NOSH Live Summer 2022NOSH Live

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Industry A-Listers & Innovators Provide Actionable Insights for Your Business

Natural food businesses succeed in the current market when they have both sustainable financial growth and a story and a mission that resonates with consumers. At NOSH Live Summer 2022 our speakers will help our audience to better master these business skills. With more speakers coming from the industry’s top brands, investors, retailers, and service providers, NOSH Live will provide attendees with two days of learning and networking opportunities designed to help you grow your business.

NOSH Live Summer 2022 Agenda

Please note: All times US Eastern Time

  • 7:00 AM
    -
    9:00 AM
    Registration & Breakfast
  • 7:45 AM
    -
    8:00 AM
    Boot Camp Presentation 1: Winning in the Store
    For new recruits, day 1 starts with the NOSH Live Bootcamp – an early jump into networking and the language of the business.

    • LaRon Batchelor
      Founder & CEO, Passport Food & Beverages
      LaRon Batchelor, Founder & CEO, Passport Food & Beverages -

      LaRon Batchelor

      Founder & CEO, Passport Food & Beverages

      With over 20 years of Food & Beverage experience, LaRon is the cofounder of Passport Food & Beverages, a retail management and marketing agency that connects forward-looking, entrepreneurial brands with major retailers and regional distributors such as Wakefern, Whole Foods, Stop&Shop and FreshDirect. In 2020, he cofounded a specialty coffee brand #CoffeeUpliftsPeople (CUP), which is available at all NYC Whole Foods and its flagship CUP Boutique in Brooklyn, New York. CUP’s mission is to bring Diversity, Inclusion, Representation & Equity to the coffee industry. LaRon is also a cofounder of Caminus Ventures, the first accelerator program designed to support Black food and beverage innovators. His partners include Aurify Brands, NYC’s largest independent restaurant operator, and the acclaimed Chef Marcus Samuelsson. In addition, LaRon is a passionate video ethnographer of small businesses and cultural global trends. He has lived in Japan, South Africa, France and the UK. Here is a website he created that celebrates NYC small business owners.

    • LaRon Batchelor, Founder & CEO, Passport Food & Beverages
  • 8:00 AM
    -
    8:15 AM
    Boot Camp Presentation 2: Going From Kitchen to Co-Packer
    • Greg Papalexis
      Independent Contractor & Advisor, Papalexis Services LLC
      Greg Papalexis, Independent Contractor & Advisor, Papalexis Services LLC -

      Greg Papalexis

      Independent Contractor & Advisor, Papalexis Services LLC

      Greg Papalexis is an independent contractor & advisor that specializes in end-to-end supply chain planning & scaling, specialized contract manufacturing, and general operations & administration. Previously, Greg spent four years as Vice President of Supply Chain & Operations for Chef's Cut Real Jerky Co.® after six years as General Manager of Manufacturing for Sabrett® Hot Dogs; during his tenure at Chef's Cut Real Jerky Co.®, Greg solely designed, constructed, and operated the end-to-end supply chain that within three years expanded its product portfolio from four SKUs to sixty SKUs at five production & distribution points equating to an annual revenue increase from ~$1 million to ~$50 million. More recently, Greg has served interim/fractional roles with both HOP WTR® and 4505 Meats®, and his current clients include HOP WTR®, Prevail® Jerky, Yolélé® African Foods, and The Plug Drink®. Greg earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Fordham University and is based in Miami, FL.

    • Greg Papalexis, Independent Contractor & Advisor, Papalexis Services LLC
  • 8:15 AM
    -
    8:30 AM
    Boot Camp Presentation 3: From Trunk to Truck: Expanding Distribution
    • Mia Medina
      Founder & CEO, Gather Brands
      Mia Medina, Founder & CEO, Gather Brands -

      Mia Medina

      Founder & CEO, Gather Brands

      Growing up in Mill Valley, CA, where natural foods were a staple long before it was mainstream, I’ve always been drawn to natural products, local fresh foods, and exploring new and different flavors. I’m especially fortunate that my passion for clean healthy food has not only been a lifestyle, but also the core of my career in the Natural Products industry. While spending the last 20 years as a wife and a mother to our 5 amazing children, I have also had the opportunity to grow with and navigate through the CPG industry, with a primary focus on the Natural Channel. I’ve worked on the Broker side of the business with Acosta/NS Sales, the manufacturer side with Coca-Cola/Odwalla, and the distribution side where my husband and I expanded our local distribution company nationally, to become Whole Foods Market’s #1 DSD distributor in 8 of their 11 regions. It was here, I realized, that helping small businesses launch, grow, and expand into multiple regions and retailers was not only a career, but a calling. Weaving together the unique threads of my early exposure to clean and healthy food, my personal resonance with the natural products industry, and a passion for helping start up brands grow and flourish in this space, it seemed time to start a consulting company and take that approach one step further; to help women owned brands and women entrepreneurs succeed in this male dominated space. Thus, Gather Brands was born!

    • Mia Medina, Founder & CEO, Gather Brands
  • 8:30 AM
    -
    8:45 AM
    Boot Camp Presentation 4: Board Best Practices
    • James Borteck
      Owner & President, JCB Growth
      James Borteck, Owner & President, JCB Growth -

      James Borteck

      Owner & President, JCB Growth

      Jamie has spent over 20 years in CPG general management with emphasis in Sales & Marketing. After graduating with an MBA from Duke University in 2001, Jamie joined Kraft Foods and led teams on iconic brands such as Ritz and Chips Ahoy!. He was a key leader in the launch of the 100 Calorie Packs platform from concept to year one in market, leading to a $100MM business and IRI Pacesetter Award. Jamie later joined start-up Food Should Taste Good, Inc. and was a key management team member to grow the company from 8 to 55 employees in 5 years to successful acquisition by General Mills in 2012. Jamie joined his next start-up, Justin’s, as SVP of Sales & Marketing and was a key impact player to triple its nut butter/chocolate business in 2 years and partner with private equity group VMG, which led to inevitable acquisition by Hormel. As President of Grillo’s Pickles for 5 years, Jamie expanded a local brand to become the national emerging category leader in retailers such as Whole Foods, Target, Publix, Ahold, and Costco, which led to eventual acquisition by King’s Hawaiian. Jamie currently is a board member with a portfolio of emerging “fighter” brands, where he helps get them to start-up growth leadership.

    • James Borteck, Owner & President, JCB Growth
  • 8:45 AM
    -
    9:00 AM
    Boot Camp Presentation 5: Financing Your Food Venture
    • Brad Barnhorn
      Board Member and Advisor, Barnhorn Growth Advisors
      Brad  Barnhorn, Board Member and Advisor, Barnhorn Growth Advisors -

      Brad Barnhorn

      Board Member and Advisor, Barnhorn Growth Advisors

      Brad works closely with leading growth-stage food and beverage companies as a Board member, strategic advisor and Investor. His work leverages 25 years of company-building experience as entrepreneur, CEO, board member and investor, cutting across all strategic and operational dimensions of successful company-building in the food and beverage space. He currently serves on the boards of Country Archer, Rhythm Superfoods, Flying Embers, Barney Butter, Biena, Aura Bora, Gimme Foods and Red’s All Natural. He previously served on the Board of Krave Jerky, Kevita, Health Warrior and Chameleon Cold Brew from these companies early stages through their respective exits as category defining brands to Hershey’s, Pepsi and Nestle. Building upon a foundation in management consulting and investment banking, Mr. Barnhorn’s food and beverage journey began twenty years ago as Founder/CEO of the Fantasia Fresh Juice Company which he built into the leading superpremium fresh juice/smoothie company in the Midwestern United States culminating in a merger with Naked Juice to form the leading national brand in the category which was subsequently acquired by Pepsi. He holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

    • Brad Barnhorn, Board Member and Advisor, Barnhorn Growth Advisors
  • 9:15 AM
    -
    9:45 AM
    Boot Camp Roundtable Q&A
    • LaRon Batchelor
      Founder & CEO, Passport Food & Beverages
      LaRon Batchelor, Founder & CEO, Passport Food & Beverages -

      LaRon Batchelor

      Founder & CEO, Passport Food & Beverages

      With over 20 years of Food & Beverage experience, LaRon is the cofounder of Passport Food & Beverages, a retail management and marketing agency that connects forward-looking, entrepreneurial brands with major retailers and regional distributors such as Wakefern, Whole Foods, Stop&Shop and FreshDirect. In 2020, he cofounded a specialty coffee brand #CoffeeUpliftsPeople (CUP), which is available at all NYC Whole Foods and its flagship CUP Boutique in Brooklyn, New York. CUP’s mission is to bring Diversity, Inclusion, Representation & Equity to the coffee industry. LaRon is also a cofounder of Caminus Ventures, the first accelerator program designed to support Black food and beverage innovators. His partners include Aurify Brands, NYC’s largest independent restaurant operator, and the acclaimed Chef Marcus Samuelsson. In addition, LaRon is a passionate video ethnographer of small businesses and cultural global trends. He has lived in Japan, South Africa, France and the UK. Here is a website he created that celebrates NYC small business owners.

