Nosh Staff

Episode 36 of Elevator Talk features leaders from Chia Smash, Honey Child, Artisan Pops, Zesty Kitchen, OMG…It’s Gluten Free! and Seagreen. Watch founders and CEOs introduce their brands and provide a recap of recent news and updates.

Jason Wright, the co-founder and CEO of chicken- and pork-based chip brand Wilde Brands, explained how he was able to land investment without having a finished product, why he regrets working with a co-packer, how he collaborated with retail buyers to establish a new protein-centric segment within the snack category and why the keys to winning consumers over always begins with taste.

This week, we’re joined by Chris Fanucchi and Samantha Citro Alexander, the co-founders of Bitewell, a new startup platform that aims to make healthy purchasing decisions easier via curated options for grocery and restaurant delivery

This month’s Office Hours assembled leaders from three leading incubation programs to get strategic advice for brands on overcoming the kinds of obstacles they face as they grow, and ways that they can pivot safely when they’re met with unexpected challenges.

In addition to sweet treats, April’s new product launches offered consumers plenty of savory options from new plant-based meat alternatives from Sweet Earth to BBQ innovations from Pit Boss Grills and Haven’s Kitchen. View the gallery for the most notable new releases including dairy free cheese alternatives from Boursin and Grounded Foods Co. and spicy snacks from Blue Diamond and Country Archer Provisions.

In April, brands rolled out plenty of sweet and indulgent innovations, from oat milk-based treats from Chloe’s and My/Mochi to low-sugar snacks from DouxMatok and The Cookie Department. Check out the gallery for April’s notable product launches, including new bars from CORE and Obvi and dairy-free baking mixes from Bushwick Kitchen and Blue Diamond.

Honest Tea co-founder and Beyond Meat chair of the board Seth Goldman discussed how his latest venture, mission-driven platform Eat The Change, fits into the context of his career and why the company led with mushroom jerky for its debut product line. He also addressed criticism of Beyond Meat products as being overly processed and the evolution of Honest Tea as a Coca-Cola-owned brand.

Caue Suplicy, the founder and chairman of Barnana, which markets premium snacks made from upcycled bananas, spoke about how the company analyzed consumer demand to better understand how to market and promote the brand and its strategy for sourcing and utilizing sales data.

Today’s episode features an interview with Oded Brenner, the founder of both Max Brenner, an international chain of upscale chocolate-centric cafes, and Blue Stripes, a unique brand of food and beverages made from upcycled cacao fruit. Brenner spoke about his unconventional approach to entrepreneurship and why he believes that “there will always be a place for the niche.”

Get ready for June. BevNET and NOSH are cooking up a virtual feast of brand-building content and suspense, including BevNET & NOSH Virtually Live, our signature New Beverage Showdown and NOSH Pitch Slam, and a Boot Camp for new brands that encompasses both Food and Beverage startups.