Project NOSH Staff

UNFI Next is a distributor run program designed to curate and incubate emerging brands. We chat with Aaron May who oversees the UNFI Next program to discuss what the criteria for entry is, ideal timing for launch in a brand’s life cycle, and how to make it work for brand growth. Come with your questions and ask them live!

Demand planning and supply chain management have always been a critical part of CPG operations, and it’s more important than ever as businesses are looking for ways to create efficiencies with minimal sacrifice. Join Ed Davidson, demand planning and operations expert, and Kelli Wilson of Partake Foods as we discuss best practices for demand planning and how to tighten up operations to cut costs and improve your bottom line.

Long term success for food brands should be rooted in financial stability. Join CPG financial experts Monisha Khushalani and Elizabeth Carter to learn how strategizing for the future is based in setting attainable economic goals and managing a business’ bottom line.

How do you keep your intellectual property — processes, patents, recipes, designs and trademarks under your control? And how should you deal with the inevitable attacks from competitors, both established and copycats, as you grow? Seasoned CPG attorney Allison Roseman Hagey will take founders through some of the key legal touchpoints surrounding brand and product IP.

Jamie Borteck, the Founder and CEO of JCB Growth Ventures, dives into growth tactics for both sales and marketing within food and beverage.

At NOSH Live, entrepreneurs hailing from a variety of companies and backgrounds gathered to network and learn from successful industry leaders. As part of the event’s slate of speakers, T.J. McIntyre, currently CEO of Bobo’s Oat Bars, shared lessons from a career spent working with high growth companies and managing cash flow in and out of their businesses.

On the table will be advice for brands looking to raise capital in the near term, as well as the ways current events are affecting CPG investing. Speakers include: Ashley Hartman co-leader of Bluestein Ventures, Genevieve Gilbreath co-founder and General Partner of Springdale Ventures, Franklin Isacson a Founding Partner at Coefficient Capital, and Tapan Shah who has been a part of the natural foods eco-system for almost 20 years.

Expo East introduced a wide assortment of new condiments, sauces and dressings to the natural food market; many touting ingredient lists that were gluten free, low-to-no sugar and Keto- or Paleo-friendly.

Dubbed the “Costco for millennials,” online retailer Boxed has made waves since its debut in 2013. In this episode, co-founder/CEO Chieh Huang spoke about the rapid growth of the company, how it curates its product assortment and why user experience has been central to its success.

GT’s Living Foods founder GT Dave discussed why being an “artistic sponge” supported the company’s development Also an interview with Karen Nation, the founder/CEO of no-bake protein bar mix brand Creation Nation, which was victorious in NOSH’s Live Pitch Slam 5.