    • Mia Medina
      Founder & CEO, Gather Brands
      Mia Medina, Founder & CEO, Gather Brands -

      Mia Medina

      Founder & CEO, Gather Brands

      Growing up in Mill Valley, CA, where natural foods were a staple long before it was mainstream, I’ve always been drawn to natural products, local fresh foods, and exploring new and different flavors. I’m especially fortunate that my passion for clean healthy food has not only been a lifestyle, but also the core of my career in the Natural Products industry. While spending the last 20 years as a wife and a mother to our 5 amazing children, I have also had the opportunity to grow with and navigate through the CPG industry, with a primary focus on the Natural Channel. I’ve worked on the Broker side of the business with Acosta/NS Sales, the manufacturer side with Coca-Cola/Odwalla, and the distribution side where my husband and I expanded our local distribution company nationally, to become Whole Foods Market’s #1 DSD distributor in 8 of their 11 regions. It was here, I realized, that helping small businesses launch, grow, and expand into multiple regions and retailers was not only a career, but a calling. Weaving together the unique threads of my early exposure to clean and healthy food, my personal resonance with the natural products industry, and a passion for helping start up brands grow and flourish in this space, it seemed time to start a consulting company and take that approach one step further; to help women owned brands and women entrepreneurs succeed in this male dominated space. Thus, Gather Brands was born!

    • Greg Papalexis
      Independent Contractor & Advisor, Papalexis Services LLC
      Greg Papalexis, Independent Contractor & Advisor, Papalexis Services LLC -

      Greg Papalexis

      Independent Contractor & Advisor, Papalexis Services LLC

      Greg Papalexis is an independent contractor & advisor that specializes in end-to-end supply chain planning & scaling, specialized contract manufacturing, and general operations & administration. Previously, Greg spent four years as Vice President of Supply Chain & Operations for Chef's Cut Real Jerky Co.® after six years as General Manager of Manufacturing for Sabrett® Hot Dogs; during his tenure at Chef's Cut Real Jerky Co.®, Greg solely designed, constructed, and operated the end-to-end supply chain that within three years expanded its product portfolio from four SKUs to sixty SKUs at five production & distribution points equating to an annual revenue increase from ~$1 million to ~$50 million. More recently, Greg has served interim/fractional roles with both HOP WTR® and 4505 Meats®, and his current clients include HOP WTR®, Prevail® Jerky, Yolélé® African Foods, and The Plug Drink®. Greg earned his B.S. in Business Administration from Fordham University and is based in Miami, FL.

    • James Borteck
      Owner & President, JCB Growth
      James Borteck, Owner & President, JCB Growth -

      James Borteck

      Owner & President, JCB Growth

      Jamie has spent over 20 years in CPG general management with emphasis in Sales & Marketing. After graduating with an MBA from Duke University in 2001, Jamie joined Kraft Foods and led teams on iconic brands such as Ritz and Chips Ahoy!. He was a key leader in the launch of the 100 Calorie Packs platform from concept to year one in market, leading to a $100MM business and IRI Pacesetter Award. Jamie later joined start-up Food Should Taste Good, Inc. and was a key management team member to grow the company from 8 to 55 employees in 5 years to successful acquisition by General Mills in 2012. Jamie joined his next start-up, Justin’s, as SVP of Sales & Marketing and was a key impact player to triple its nut butter/chocolate business in 2 years and partner with private equity group VMG, which led to inevitable acquisition by Hormel. As President of Grillo’s Pickles for 5 years, Jamie expanded a local brand to become the national emerging category leader in retailers such as Whole Foods, Target, Publix, Ahold, and Costco, which led to eventual acquisition by King’s Hawaiian. Jamie currently is a board member with a portfolio of emerging “fighter” brands, where he helps get them to start-up growth leadership.

    • LaRon Batchelor, Founder & CEO, Passport Food & Beverages
    • Mia Medina, Founder & CEO, Gather Brands
    • Greg Papalexis, Independent Contractor & Advisor, Papalexis Services LLC
    • James Borteck, Owner & President, JCB Growth
  • 9:45 AM
    -
    10:00 AM
    Networking Break & Sampling
  • 10:00 AM
    -
    10:30 AM
    Welcome Remarks + Combining Profitability and Purpose
    Vital Farms President & CEO Russell Diez-Canseco will share how he led the company through a successful IPO process, and his own ongoing battle: continuing to help the company grow profits while still maintaining its deeper purpose. It’s a can’t miss session for any company trying to marry mission with monetary success.
    • Russell Diez-Canseco
      President & CEO, Vital Farms
      Russell Diez-Canseco, President & CEO, Vital Farms -

      Russell Diez-Canseco

      President & CEO, Vital Farms

      A self-proclaimed “recovering MBA student”, Russell was attracted to Vital Farms because the company’s multi-stakeholder business model challenged all his previous notions on capitalism. Under Russell’s leadership, Vital Farms has grown significantly in revenue, with a 35% compound annual growth rate from 2016-2020, as well as in retail distribution, and its relationships with small family farms. In July 2020, he led Vital Farms’ successful transition to the public market. Russell believes his most significant contribution to Vital Farms is scaling a high-performing organization and world-class Board of Directors, while cultivating a strong, values-driven culture. Prior to joining Vital Farms, Russell worked with McKinsey & Company, H-E-B Grocery, and the Central Intelligence Agency.

    • Russell Diez-Canseco, President & CEO, Vital Farms

    Watch Video

  • 10:30 AM
    -
    11:00 AM
    How to Bootstrap When You've Got No Boots: A Case Study In Perseverance
    Switching the field from experienced executive to emerging entrepreneur, we’ll next hear from Duane Cheers, the founder and CEO of plant-based food company Everything Legendary. After bootstrapping his plant-based food company for close to four years, Duane and his cofounders recently raised $6 million in funding from investors including CircleUp Growth Partners, General Mills’ 301 INC, and Mark Cuban. At NOSH Live, Cheers will share advice for other emerging brands about how he worked with what he had in hand to endure long enough to establish the company.
    • Duane Cheers
      Co-Founder, Everything Legendary
    • Duane Cheers, Co-Founder, Everything Legendary

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  • 11:00 AM
    -
    11:30 AM
    Networking Break, Sampling & Taste Radio Studio

    Watch Video

  • 11:30 AM
    -
    12:00 PM
    Finance Outlook: What's on the Minds of Investors Today
    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.
    • Ashley Hartman
      Managing Partner, Bluestein Ventures
      Ashley Hartman, Managing Partner, Bluestein Ventures -

      Ashley Hartman

      Managing Partner, Bluestein Ventures

      Ashley co-leads Bluestein Ventures, driving the firm’s strategy, portfolio company support, and deal pipeline. Ashley has made over 30 investments in the space, and is an observer on three boards, including Base Culture, Grovara, and Rethink. Ashley has deep experience leading growth strategy and establishing scalable infrastructure necessary to build sustainable ventures. Prior to Bluestein, Ashley was Vice President of Strategy & Operations at Hartman Windows & Doors, where she was responsible for growth strategy, leading expansion across the U.S. as well as setting the platform on which to grow. Ashley also worked for Coinstar in Business Development, focusing on launching their new ventures. After college, Ashley was an Analyst at NERA Economic Consulting. Active in the Chicago and food community, Ashley serves on the Board of Naturally Chicago, on Selection Committee of the Good Food Accelerator, and as a mentor at Food Foundry, The Hatchery, and the LeAD Accelerator, in addition to being a judge at Booth’s new venture competitions. She is also on the National Leadership Council of United States Artists. Ashley received an MBA with honors from Harvard Business School and a BA in Political Economy, summa cum laude, from Williams College.

    • Genevieve Gilbreath
      Co-founder & General Partner, Springdale Ventures
      Genevieve Gilbreath, Co-founder & General Partner, Springdale Ventures -

      Genevieve Gilbreath

      Co-founder & General Partner, Springdale Ventures

      Genevieve is co-founder and General Partner of Springdale Ventures, an early-stage consumer brands venture fund. She has been an active investor for seven years and has over twenty years of experience as entrepreneur in consumer products (CPG) and the health and wellness industry. From 2003-2016, she built & managed import/export natural product companies, from 2016 - 2018 years she led SKU, the premier CPG accelerator, and in 2019 launched Springdale Ventures, with her Co-founder Dan Graham. Genevieve also is a founding board member of Naturally Austin and the national Naturally Network. When she is not working with portfolio companies or bringing great new brands into the Springdale family she loves spending time outdoors with her son K-Max, dogs Joon and Oliver at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

    • Tapan Shah
      Director of Venture Capital, SnackFutures
      Tapan Shah, Director of Venture Capital,  SnackFutures -

      Tapan Shah

      Director of Venture Capital, SnackFutures

      Tapan has been a part of the natural foods eco-system for almost 20 years. He started his career at Glacéau and went on to marketing and leadership roles at the Campbell Soup Co. and Energy Kitchen. In 2013, Tapan joined AF Ventures (AccelFoods), where he was active in sourcing and managing investments, as well as guiding marketing strategy for the fund and its portfolio companies. In 2018 he joined the Pepsico Ventures Group, before joining Mondelez Snackfutures to lead Venture Capital activity. Tapan received a BA from Villanova University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and daughters.

