Background
Nawgan Products, LLC is committed to the development of products that support optimal brain function among adults. Nawgan Products was co-founded by Dr. Rob Paul, a clinical brain scientist, following years of research and clinical work with adults. In 2007 Dr. Paul joined forces with long-time colleague Mr. Peter Wodtke to make Nawgan a reality.
Mission Statement
Our vision is to provide credible products to optimize brain function in adults and to provide consumers with relevant, useful and accurate information about brain function.
Values Statement
Nawgan Products, LLC is devoted to integrity and transparency. Nawgan Products does not promise a youth elixir or a cure for disease. However, the science behind the Nawgan formula is real and credible.
Our Pledge
We will lead the field in the development of products that support healthy thinking. We have the training and expertise to not only follow the latest scientific breakthroughs but to contribute to the breakthroughs. We are committed to including new ingredients once the safety and true value have been determined in the scientific literature. No credible ingredients were overlooked but many common ingredients on the market do not have sufficient theory or science to support their use and cost. You can rely on us to provide products that work.
Dr. Robert Paul
Dr. Robert Paul is a Board-Certified Clinical Neuropsychologist with specialty training in the area of adult brain function. He has authored more than 150 professional research publications in scientific journals and books, two edited books on brain function, and he has given many professional research presentations all over the world. Working with various research universities including Brown Medical School, Dr. Paul's research has been awarded more than 7 million dollars in grant money from the National Institute of Health to answer key questions about how the brain works. Dr. Paul has received many awards for his research including promotion to the highest academic rank of Full Professor before the age of 40 (skipping the rank of Associate Professor). He also has served as a consultant to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to assist them in the development of new medicines to improve brain function.
James von der Heydt
James von der Heydt is President, CEO and Board member of Nawgan. Mr. von der Heydt brings to Nawgan a diverse set of skills as a marketer, manager, strategic planner and leader.
Jim's experience includes a successful 21-year career at Ralston Purina Company. From 1996-2002, he served as Executive Vice President for Business Development and Worldwide Innovation at Purina. His responsibilities included strategic planning, R&D and M&A activities for the $3 billion global pet products company. Prior to that assignment, he served as Executive Vice President for Pet Products Marketing, R&D and Consumer Research. During his career at Purina, Jim was responsible for the creation and support of some of the largest and most successful grocery brands, including Dog Chow, Purina ONE, Cat Chow, Meow Mix and Chex Cereals. His marketing efforts resulted in significant business growth and were recognized for their excellence. In 1996, Jim's team earned the Golden Effie award as the most outstanding marketing campaign in the nation for their Dog Chow campaign.
Since 2002, von der Heydt has lead a consulting firm dedicated to strategic planning and capital formation for early stage companies. In that firm, he was the interim CEO and remains an investor in a Wisconsin based genomics research start up. Jim also served two years as the Chairman of an early stage public company. He remains a sought-after consultant on strategic growth, innovation and technology management in a variety of industries. He is a founding member of the Saint Louis Arch Angels.
Jim holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Drake University and a Master of Science, Journalism degree from the Medill School at Northwestern University.
Mr. Peter Wodtke
Mr. Peter Wodtke was educated at Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland and earned a bachelor's degree in European Civilization and Economics from Princeton University. Mr. Wodtke served as Manager of Citibank's branch in Hong Kong in the mid-1960s, and later as Senior Officer in the Field for Citibank, based in Beirut. Subsequently Mr. Wodtke was CEO of Private Investment Company for Asia, a private sector development bank headquartered in Tokyo and Singapore that invested throughout emerging market countries in Asia; thereafter he became Executive Vice President, and later the Senior Officer in North America for Swiss Bank Corporation. Since 1982 Mr. Wodtke has headed his own businesses in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and private equity, in London from 1982 to 2000 and in the USA from 2000 until the present.
James S. Tonkin
For more than 37 years, James Tonkin has served the private-sector as a brand and marketing development professional. He directs the building and design of national infrastructures for food and beverage industry clients. Mr. Tonkin has successfully created and implemented business and financial strategies for domestic and international players—focusing from production to branding, marketing through sales implementation and distribution, to include exit strategy. Mr. Tonkin has focused branding initiatives in soft drink, bottled water, functional foods and beverages, and non- carbonated ‘new age’ beverage verticals. His extensive “hands on” expertise stretches across many sectors including domestic cheeses to natural potato chips; bottled waters for people and pets; and nutraceutical-functional-cosmeceutical enhanced beverages. Mr. Tonkin serves as a popular keynote speaker covering new beverage trends as well as successful branding insight. He has played an integral role in the development of Nawgan from a conceptual stage through manufacturing, marketing and distribution.