JM Search Assists Eden Brothers with Recruitment of New CEO
March 3, 2026 – JM Search, a senior-level talent provider serving private equity investors, portfolio companies, and Fortune 1000s, has assisted in the recruitment of Mike Hollenstein as CEO of Kian Capital Partners-backed Eden Brothers. JM Search’s consumer practice team members Liza Stokes, partner, and Avery (Loeffler) Jacob, vice president, led the assignment. “Mike brings over 20 years of merchandising expertise to his new role at Eden Brothers, and almost two decades of CEO leadership,” JM Search said in a LinkedIn post. “Mike has a proven track record of launching, leading, and sustaining profitable, high-growth businesses. His experience comes from time spent at beloved retailers such as eyebobs and Sportsman’s Guide.”
“We are grateful to have been able to partner with such a fantastic team, and we couldn’t be more excited about Mike Hollenstein stepping into this role,” Ms. Jacob said in a LinkedIn post. “Wishing Mike and the entire Eden Brothers team continued success in this next chapter.”
“I founded Eden Brothers because of my deep passion for flowers and gardening,” said Eden Brothers founder Sabine Randon. “Stepping into the role of chief product officer allows me to focus fully on what I love most — shaping beautiful, thoughtful offerings for our customers. Michael has my complete trust to lead the company forward, and I am incredibly excited to support him in his new role as CEO. This transition feels like a natural next chapter, and I couldn’t be more optimistic about what’s ahead.”
“Sabine has built an incredible company, and we are fully engaged to support her in her new role and to partner with Michael, Chip, Josh and Laura as they lead the business into its next phase,” said Kian principal Caldwell Zimmerman. “Home, lawn and garden is a huge industry experiencing favorable tailwinds and growing e-commerce penetration, and with our new leadership at the helm, the company is primed to become the online destination for gardening enthusiasts through further organic growth and strategic acquisitions.”
Mr. Hollenstein is a veteran executive with over 20 years of experience in product management and merchandising. He brings an established track record of leading, growing and sustaining profitable direct-to-consumer businesses. Michael was most recently CEO and President of DecksDirect, where he successfully oversaw the acquisition and integration of multiple add-ons and led the company into its next phase of growth. Prior to DecksDirect, Michael was CEO of eyebobs, where he spent six years championing the transformation and expansion of the high-potential reading glasses company.
“I am honored to join Eden Brothers as CEO,” said Mr. Hollenstein. “Eden Brothers is a highly compelling and exciting brand with significant growth potential. We have a unique opportunity to expand the company’s national reach while inspiring more people to embrace gardening and reconnect with the outdoors in an increasingly digital world. I am excited to work alongside this talented team, partner with Kian and collaborate closely with the company’s founder, Sabine, on a day-to-day basis to continue delivering an innovative, best-in-class product selection for our customers.”
Eden Brothers is an e-commerce retailer specializing in seeds and flower bulbs for home gardeners, local farmers, and the wholesale trade, offering a wide range of heirloom, rare, organic, and non-GMO varieties of flower, vegetable, and herb seeds. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Arden, NC, the company operates an online platform with thousands of seed and bulb options in categories such as bulbs, wildflower mixes, and specialty seeds.
Related: JM Search Recruits CFO for Shamrock Foods
Kian Capital is a private investment firm focused on providing growth and flexible capital solutions to established lower middle-market companies, typically partnering with founder- and owner-led businesses to help scale operations and create long-term value.
Serving Clients Since 1980
JM Search is an advisor to CEOs, investors, and boards of directors in recruiting, assessing, and delivering high performance leaders and transformational leadership teams. Its clients include private equity firms and portfolio companies, venture capital-backed businesses, and publicly held companies across North America. Founded in 1980, the JM Search recruiting team brings together former operating and financial executives, investors and experienced search professionals with deep industry specialization, functional expertise, and proven access to talent spanning multiple industry sectors.
Ms. Stokes specializes in recruiting C-level executives for mid-market, private equity-backed companies in the consumer products and DTC eCommerce industries. She has deep experience recruiting executives cross functionally, including CEO and general management, marketing and supply chain and operations. Ms. Stokes joined JM Search in 2016 from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, a San Francisco-based creative advertising agency, where she spent over five years in progressive account management roles.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