    • Franklin Isacson
      Managing Partner, Coefficient Capital
      Franklin  Isacson, Managing Partner, Coefficient Capital -

      Franklin Isacson

      Managing Partner, Coefficient Capital

      Franklin is a Founding Partner at Coefficient Capital. Franklin has over a decade of investing experience in consumer products and retail and has worked in the sector for twenty years. Franklin lead deal sourcing in the US and select European countries for Verlinvest, the Brussels-based investment firm backed by the founding shareholders of Anheuser-Busch InBev. He set-up the New York office and led growth investments within the branded consumer and retail sectors, deploying equity checks of $5m to $150m. Prior to joining Verlinvest, Franklin worked in the consumer products investment banking group at UBS, in M&A and strategy at Diageo and in brand marketing at LVMH. He started his career at The Boston Consulting Group where he served clients in consumer products and retail. Franklin received an MBA from Columbia Business School, a BA from the University of Dublin, Trinity College, and a Diploma from Sciences Po. in Paris. Franklin is Dutch, grew up in Europe where he learnt to speak four languages and has lived and worked in New York since 2005.

    • Ashley Hartman, Managing Partner, Bluestein Ventures
    • Genevieve Gilbreath, Co-founder & General Partner, Springdale Ventures
    • Tapan Shah, Director of Venture Capital, SnackFutures
    • Franklin Isacson, Managing Partner, Coefficient Capital

    Watch Video

  • 12:00 PM
    -
    12:30 PM
    Crickets to Cereal: What I've Learned Along the Way
    Gabi Lewis, a co-founder of cereal brand Magic Spoon, will chat about the lessons he learned from his first endeavor, launching cricket-based bar brand Exo, and how that experience influenced Magic Spoon’s structure, fundraising and focus.
    • Gabi Lewis
      Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Magic Spoon
      Gabi  Lewis, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Magic Spoon -

      Gabi Lewis

      Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Magic Spoon

      Gabi Lewis is the co-founder of Magic Spoon, a direct-to-consumer company recreating your favorite childhood breakfast cereals with more protein, fewer carbs, and zero sugar. Forbes called Magic Spoon "the future of cereal", TIME Magazine named Magic Spoon in their Top 100 Inventions of 2019, and the company counts celebrities ranging from Questlove to Amy Schumer among its investors. Prior to launching Magic Spoon in 2019, Gabi co-founded Exo, a company pioneering sustainable insect protein that was named in Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies in the World. Gabi was born in Israel and raised in Scotland. He has a dual degree in Philosophy and Economics from Brown University, a state record in powerlifting, and was named to Forbes 30 under 30.

    • Gabi Lewis, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Magic Spoon

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  • 12:30 PM
    -
    1:45 PM
    Lunch Break, Sampling & Taste Radio Studio

    Watch Video

  • 1:45 PM
    -
    2:15 PM
    Insider's View: The Kroger Shopper
    We'll gather back together to hear insights on consumers from the team at grocery giant Kroger and its data arm 84.51. Speakers will introduce attendees to the Kroger natural products shopper, giving a view into the way the evolution of omnichannel is changing what consumers want from their shopping experience. The presentation will give entrepreneurs an edge in channel strategies amidst a changing retail landscape.
    • Alexandra Trott
      Director, Business Development Consulting - Merchandising, 84.51°
      Alexandra Trott, Director, Business Development Consulting - Merchandising, 84.51° -

      Alexandra Trott

      Director, Business Development Consulting - Merchandising, 84.51°

      As Director, Business Development Consulting – Merchandising, Alex Trott is responsible for ensuring 84.51°’s CPG clients are getting value and insights out of its data by enabling the Cloud and other capabilities. Alex was appointed to her current role after serving 10 years with the company in a variety of roles. In her longest tenured role as Senior Client Lead, Kroger Merchandising, she created and led the multi-disciplinary, customer-focused strategy for the Natural Foods Department at Kroger. Under her guidance, she helped Kroger become a leader in the natural and organic space and spoke on the retailer’s behalf at Expo West, The Wellness Your Way Festival, The Nexty Awards, BevNet and NoshLive. She also spearheaded the creation of the Natural Foods Summit, which was an innovation platform that promoted discussion about natural food trends and allowed emerging brands to showcase their products directly to Kroger. Alex began her career at 84.51°, previously dunnhumby, in the grad program as an associate client lead in Communications & Media. A native Cincinnatian, Alex graduated from Miami University with Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a minor in entrepreneurship. She sits on the Network of Executive Women Cincinnati Regional leadership team and has tutored 3rd grade math and reading at the Oyler School for 9 consecutive school years.

    • Holly Adrien
      Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co.
      Holly   Adrien, Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co. -

      Holly Adrien

      Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co.

      Holly Adrien is the Natural and Organic Strategy and Innovation Manager for The Kroger Co, the nation’s largest traditional grocer. With a deep background in customer insights, analytics and merchandising, Holly leads development of The Kroger Co’s strategic focus for natural and organic, and is responsible for execution of top activations to meet customer’s needs in natural and organic across the total store. In her role, she has the privilege of collaborating with all Kroger banners and both established and emerging brands to continuously innovate in terms of new items, promotions, and communication to customers. Her passion for natural products started as an opportunity to improve health and performance in athletics, then blossomed when she was responsible for the Baby department for Kroger and recognized the opportunity that existed to provide the best to The Kroger Co. customers!

    • Alexandra Trott, Director, Business Development Consulting - Merchandising, 84.51°
    • Holly Adrien, Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co.

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  • 2:15 PM
    -
    2:45 PM
    Splendid and Scary: The Jeni's Growth Story
    Experience will be back on stage when John Lowe, the CEO of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream, recounts his experiences leading the brand from local phenomenon to national powerhouse. Reflecting back on his over a decade of leadership, Lowe will provide attendees with stories of his success and struggles, as well as practical advice for managing the ups and downs of any CPG business.
    • John Lowe
      CEO, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
      John Lowe, CEO, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams -

      John Lowe

      CEO, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

      Nearly 13 years ago John Lowe took the leap from General Electric Company to the then four-shop, $1M ice cream company based on his belief that Jeni Britton was a generational talent making the world’s greatest ice creams. John bet that their talents were a perfect yin and yang, such that they could grow a business that would create outsized benefits for its customers, employees and investors. Today, the company has more than 1,400 team members who carry out the company’s two-part mission of making better ice creams and bringing people together. The company owns and operates 67 scoop shops from LA to Philadelphia, has national distribution of its pints on the freezer shelves of America's finest retailers, and has developed the nation’s largest direct-to-consumer ice cream shipping business. In the months prior to the pandemic, the company was featured on the cover of QSR Magazine and was named by B Lab as of one three “Community - Best for the World” honorees. Internally, John drives a culture of performance, kindness and fun. From creating Team Jeni’s “Force For Good” operating efforts to ensure the company drives anti-racism efforts for years to come, to his creation of the Jeni’s Sabbatical Program - a one month paid vacation for every team member every three years of service. In 2016, John was honored by the Specialty Food Association with its Business Leadership Award. Perhaps most telling about John’s leadership, on John’s 10th anniversary with the company, Jeni and the company surprised him with a rooftop party and revealed a giant wallscape in downtown Columbus thanking him for “Ten awesome years as our CEO” and for “being a leader of integrity and heart.” He is a long-serving outside director of White Castle Company and Watershed Distillery. John has but one hobby: he loves coaching his three sons’ basketball teams. Jack, 17, Alex, 14, and Luke, 11, are of varied athletic giftedness, but are learning the benefits of tenacity, hustle and the daily grind. He is married to their mother, Catherine L. Strauss, a business advisor, trial attorney and Managing Partner of IceMiller’s 80-person Columbus office.

    • John Lowe, CEO, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

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  • 2:45 PM
    -
    3:15 PM
    After the Raise: Smart Spending for Growth
    Finally we’ll end the day with a panel of entrepreneurs, including Chris Kirby the CEO of Ithaca Hummus and Denise Woodard the CEO of Partake, about their own fundraising experiences and, more importantly, the ways they used it to fortify and grow their businesses when the check hit the account. HINT: No one bought a Porsche.
    • Chris Kirby
      Founder & President, Ithaca Hummus
    • Denise Woodard
      Founder & CEO, Partake Foods
      Denise Woodard, Founder & CEO, Partake Foods -

      Denise Woodard

      Founder & CEO, Partake Foods

      Denise is the Founder and CEO of Partake Foods, a natural food company that was inspired by her daughter’s experience with food allergies. Launched in 2017, Partake’s first product — delicious, better for you, allergy-friendly cookies — can now be found in more than 8,000 retailers including Target, Trader Joe's, Kroger, Whole Foods Market. In 2021, Partake released a line of Baking Mixes—Brownie Mix, Blondie Mix, and a Pizza Crust Baking Mix—all available on partakefoods.com. In January 2022, Partake introduced Pancake & Waffle Mixes in Classic & Confetti flavors available at select Target stores nationwide. Denise is the first Black woman to raise more than $1 Million publicly for a CPG food startup. The company's investors include HER, Rihanna, CircleUp Growth Partners, FF2032 and Marcy Venture Partners. Prior to launching Partake, Denise spent a decade in consumer packaged goods at various Fortune 100 companies, most recently as the Director of National Sales for Coca-Cola's Venturing & Emerging Brands division. She lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy, and daughter, Vivienne. She graduated with her BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Arizona State University.

