Her Story
About Gabriela
Gabriela Chavez serves as Category Manager at Topco Associates, a role she has held for six years. With 16 years in the retail wholesale produce industry, she oversees sourcing, negotiating, and logistics for grape, stone fruit, and cherry commodities. Her work supports top retail chains and wholesale partners across the United States by aggregating volume and establishing sourcing commitments for the private label brand Basket and Bushel. Chavez began her career as a sales assistant to a grape grower in California's Central Valley, where exposure to the full supply chain and inspiring female mentors fueled her passion for the industry. She attended Bakersfield College for approximately one year, taking agricultural and business courses, though she credits hands-on experience for advancing her career. Chavez received recognition when Basket and Bushel earned a Business Insider top innovative brands award. She participates in Women Impacting Store Brand Excellence (WISE) calls and mentors assistants, one of whom advanced to a category manager role. She navigates challenges such as rising costs of goods, labor, fuel surcharges, and weather-related crop issues while pursuing opportunities in innovation, such as introducing specialty items like strawberry plums and award-winning Ruby Rush grapes.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Gabriela
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Stay on the course and tap into your leaders that are there to mentor you. Don't be afraid to speak up and say you have the experience and would consider me for this position. Be relentless in the pursuit of that. Don't be afraid to be your biggest cheerleader. Advocate for yourself and use your voice. Tap into the experience of the leaders around you.
02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Challenges include rising cost of goods due to growing costs, labor, fuel surcharges making 99-cent promotions difficult, and weather-related issues like extreme heat causing crop failures impacting quality and promotions. Opportunities lie in being innovative, finding new specialty items like strawberry plum, marketing creatively with fun names and packaging to engage consumers and drive incremental sales, as seen with award-winning Ruby Rush grapes.
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