Alex Malamatinas

Alex is the Founder & Managing Partner of Melitas Ventures, a New York-based venture fund that partners with innovative early-stage food & bev companies.

He serves on the boards of Kin Euphorics, RIND Snacks, Nurture Life, NomNom, Verb Energy, Beekeeper's Naturals, and MUD/WTR.

On his morning routine.

I wake up at 7:30. I find it important to get at least 7 hours of sleep.

Then I’ll whip up an espresso. I alternate between intermittent fasting, which I find super helpful for detoxing, and eating a light breakfast — a bowl of Magic Spoon. 

I reserve the morning for highly productive work.

This means I am catching up on email, writing notes, and researching topics I’m working on.

Before quarantine, I’d walk from my apartment in SoHo to my office in Flatiron. This walk gave me 25 minutes to just be still with my thoughts.

On afternoon workouts. 

I love working out in the late afternoon. After a day full of meetings, which can be mentally and physically taxing, working out is a great stress release. 

Pre-COVID, I would typically hit Equinox or Barry’s Bootcamp. Now, I’ve been forced to adapt my workout routine. 

I am naturally quite active, but limited outdoor space in NYC makes it more difficult to find active opportunities. I did a lot of martial arts growing up and got my black belt when I was 13.

Martial arts from a young age helped me build discipline and focus.

Soccer is one of my favorite sports. I used to play competitive soccer in high school and then club soccer in college. I also play tennis, basketball, and enjoy skiing.

On the spontaneity of NYC.

In my heart, I’m a city guy.

I grew up in London and have lived in NYC for the past thirteen years. 

I feed off the energy and love the fact that I can walk out the door and meet with founders. New York is one of the most creative and inspiring cities in the world.

There is so much spontaneity and chance encounters. You never know when you’re going to bump into other like-minded investors or entrepreneurs.

That being said, I do believe it’s important to escape the city from time to time. I’m fortunate that I have the opportunity to travel and take a break from the city.

I’m half Greek and half Dutch. My family and friends still live in Europe, so I’m able to visit them. 

On his drive and ambition. 

There are many factors that helped me build Melitas Ventures.

I have a passion for food and beverage and I absolutely love investing in consumer brands. I’m constantly excited about the innovation and advancements around consumer behavior.

You need perseverance and determination to succeed in this space.

As an individual, I work extremely hard. Once I define my objectives, I do everything in my power to achieve them.

On working with the right people. 

Ultimately, this is a very people-centric business. 

I am very fortunate to have a great team and an extensive network. I do my best to surround myself with the smartest people in CPG.

Within the early-stage venture world, people that are more authentic are better at connecting with founders and developing relationships.

You need to demonstrate to people that you’re reliable, trustworthy, and an asset to their business. 

If you can do this, it’s extremely powerful.  

On loving the process. 

I love what I’m doing so it all feels very natural.

One of my mentors gave me some great career advice a while back. He called it the “2 AM rule.” 

He asked me, “If you are up at 2 AM, what would you be doing?”

If the answer to that question is related to your day job, then you’re in the right space, but if it’s not, then keep looking. 

If and when I am awake at 2 AM and can’t sleep, I generally find myself naturally responding to emails and researching new food & beverage investment opportunities.

I’m very lucky to do what I love all day.

On his evening routine.

In terms of unwinding, I try to put my phone away, although that’s really tough. 

I try to meditate for 10 minutes each day using Calm. 

My girlfriend and I typically cook dinner together and drink wine or make non-alcoholic Kin cocktails.

For me, winding down after work is all about spending time together.

I try to switch off completely from work. It could mean cooking, watching a movie or reading a book. I’m usually reading multiple books including fiction and non-fiction. Finally, most evenings I’m in bed around 11pm.