    • Lisa Barnett
      Co-Founder & President, Little Spoon
      Lisa Barnett, Co-Founder & President, Little Spoon -

      Lisa Barnett

      Co-Founder & President, Little Spoon

      Lisa Barnett is the Co-Founder, President & CMO of Little Spoon, the fastest growing direct-to-consumer children’s food and nutrition company reinventing the modern parent’s experience of keeping their child healthy. She has been recognized as one of the ‘Women Changing the Food Industry’ by Well + Good, by Marie Claire as an ‘Power Woman of 2019, and by Forbes as 30 Under 30 in Venture Capital. She also advises and sits on the board of a variety of consumer-facing companies in the ecommerce & consumer health space. Prior to Little Spoon, Lisa spent nearly a decade as an investor in and operator at some of the world’s top consumer brands including Estee Lauder Companies, Calvin Klein, Weight Watchers and a number of other Fortune 500 Companies. At Estee Lauder Companies, she was responsible for building out D2C and ecommerce channels across the organization within existing brands as well as re-launching a digitally native, personalized skincare brand. As an investor, she was focused on investing in brand-driven startups aimed at transforming the everyday life of consumers in the wellness, health and CPG space. Lisa attended the Wharton School for her MBA and the University of Pennsylvania for her undergraduate studies. She holds a Bachelors of Arts with Honors in Communication and Marketing, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with the Top Ivy League Scholar-Athlete Accolades as a member of the Varsity Cross Country and Track teams.

    • Chris Kirby, Founder & President, Ithaca Hummus
    • Denise Woodard, Founder & CEO, Partake Foods
    • Lisa Barnett, Co-Founder & President, Little Spoon

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  • 3:15 PM
    -
    4:30 PM
    Pitch Slam Semifinal Round
    Attendees will wrap up the day watching the NOSH Live Pitch Slam semifinals, where they’ll also have a vote in selecting who goes on to the final round.
    • Matt Weiss
      Founder/CEO, RIND Snacks
      Matt Weiss, Founder/CEO, RIND Snacks -

      Matt Weiss

      Founder/CEO, RIND Snacks

      After a nearly two-decade career in finance, Matt launched RIND, a better-for-you snack brand focused on whole fruit nutrition, in 2017. Prior to RIND, Matt spent 20 years in investment research at Baron Capital where he covered consumer growth stocks. He lives in New York City with his wife and three children.

    • Karen Ivanis-Rogers
      Director of Business Ventures, Albertsons Companies
      Karen Ivanis-Rogers, Director of Business Ventures, Albertsons Companies -

      Karen Ivanis-Rogers

      Director of Business Ventures, Albertsons Companies

      Karen Ivanis-Rogers spent the first 20 years of her career in big and mid-sized CPG where she helped brands like Tylenol, Clorox Bleach, Milk Bone and Nature Made Vitamins dominate the retail shelves of retailers in all classes of trade. Today she co-leads the Albertson’s Growth Accelerator Program. The Growth Accelerator Program’s mission is to accelerate the growth of select emerging consumer brands by providing distribution, unparalleled merchandising resources and analytics to increase brand awareness, sales and velocities. These emerging brands grow in Albertsons and the marketplace follows. Karen participates in the prospecting and selection of new brands, she leads the operations team that supports portfolio companies and acts as a problem solver, strategic thinker and connector to emerging entrepreneurs. Karen lives in the Oakland Hills with her husband.

    • Jason Starr
      Founder/Managing Director, Consumer Ventures
      Jason Starr, Founder/Managing Director, Consumer Ventures -

      Jason Starr

      Founder/Managing Director, Consumer Ventures

      Jason has over two decades of experience spanning operations, technology, venture capital, and private equity. Jason is the founder of Consumer Ventures™, a venture capital firm focused on investing in and building emerging consumer brands and companies. Before Consumer Ventures™, Jason was the fund manager at CircleUp in San Francisco, through which he invested in dozens of consumer ventures. Prior to CircleUp, Jason spent over eight years at Winona Capital Management, a consumer-focused private equity firm in Chicago with over $300 million under management. Jason graduated from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with an MBA and holds a BSBA and MAS from the University of Denver, where he was an alumni scholar and graduated summa cum laude.

    • Adrianne DeLuca
      Reporter, BevNET & NOSH
      Adrianne DeLuca, Reporter, BevNET & NOSH -

      Adrianne DeLuca

      Reporter, BevNET & NOSH

      Adrianne DeLuca is a reporter for BevNET and NOSH where she covers a range of industry-related topics with a specific interest in new, sustainable innovations, regulatory and legal matters as well as the intricacies of the supply chain. Adrianne is a journalism and political science graduate of Elon University, and has previously written for various local and digital publications.

    • Matt Weiss, Founder/CEO, RIND Snacks
    • Karen Ivanis-Rogers, Director of Business Ventures, Albertsons Companies
    • Jason Starr, Founder/Managing Director, Consumer Ventures
    • Adrianne DeLuca, Reporter, BevNET & NOSH

    Watch Video

  • 4:30 PM
    -
    6:00 PM
    Happy Hour
    Join the official NOSH Live cocktail party, also held on-site at the Metropolitan Pavilion, for some time chatting with each other about the day’s lessons over more snacks and drinks, before adjourning for the day.

Please note: All times US Eastern Time

  • 8:00 AM
    -
    9:00 AM
    Breakfast & Registration
  • 9:00 AM
    -
    9:30 AM
    Data Dive: A Look at Consumer Trends
    Lu Ann Williams, the Co-founder & Global Insights Director at Innova Market Insights and a frequent guest on our Category Closeup videos, will discuss current consumer behaviors and trends, which can in turn be used for more robust brand building.
    • Lu Ann Williams
      Co-founder & Global Insights Director, Innova Market Insights
      Lu Ann Williams, Co-founder & Global Insights Director, Innova Market Insights -

      Lu Ann Williams

      Co-founder & Global Insights Director, Innova Market Insights

      Lu Ann Williams is co-founder and Global Insights Director at Innova Market Insights, a global market research firm headquartered in The Netherlands. An expert on trends driving the food and beverage industry, she is a frequent speaker at industry events. Thirty years of global experience, data analysis and trendspotting give her a unique foundation for insights into what’s coming next in the industry in every region of the world.

    • Lu Ann Williams, Co-founder & Global Insights Director, Innova Market Insights

    Watch Video

  • 9:30 AM
    -
    10:00 AM
    Followers and Friends: Using Social Media to Drive Sales
    We’ll hear how these consumer insights are used by one brand in particular, with a look inside the social media machine that is MidDay Squares. The Canadian chocolate brand has blasted into the U.S. market with a brash, no-holds-barred approach to social media. At NOSH Live the brand’s three co-founders will discuss how showing consumers the good, the bad and the ugly of running an emerging business on social media has paid off in terms of building a customer base.
    • Jake Karls
      Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares
      Jake Karls, Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares -

      Jake Karls

      Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares

      My name is Jake Karls and I am a Co-Founder and Chief Rainmaker at Mid-Day Squares... I believe my purpose in life is to make people feel something deeply, to spread good vibes and show the world that you can win by being unapologetically yourself everyday. I am 28 years old. I studied to be an actuary, but couldn't find a job so I decided to try out entrepreneurship. I have launched 3 businesses, 2 have failed. As of right now, Mid-Day Squares is working haha :). I learnt you gotta keep swinging till you hit.

    • Lezlie Karls
      CEO & Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares
      Lezlie Karls, CEO & Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares -

      Lezlie Karls

      CEO & Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares

      Lezlie Karls is currently the co-Founder and co-CEO of Mid-Day Squares. Her journey started 10 years ago. She's been swinging and missing for over a decade. She always loved taking an idea and making it come to life. She's been judged and misunderstood over and over. She's designed for lady gaga, spent time on construction sites, and attempted to cook with the greats. All of which has led her to this moment now challenging all leaders to lead with vulnerability instead of fear.

    • Nick Saltarelli
      Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares
      Nick Saltarelli , Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares -

      Nick Saltarelli

      Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares

      Nick Saltarelli is a co-founder of Mid-Day Squares, a lifelong student of entrepreneurship and someone who doesn't believe in work life balance but rather a fully integrated life of both in beautiful harmony. His life goal is to teach as many people to think for themselves and compete against themselves. His life's mission is to inspire people to be BOLD.

    • Jake Karls, Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares
    • Lezlie Karls, CEO & Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares
    • Nick Saltarelli , Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares

    Watch Video

  • 10:00 AM
    -
    10:30 AM
    One Big Change: Problem Solving to Move Forward
    Telling your story is only one part of the equation - sometimes it needs an edit. Sweet Loren’s founder and CEO Loren Castle’s battle with cancer inspired her to start the cleaned-up cookie brand. But it took Castle looking at the key differentiators in her product line, and rebranding to make them more defined, that caused the business to truly take off. Brill’s advice will help attendees take a deeper look at their own brands, finding out what part of their strategies truly resonate with shoppers. 
    • Loren Castle
      CEO and Founder, Sweet Loren's, Inc.
      Loren Castle, CEO and Founder, Sweet Loren's, Inc. -

      Loren Castle

      CEO and Founder, Sweet Loren's, Inc.

