient communicator in both English and Spanish. KIWI’s public relations accomplishments include successfully managing corporate communication, trade relations, and media relations for local and national firms. KIWI’s multicultural and multilingual language proficiency further underscores its value, making the firm a sought-after asset.

Gabriel Iglesias's professional career started at his family’s business, KIWI Brand Consultants, where he excelled at operations and pioneered the establishment of the firm’s Digital Marketing Division. In 2012 he seized the opportunity to join Apple Inc., a company whose culture he deeply admired and believed would enhance and leverage his talents. His decade-long tenure at Apple was distinguished by his pivotal role in leadership, team management, client services, and the implementation of global go-to-market campaigns across digital, social, and retail channels. This experience highlights his strategic thinking and proficiency in executing and overseeing complex projects. In 2023, driven by his entrepreneurial spirit, he returned to KIWI, assuming the position of President and rebranding the company as KIWI Business Consultants. Gabriel's expertise in business operations, management, logistics, and his commitment to client services have expanded the company's capabilities and cemented its position as a leader in the business consulting realm.

Our mission is to help you transform your clients into an army of promoters who will be delighted to spread the word about your product, service, or company.

Gabriel Iglesias
What's in a name?

WHY KIWI IS KIWI

In 1962, Frieda Caplan, a specialty produce vendor at the LA Wholesale Produce Market, received a call from a buyer for the Safeway supermarket chain. He explained that one of their shoppers, a Mormon missionary, had fallen in love with the sweet-tasting Chinese Gooseberry while visiting New Zealand and wanted her supermarket to carry the fruit. Safeway promised they would try to order it, but none of their suppliers were familiar with the Chinese Gooseberry. Frieda pondered the Safeway manager’s comment about the fruit being “sweet-tasting.” The Chinese Gooseberry from Portland she had tried years ago was anything but sweet-tasting. Frieda promised Safeway she would try to find the fruit and proceeded to contact a broker who was familiar with the Chinese Gooseberry. He recommended ordering a trial shipment of the Hayward variety, which was sweeter than other varieties. When the trial shipment arrived, Frieda learned about the fruit’s wonderful shelf life and excellent taste, especially after the fruit began to ripen. It didn’t take long for the delighted Mormon missionary to discover the Chinese Gooseberry at her Safeway supermarket. Unfortunately, the public did not share the missionary’s enthusiasm for the furry brownish-green fruit.
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In spite of the public’s lack of interest, Frieda saw a business opportunity. She reached out to Norman Sondag of San Francisco’s N. Ziel & Company, the fruit’s US importer, to discuss the Chinese Gooseberry’s potential. Norman told her an odd-looking fruit called Chinese Gooseberry was a hard sell and suggested Frieda recommend a name change. He said the fruit looked a lot like the kiwi bird from New Zealand, and maybe naming it kiwi would make a difference. Frieda agreed, and she immediately contacted Turners & Growers in New Zealand to suggest they rename the Chinese Gooseberry “Kiwi.” The recommendation was well received, and the Chinese Gooseberry quickly became a phenomenal success around the world.
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We hope that the next time you see a Kiwi in your produce department, you recall the story of how a name transformed its future. We also hope that in the future, when you encounter a project that requires transformation, you think of KIWI Business Consultants.