      Loren Castle is the CEO and Founder of Sweet Loren’s, Inc., a better-for-you baked goods company that is redefining what it means to be delicious and convenient. Sweet Loren's offers irresistible clean ingredient cookie dough that is non-GMO, plant-based, gluten free, dairy free, and free from the top 14 allergens. Their cookie dough is safe to eat raw, and convenient place & bake packaging means it’s easy to bake one or all. They also have tubs of creamy edible cookie dough for those that want to grab a spoon and dig in. Castle founded Sweet Loren’s after beating cancer in her early twenties, making it her mission to eliminate processed foods from her diet. When she couldn’t find great tasting cookies made from clean ingredients, she set out to make her own - and it led her to create Sweet Loren's. Since the company launch in 2012, the independent and female-owned brand has grown exponentially, and is now operating with mass distribution available online sweetlorens.com and in more than 15,000 US stores in the refrigerated dough section. One of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the US, Castle has been featured for three straight years on the Inc. 5000 list, and made it to Inc.'s Female Founders 100 list. Castle is a graduate of the Annenberg School of Communication, University of Southern California. She is a certified Hatha Yoga instructor and resides in California with her husband and one year old daughter.

    • Loren Castle, CEO and Founder, Sweet Loren's, Inc.

    Watch Video

  • 10:30 AM
    -
    11:00 AM
    Networking Break, Sampling & Taste Radio Studio

    Watch Video

  • 11:00 AM
    -
    11:30 AM
    Pitch Slam Finals - Part I
    • Carol Ortenberg
      Editor, NOSH
      Carol Ortenberg, Editor, NOSH -

      Carol Ortenberg

      Editor, NOSH

      Carol is the Editor of NOSH, BevNet’s media property focusing on Natural, Healthy, Sustainable and Organic food products. Carol previously worked and consulted for several consumer goods companies, many within the food space. She also was on the marketing team for Whole Foods Market in the North Atlantic region. Prior to focusing on the food industry, Carol worked at several tech companies, including HubSpot, and served as a consumer researcher at AMP Agency. A graduate of Brandeis University in Journalism, Cultural Anthropology and Theater Arts, Carol is passionate about the food, agriculture and beverage industries.

    • Ibraheem Basir
      Founder/CEO, A Dozen Cousins
      Ibraheem Basir, Founder/CEO, A Dozen Cousins -

      Ibraheem Basir

      Founder/CEO, A Dozen Cousins

      Ibraheem Basir is the founder and CEO of A Dozen Cousins, a natural food brand that makes convenient meals and side dishes inspired by traditional Creole, Caribbean and Latin American recipes. The brand is inspired by his childhood growing up in the culinary melting pot of Brooklyn and is named after his daughter and her 11 cousins. Prior to launching A Dozen Cousins, Ibraheem obtained his MBA from the Wharton School of Business and served as a Marketing Manager on a number of natural food brands including Larabar and Annie's Organic.

    • Holly Adrien
      Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co.
      Holly   Adrien, Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co. -

      Holly Adrien

      Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co.

      Holly Adrien is the Natural and Organic Strategy and Innovation Manager for The Kroger Co, the nation’s largest traditional grocer. With a deep background in customer insights, analytics and merchandising, Holly leads development of The Kroger Co’s strategic focus for natural and organic, and is responsible for execution of top activations to meet customer’s needs in natural and organic across the total store. In her role, she has the privilege of collaborating with all Kroger banners and both established and emerging brands to continuously innovate in terms of new items, promotions, and communication to customers. Her passion for natural products started as an opportunity to improve health and performance in athletics, then blossomed when she was responsible for the Baby department for Kroger and recognized the opportunity that existed to provide the best to The Kroger Co. customers!

    • Mia Medina
      Founder & CEO, Gather Brands
      Mia Medina, Founder & CEO, Gather Brands -

      Mia Medina

      Founder & CEO, Gather Brands

      Growing up in Mill Valley, CA, where natural foods were a staple long before it was mainstream, I’ve always been drawn to natural products, local fresh foods, and exploring new and different flavors. I’m especially fortunate that my passion for clean healthy food has not only been a lifestyle, but also the core of my career in the Natural Products industry. While spending the last 20 years as a wife and a mother to our 5 amazing children, I have also had the opportunity to grow with and navigate through the CPG industry, with a primary focus on the Natural Channel. I’ve worked on the Broker side of the business with Acosta/NS Sales, the manufacturer side with Coca-Cola/Odwalla, and the distribution side where my husband and I expanded our local distribution company nationally, to become Whole Foods Market’s #1 DSD distributor in 8 of their 11 regions. It was here, I realized, that helping small businesses launch, grow, and expand into multiple regions and retailers was not only a career, but a calling. Weaving together the unique threads of my early exposure to clean and healthy food, my personal resonance with the natural products industry, and a passion for helping start up brands grow and flourish in this space, it seemed time to start a consulting company and take that approach one step further; to help women owned brands and women entrepreneurs succeed in this male dominated space. Thus, Gather Brands was born!

    • Carol Ortenberg, Editor, NOSH
    • Ibraheem Basir, Founder/CEO, A Dozen Cousins
    • Holly Adrien, Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co.
    • Mia Medina, Founder & CEO, Gather Brands

    Watch Video

  • 11:30 AM
    -
    12:00 PM
    When the Investor Becomes the Operator: Lessons from Both Sides
    Returning to the lessons of the day, Jason Karp, the co-founder of Hu Kitchen and a former hedge fund manager, will take to the stage. Following the sale of Hu Products to snack giant Mondelez in 2021, Karp started HumanCo, a holding company that acquires, incubates and reinvents brands in “sleepy categories.” At NOSH Live he’ll provide attendees with an inside look at how his experience as an investor has influenced how he creates, develops and runs brands, including Snow Days, Cosmic Bliss and Against the Grain. 
    • Will Lisman
      Chief Commercial Officer, HumanCo
      Will Lisman, Chief Commercial Officer, HumanCo -

      Will Lisman

      Chief Commercial Officer, HumanCo

      Will Lisman is the Chief Commercial Officer at HumanCo. Will has almost two decades of consumer industry experience ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies across a broad range of disciplines including marketing, sales, strategy and M&A. Previously, Will was an executive with Amplify Snack Brands, an independent operating subsidiary of The Hershey Company and a leading better-for-you snack platform. Prior to Amplify, Will held a variety of commercial leadership positions within The Hershey Company and also spent five years as a management consultant in the Consumer Practice at The Parthenon Group, a boutique strategy consulting firm that is now part of EY. Will has a B.S. in Management from Boston College and an M.B.A. from The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

    • Peter Burns
      Managing Partner, Sunrise Strategic Partners
      Peter Burns, Managing Partner, Sunrise Strategic Partners -

      Peter Burns

      Managing Partner, Sunrise Strategic Partners

      Over the past 20+ years, Peter Burns has established himself as an expert in the food and beverage space, especially when it comes to preparing promising brands for acquisition by multinational giants. Peter joined Sunrise Strategic Partners in 2020 as a Managing Partner Prior to joining Sunrise, Peter was the CEO of ONE Brands, a Boulder/Charlotte-based protein-bar line, where he led the business to an exit to The Hershey Co. for $397 million. Before joining ONE Brands in 2017, he served as CEO and President of Justin’s Nut Butters, working with founder Justin Gold to execute a two-year plan culminating in a $286 million acquisition by Hormel. Previously, Burns was President of Celestial Seasonings as well as Chief Sales Officer for The Hain Celestial Group-USA , where he developed and managed Celestial Seasonings’ worldwide business as well as all commercial efforts for The HC Group- USA. Prior to his accomplishments at Celestial Seasonings, Burns was the Vice President of Sales at IZZE Beverage Company where he led all commercial efforts culminating in an eventual exit to Pepsi in 2006. Also of note are senior executive positions at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation and The Hershey Company.

    • Will Lisman, Chief Commercial Officer, HumanCo
    • Peter Burns, Managing Partner, Sunrise Strategic Partners

    Watch Video

  • 12:00 PM
    -
    12:30 PM
    Naturally Notable: Pitching and Winning in Whole Foods Market
    For any brand, landing on the shelves of natural products retailer Whole Foods Market is a great way to build an audience, and at NOSH Live we’ll have insight into how to get it done. Two of the category executives from the brand’s center store set, David Lafferty and Dan Epley, will share with attendees what they are looking for in brand partners and how even during challenging times, win/win partnerships can be achieved for all parties. 

    • Dan Epley
      VP Dry Grocery Team, Whole Foods Market
      Dan Epley, VP Dry Grocery Team, Whole Foods Market -

      Dan Epley

      VP Dry Grocery Team, Whole Foods Market

      Dan Epley is the Vice President for Whole Foods Market’s Dry Grocery Team, based at the company’s headquarters in Austin, Texas. He leads the merchant teams for Snacks, Candy, Beverages, Bulk, Meals, Breakfast, Baking, and Essentials. He’s also the leader for the Inventory Planning Team for Grocery and Whole Body. Previous to WFM he spent 26 years in Merchandising at Target Stores where he had leadership roles in Grocery, Domestics, Electronics, Home Improvement, and Sporting Goods. He’s known for brand development, innovative merchandising, strategic negotiations, marketing, process improvement, and sourcing. While not at work he enjoys going on adventures around the world, fishing remote Canadian lakes, and spending time with his family.

    • David Lafferty
      Executive Leader, Whole Foods Market
    • Dan Epley, VP Dry Grocery Team, Whole Foods Market
    • David Lafferty, Executive Leader, Whole Foods Market

    Watch Video

  • 12:30 PM
    -
    2:00 PM
    Lunch Break, Sampling & Taste Radio Studio

    Watch Video

  • 2:00 PM
    -
    2:30 PM
    Pitch Slam Finals - Part II
    • Ibraheem Basir
      Founder/CEO, A Dozen Cousins
      Ibraheem Basir, Founder/CEO, A Dozen Cousins -

      Ibraheem Basir

      Founder/CEO, A Dozen Cousins

      Ibraheem Basir is the founder and CEO of A Dozen Cousins, a natural food brand that makes convenient meals and side dishes inspired by traditional Creole, Caribbean and Latin American recipes. The brand is inspired by his childhood growing up in the culinary melting pot of Brooklyn and is named after his daughter and her 11 cousins. Prior to launching A Dozen Cousins, Ibraheem obtained his MBA from the Wharton School of Business and served as a Marketing Manager on a number of natural food brands including Larabar and Annie's Organic.

    • Carol Ortenberg
      Editor, NOSH
      Carol Ortenberg, Editor, NOSH -

      Carol Ortenberg

      Editor, NOSH

      Carol is the Editor of NOSH, BevNet’s media property focusing on Natural, Healthy, Sustainable and Organic food products. Carol previously worked and consulted for several consumer goods companies, many within the food space. She also was on the marketing team for Whole Foods Market in the North Atlantic region. Prior to focusing on the food industry, Carol worked at several tech companies, including HubSpot, and served as a consumer researcher at AMP Agency. A graduate of Brandeis University in Journalism, Cultural Anthropology and Theater Arts, Carol is passionate about the food, agriculture and beverage industries.

    • Mia Medina
      Founder & CEO, Gather Brands
      Mia Medina, Founder & CEO, Gather Brands -

      Mia Medina

      Founder & CEO, Gather Brands

      Growing up in Mill Valley, CA, where natural foods were a staple long before it was mainstream, I’ve always been drawn to natural products, local fresh foods, and exploring new and different flavors. I’m especially fortunate that my passion for clean healthy food has not only been a lifestyle, but also the core of my career in the Natural Products industry. While spending the last 20 years as a wife and a mother to our 5 amazing children, I have also had the opportunity to grow with and navigate through the CPG industry, with a primary focus on the Natural Channel. I’ve worked on the Broker side of the business with Acosta/NS Sales, the manufacturer side with Coca-Cola/Odwalla, and the distribution side where my husband and I expanded our local distribution company nationally, to become Whole Foods Market’s #1 DSD distributor in 8 of their 11 regions. It was here, I realized, that helping small businesses launch, grow, and expand into multiple regions and retailers was not only a career, but a calling. Weaving together the unique threads of my early exposure to clean and healthy food, my personal resonance with the natural products industry, and a passion for helping start up brands grow and flourish in this space, it seemed time to start a consulting company and take that approach one step further; to help women owned brands and women entrepreneurs succeed in this male dominated space. Thus, Gather Brands was born!

    • Holly Adrien
      Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co.
      Holly   Adrien, Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co. -

      Holly Adrien

      Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co.

      Holly Adrien is the Natural and Organic Strategy and Innovation Manager for The Kroger Co, the nation’s largest traditional grocer. With a deep background in customer insights, analytics and merchandising, Holly leads development of The Kroger Co’s strategic focus for natural and organic, and is responsible for execution of top activations to meet customer’s needs in natural and organic across the total store. In her role, she has the privilege of collaborating with all Kroger banners and both established and emerging brands to continuously innovate in terms of new items, promotions, and communication to customers. Her passion for natural products started as an opportunity to improve health and performance in athletics, then blossomed when she was responsible for the Baby department for Kroger and recognized the opportunity that existed to provide the best to The Kroger Co. customers!

    • Ibraheem Basir, Founder/CEO, A Dozen Cousins
    • Carol Ortenberg, Editor, NOSH
    • Mia Medina, Founder & CEO, Gather Brands
    • Holly Adrien, Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co.

    Watch Video

  • 2:30 PM
    -
    3:00 PM
    Thinking Critically About Portfolio Management & Product Assortment
    The day will end with a presentation by John Becker, the CEO of Pamela’s and Ancient Harvest. After the quinoa company acquired the baking and pasta brand in 2020, Becker and his team had to decide how each brand should push ahead, and what it could offer consumers. Fresh off a rebrand of Pamela’s, Becker will share with the audience how they can turn a critical eye to their own portfolios, building an array of products that can lead them into the future. 

    • John Becker
      CEO, Pamela’s/Ancient Harvest
    • John Becker, CEO, Pamela’s/Ancient Harvest

    Watch Video

  • 3:00 PM
    -
    3:30 PM
    Weathering The Storm: How to Prepare for Choppy Conditions
    Saffron Road CEO and Founder Adnan Durrani will share with attendees how he, and his team, worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to fight against supply chain, operations and labor struggles, ultimately growing the brand even during that a tumultuous time. Durrani will then turn his attention to the future, providing insight into some struggles he believes the industry may face in the near future, and how brands can best prepare.
    • Adnan Durrani
      Founder & CEO, Saffron Road
      Adnan Durrani, Founder & CEO, Saffron Road -

      Adnan Durrani

      Founder & CEO, Saffron Road

      Mr. Durrani is the founder, CEO of Saffron Road Foods, the leading World Cuisines entree brand nationally, sold in Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods, Publix, HEB, Sprouts, Target, Wegmans, Sam’s, BJ’s, Costco and 20,000 other stores nationally. Mr. Durrani has been a serial social entrepreneur and venture capitalist for almost 30 years. Mr. Durrani founded Vermont Pure in 1991 and through his venture company Condor Ventures was a principal shareholder and Director of Stonyfield Farms, Inc., sold to Groupe Danone in 2001. He was also a principal of Delicious Brands, Inc., which he scaled, with the financial backing of Carl Icahn, to become the 5th largest cookie brand in the U.S. Adnan has been recognized as one of the entrepreneurs who engineered “20 Ideas That Changed The Way The World Does Business”. The select list of these inductees include: Ben Cohen (Ben & Jerry’s), Gary Hirshberg (Stonyfield Farms), Muhammad Yunus (Nobel Peace Prize, Grameen Bank), and Steve Case (AOL). Mr. Durrani is the Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and is also Co-Chair of Columbia’s Entrepreneurship Advisory Board. He is also serves on the Fast Company Impact Council, an invitation-only collective of innovative leaders, and is on the Board of the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI).

    • Adnan Durrani, Founder & CEO, Saffron Road

    Watch Video

  • 3:30 PM
    -
    4:00 PM
    Pitch Slam Winner Announcement + Interview

    Watch Video

Contact Us REGISTER

NOSH Live Summer 2022 Speakers

  • Denise Woodard, Founder & CEO, Partake Foods - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Denise Woodard

    Founder & CEO, Partake Foods

    Denise Woodard, Founder & CEO, Partake Foods - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Denise Woodard

    Founder & CEO, Partake Foods

    Denise is the Founder and CEO of Partake Foods, a natural food company that was inspired by her daughter’s experience with food allergies. Launched in 2017, Partake’s first product — delicious, better for you, allergy-friendly cookies — can now be found in more than 8,000 retailers including Target, Trader Joe's, Kroger, Whole Foods Market. In 2021, Partake released a line of Baking Mixes—Brownie Mix, Blondie Mix, and a Pizza Crust Baking Mix—all available on partakefoods.com. In January 2022, Partake introduced Pancake & Waffle Mixes in Classic & Confetti flavors available at select Target stores nationwide. Denise is the first Black woman to raise more than $1 Million publicly for a CPG food startup. The company's investors include HER, Rihanna, CircleUp Growth Partners, FF2032 and Marcy Venture Partners. Prior to launching Partake, Denise spent a decade in consumer packaged goods at various Fortune 100 companies, most recently as the Director of National Sales for Coca-Cola's Venturing & Emerging Brands division. She lives in New York City with her husband, Jeremy, and daughter, Vivienne. She graduated with her BA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA from Arizona State University.

  • Russell Diez-Canseco, President & CEO, Vital Farms - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Russell Diez-Canseco

    President & CEO, Vital Farms

    Russell Diez-Canseco, President & CEO, Vital Farms - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Russell Diez-Canseco

    President & CEO, Vital Farms

    A self-proclaimed “recovering MBA student”, Russell was attracted to Vital Farms because the company’s multi-stakeholder business model challenged all his previous notions on capitalism. Under Russell’s leadership, Vital Farms has grown significantly in revenue, with a 35% compound annual growth rate from 2016-2020, as well as in retail distribution, and its relationships with small family farms. In July 2020, he led Vital Farms’ successful transition to the public market. Russell believes his most significant contribution to Vital Farms is scaling a high-performing organization and world-class Board of Directors, while cultivating a strong, values-driven culture. Prior to joining Vital Farms, Russell worked with McKinsey & Company, H-E-B Grocery, and the Central Intelligence Agency.

  • Holly   Adrien, Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co. - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Holly Adrien

    Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co.

    Holly   Adrien, Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co. - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Holly Adrien

    Natural and Organics Strategy & Innovation Manager, The Kroger Co.

    Holly Adrien is the Natural and Organic Strategy and Innovation Manager for The Kroger Co, the nation’s largest traditional grocer. With a deep background in customer insights, analytics and merchandising, Holly leads development of The Kroger Co’s strategic focus for natural and organic, and is responsible for execution of top activations to meet customer’s needs in natural and organic across the total store. In her role, she has the privilege of collaborating with all Kroger banners and both established and emerging brands to continuously innovate in terms of new items, promotions, and communication to customers. Her passion for natural products started as an opportunity to improve health and performance in athletics, then blossomed when she was responsible for the Baby department for Kroger and recognized the opportunity that existed to provide the best to The Kroger Co. customers!

  • Duane Cheers, Co-Founder, Everything Legendary - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Duane Cheers

    Co-Founder, Everything Legendary

  • Loren Castle, CEO and Founder, Sweet Loren's, Inc. - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Loren Castle

    CEO and Founder, Sweet Loren's, Inc.

    Loren Castle, CEO and Founder, Sweet Loren's, Inc. - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Loren Castle

    CEO and Founder, Sweet Loren's, Inc.

    Loren Castle is the CEO and Founder of Sweet Loren’s, Inc., a better-for-you baked goods company that is redefining what it means to be delicious and convenient. Sweet Loren's offers irresistible clean ingredient cookie dough that is non-GMO, plant-based, gluten free, dairy free, and free from the top 14 allergens. Their cookie dough is safe to eat raw, and convenient place & bake packaging means it’s easy to bake one or all. They also have tubs of creamy edible cookie dough for those that want to grab a spoon and dig in. Castle founded Sweet Loren’s after beating cancer in her early twenties, making it her mission to eliminate processed foods from her diet. When she couldn’t find great tasting cookies made from clean ingredients, she set out to make her own - and it led her to create Sweet Loren's. Since the company launch in 2012, the independent and female-owned brand has grown exponentially, and is now operating with mass distribution available online sweetlorens.com and in more than 15,000 US stores in the refrigerated dough section. One of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the US, Castle has been featured for three straight years on the Inc. 5000 list, and made it to Inc.'s Female Founders 100 list. Castle is a graduate of the Annenberg School of Communication, University of Southern California. She is a certified Hatha Yoga instructor and resides in California with her husband and one year old daughter.

  • Dan Epley, VP Dry Grocery Team, Whole Foods Market - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Dan Epley

    VP Dry Grocery Team, Whole Foods Market

    Dan Epley, VP Dry Grocery Team, Whole Foods Market - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Dan Epley

    VP Dry Grocery Team, Whole Foods Market

    Dan Epley is the Vice President for Whole Foods Market’s Dry Grocery Team, based at the company’s headquarters in Austin, Texas. He leads the merchant teams for Snacks, Candy, Beverages, Bulk, Meals, Breakfast, Baking, and Essentials. He’s also the leader for the Inventory Planning Team for Grocery and Whole Body. Previous to WFM he spent 26 years in Merchandising at Target Stores where he had leadership roles in Grocery, Domestics, Electronics, Home Improvement, and Sporting Goods. He’s known for brand development, innovative merchandising, strategic negotiations, marketing, process improvement, and sourcing. While not at work he enjoys going on adventures around the world, fishing remote Canadian lakes, and spending time with his family.

  • David Lafferty, Executive Leader, Whole Foods Market - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    David Lafferty

    Executive Leader, Whole Foods Market

  • John Lowe, CEO, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    John Lowe

    CEO, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

    John Lowe, CEO, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    John Lowe

    CEO, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

    Nearly 13 years ago John Lowe took the leap from General Electric Company to the then four-shop, $1M ice cream company based on his belief that Jeni Britton was a generational talent making the world’s greatest ice creams. John bet that their talents were a perfect yin and yang, such that they could grow a business that would create outsized benefits for its customers, employees and investors. Today, the company has more than 1,400 team members who carry out the company’s two-part mission of making better ice creams and bringing people together. The company owns and operates 67 scoop shops from LA to Philadelphia, has national distribution of its pints on the freezer shelves of America's finest retailers, and has developed the nation’s largest direct-to-consumer ice cream shipping business. In the months prior to the pandemic, the company was featured on the cover of QSR Magazine and was named by B Lab as of one three “Community - Best for the World” honorees. Internally, John drives a culture of performance, kindness and fun. From creating Team Jeni’s “Force For Good” operating efforts to ensure the company drives anti-racism efforts for years to come, to his creation of the Jeni’s Sabbatical Program - a one month paid vacation for every team member every three years of service. In 2016, John was honored by the Specialty Food Association with its Business Leadership Award. Perhaps most telling about John’s leadership, on John’s 10th anniversary with the company, Jeni and the company surprised him with a rooftop party and revealed a giant wallscape in downtown Columbus thanking him for “Ten awesome years as our CEO” and for “being a leader of integrity and heart.” He is a long-serving outside director of White Castle Company and Watershed Distillery. John has but one hobby: he loves coaching his three sons’ basketball teams. Jack, 17, Alex, 14, and Luke, 11, are of varied athletic giftedness, but are learning the benefits of tenacity, hustle and the daily grind. He is married to their mother, Catherine L. Strauss, a business advisor, trial attorney and Managing Partner of IceMiller’s 80-person Columbus office.

  • Lezlie Karls, CEO & Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Lezlie Karls

    CEO & Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares

    Lezlie Karls, CEO & Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Lezlie Karls

    CEO & Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares

    Lezlie Karls is currently the co-Founder and co-CEO of Mid-Day Squares. Her journey started 10 years ago. She's been swinging and missing for over a decade. She always loved taking an idea and making it come to life. She's been judged and misunderstood over and over. She's designed for lady gaga, spent time on construction sites, and attempted to cook with the greats. All of which has led her to this moment now challenging all leaders to lead with vulnerability instead of fear.

  • Jake Karls, Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Jake Karls

    Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares

    Jake Karls, Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Jake Karls

    Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares

    My name is Jake Karls and I am a Co-Founder and Chief Rainmaker at Mid-Day Squares... I believe my purpose in life is to make people feel something deeply, to spread good vibes and show the world that you can win by being unapologetically yourself everyday. I am 28 years old. I studied to be an actuary, but couldn't find a job so I decided to try out entrepreneurship. I have launched 3 businesses, 2 have failed. As of right now, Mid-Day Squares is working haha :). I learnt you gotta keep swinging till you hit.

  • Nick Saltarelli , Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Nick Saltarelli

    Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares

    Nick Saltarelli , Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Nick Saltarelli

    Co-Founder, Mid-Day Squares

    Nick Saltarelli is a co-founder of Mid-Day Squares, a lifelong student of entrepreneurship and someone who doesn't believe in work life balance but rather a fully integrated life of both in beautiful harmony. His life goal is to teach as many people to think for themselves and compete against themselves. His life's mission is to inspire people to be BOLD.

  • Gabi  Lewis, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Magic Spoon - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Gabi Lewis

    Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Magic Spoon

    Gabi  Lewis, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Magic Spoon - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Gabi Lewis

    Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Magic Spoon

    Gabi Lewis is the co-founder of Magic Spoon, a direct-to-consumer company recreating your favorite childhood breakfast cereals with more protein, fewer carbs, and zero sugar. Forbes called Magic Spoon "the future of cereal", TIME Magazine named Magic Spoon in their Top 100 Inventions of 2019, and the company counts celebrities ranging from Questlove to Amy Schumer among its investors. Prior to launching Magic Spoon in 2019, Gabi co-founded Exo, a company pioneering sustainable insect protein that was named in Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies in the World. Gabi was born in Israel and raised in Scotland. He has a dual degree in Philosophy and Economics from Brown University, a state record in powerlifting, and was named to Forbes 30 under 30.

  • Adnan Durrani, Founder & CEO, Saffron Road - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Adnan Durrani

    Founder & CEO, Saffron Road

    Adnan Durrani, Founder & CEO, Saffron Road - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Adnan Durrani

    Founder & CEO, Saffron Road

    Mr. Durrani is the founder, CEO of Saffron Road Foods, the leading World Cuisines entree brand nationally, sold in Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods, Publix, HEB, Sprouts, Target, Wegmans, Sam’s, BJ’s, Costco and 20,000 other stores nationally. Mr. Durrani has been a serial social entrepreneur and venture capitalist for almost 30 years. Mr. Durrani founded Vermont Pure in 1991 and through his venture company Condor Ventures was a principal shareholder and Director of Stonyfield Farms, Inc., sold to Groupe Danone in 2001. He was also a principal of Delicious Brands, Inc., which he scaled, with the financial backing of Carl Icahn, to become the 5th largest cookie brand in the U.S. Adnan has been recognized as one of the entrepreneurs who engineered “20 Ideas That Changed The Way The World Does Business”. The select list of these inductees include: Ben Cohen (Ben & Jerry’s), Gary Hirshberg (Stonyfield Farms), Muhammad Yunus (Nobel Peace Prize, Grameen Bank), and Steve Case (AOL). Mr. Durrani is the Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and is also Co-Chair of Columbia’s Entrepreneurship Advisory Board. He is also serves on the Fast Company Impact Council, an invitation-only collective of innovative leaders, and is on the Board of the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI).

  • Chris Kirby, Founder & President, Ithaca Hummus - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Chris Kirby

    Founder & President, Ithaca Hummus

  • Lu Ann Williams, Co-founder & Global Insights Director, Innova Market Insights - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Lu Ann Williams

    Co-founder & Global Insights Director, Innova Market Insights

    Lu Ann Williams, Co-founder & Global Insights Director, Innova Market Insights - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Lu Ann Williams

    Co-founder & Global Insights Director, Innova Market Insights

    Lu Ann Williams is co-founder and Global Insights Director at Innova Market Insights, a global market research firm headquartered in The Netherlands. An expert on trends driving the food and beverage industry, she is a frequent speaker at industry events. Thirty years of global experience, data analysis and trendspotting give her a unique foundation for insights into what’s coming next in the industry in every region of the world.

  • Lisa Barnett, Co-Founder & President, Little Spoon - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Lisa Barnett

    Co-Founder & President, Little Spoon

    Lisa Barnett, Co-Founder & President, Little Spoon - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Lisa Barnett

    Co-Founder & President, Little Spoon

    Lisa Barnett is the Co-Founder, President & CMO of Little Spoon, the fastest growing direct-to-consumer children’s food and nutrition company reinventing the modern parent’s experience of keeping their child healthy. She has been recognized as one of the ‘Women Changing the Food Industry’ by Well + Good, by Marie Claire as an ‘Power Woman of 2019, and by Forbes as 30 Under 30 in Venture Capital. She also advises and sits on the board of a variety of consumer-facing companies in the ecommerce & consumer health space. Prior to Little Spoon, Lisa spent nearly a decade as an investor in and operator at some of the world’s top consumer brands including Estee Lauder Companies, Calvin Klein, Weight Watchers and a number of other Fortune 500 Companies. At Estee Lauder Companies, she was responsible for building out D2C and ecommerce channels across the organization within existing brands as well as re-launching a digitally native, personalized skincare brand. As an investor, she was focused on investing in brand-driven startups aimed at transforming the everyday life of consumers in the wellness, health and CPG space. Lisa attended the Wharton School for her MBA and the University of Pennsylvania for her undergraduate studies. She holds a Bachelors of Arts with Honors in Communication and Marketing, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with the Top Ivy League Scholar-Athlete Accolades as a member of the Varsity Cross Country and Track teams.

  • Ashley Hartman, Managing Partner, Bluestein Ventures - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Ashley Hartman

    Managing Partner, Bluestein Ventures

    Ashley Hartman, Managing Partner, Bluestein Ventures - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Ashley Hartman

    Managing Partner, Bluestein Ventures

    Ashley co-leads Bluestein Ventures, driving the firm’s strategy, portfolio company support, and deal pipeline. Ashley has made over 30 investments in the space, and is an observer on three boards, including Base Culture, Grovara, and Rethink. Ashley has deep experience leading growth strategy and establishing scalable infrastructure necessary to build sustainable ventures. Prior to Bluestein, Ashley was Vice President of Strategy & Operations at Hartman Windows & Doors, where she was responsible for growth strategy, leading expansion across the U.S. as well as setting the platform on which to grow. Ashley also worked for Coinstar in Business Development, focusing on launching their new ventures. After college, Ashley was an Analyst at NERA Economic Consulting. Active in the Chicago and food community, Ashley serves on the Board of Naturally Chicago, on Selection Committee of the Good Food Accelerator, and as a mentor at Food Foundry, The Hatchery, and the LeAD Accelerator, in addition to being a judge at Booth’s new venture competitions. She is also on the National Leadership Council of United States Artists. Ashley received an MBA with honors from Harvard Business School and a BA in Political Economy, summa cum laude, from Williams College.

  • Alexandra Trott, Director, Business Development Consulting - Merchandising, 84.51° - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Alexandra Trott

    Director, Business Development Consulting - Merchandising, 84.51°

    Alexandra Trott, Director, Business Development Consulting - Merchandising, 84.51° - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Alexandra Trott

    Director, Business Development Consulting - Merchandising, 84.51°

    As Director, Business Development Consulting – Merchandising, Alex Trott is responsible for ensuring 84.51°’s CPG clients are getting value and insights out of its data by enabling the Cloud and other capabilities. Alex was appointed to her current role after serving 10 years with the company in a variety of roles. In her longest tenured role as Senior Client Lead, Kroger Merchandising, she created and led the multi-disciplinary, customer-focused strategy for the Natural Foods Department at Kroger. Under her guidance, she helped Kroger become a leader in the natural and organic space and spoke on the retailer’s behalf at Expo West, The Wellness Your Way Festival, The Nexty Awards, BevNet and NoshLive. She also spearheaded the creation of the Natural Foods Summit, which was an innovation platform that promoted discussion about natural food trends and allowed emerging brands to showcase their products directly to Kroger. Alex began her career at 84.51°, previously dunnhumby, in the grad program as an associate client lead in Communications & Media. A native Cincinnatian, Alex graduated from Miami University with Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a minor in entrepreneurship. She sits on the Network of Executive Women Cincinnati Regional leadership team and has tutored 3rd grade math and reading at the Oyler School for 9 consecutive school years.

  • Tapan Shah, Director of Venture Capital,  SnackFutures - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Tapan Shah

    Director of Venture Capital, SnackFutures

    Tapan Shah, Director of Venture Capital,  SnackFutures - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Tapan Shah

    Director of Venture Capital, SnackFutures

    Tapan has been a part of the natural foods eco-system for almost 20 years. He started his career at Glacéau and went on to marketing and leadership roles at the Campbell Soup Co. and Energy Kitchen. In 2013, Tapan joined AF Ventures (AccelFoods), where he was active in sourcing and managing investments, as well as guiding marketing strategy for the fund and its portfolio companies. In 2018 he joined the Pepsico Ventures Group, before joining Mondelez Snackfutures to lead Venture Capital activity. Tapan received a BA from Villanova University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and daughters.

  • Genevieve Gilbreath, Co-founder & General Partner, Springdale Ventures - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Genevieve Gilbreath

    Co-founder & General Partner, Springdale Ventures

    Genevieve Gilbreath, Co-founder & General Partner, Springdale Ventures - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Genevieve Gilbreath

    Co-founder & General Partner, Springdale Ventures

    Genevieve is co-founder and General Partner of Springdale Ventures, an early-stage consumer brands venture fund. She has been an active investor for seven years and has over twenty years of experience as entrepreneur in consumer products (CPG) and the health and wellness industry. From 2003-2016, she built & managed import/export natural product companies, from 2016 - 2018 years she led SKU, the premier CPG accelerator, and in 2019 launched Springdale Ventures, with her Co-founder Dan Graham. Genevieve also is a founding board member of Naturally Austin and the national Naturally Network. When she is not working with portfolio companies or bringing great new brands into the Springdale family she loves spending time outdoors with her son K-Max, dogs Joon and Oliver at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

  • Jason Karp, Founder and CEO, HumanCo - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Jason Karp

    Founder and CEO, HumanCo

  • John Becker, CEO, Pamela’s/Ancient Harvest - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    John Becker

    CEO, Pamela’s/Ancient Harvest

  • Carol Ortenberg, Editor, NOSH - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Carol Ortenberg

    Editor, NOSH

    Carol Ortenberg, Editor, NOSH - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Carol Ortenberg

    Editor, NOSH

    Carol is the Editor of NOSH, BevNet’s media property focusing on Natural, Healthy, Sustainable and Organic food products. Carol previously worked and consulted for several consumer goods companies, many within the food space. She also was on the marketing team for Whole Foods Market in the North Atlantic region. Prior to focusing on the food industry, Carol worked at several tech companies, including HubSpot, and served as a consumer researcher at AMP Agency. A graduate of Brandeis University in Journalism, Cultural Anthropology and Theater Arts, Carol is passionate about the food, agriculture and beverage industries.

  • Franklin  Isacson, Managing Partner, Coefficient Capital - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Franklin Isacson

    Managing Partner, Coefficient Capital

    Franklin  Isacson, Managing Partner, Coefficient Capital - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Franklin Isacson

    Managing Partner, Coefficient Capital

    Franklin is a Founding Partner at Coefficient Capital. Franklin has over a decade of investing experience in consumer products and retail and has worked in the sector for twenty years. Franklin lead deal sourcing in the US and select European countries for Verlinvest, the Brussels-based investment firm backed by the founding shareholders of Anheuser-Busch InBev. He set-up the New York office and led growth investments within the branded consumer and retail sectors, deploying equity checks of $5m to $150m. Prior to joining Verlinvest, Franklin worked in the consumer products investment banking group at UBS, in M&A and strategy at Diageo and in brand marketing at LVMH. He started his career at The Boston Consulting Group where he served clients in consumer products and retail. Franklin received an MBA from Columbia Business School, a BA from the University of Dublin, Trinity College, and a Diploma from Sciences Po. in Paris. Franklin is Dutch, grew up in Europe where he learnt to speak four languages and has lived and worked in New York since 2005.

  • Jeff Klineman, Editor in Chief, BevNET - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Jeff Klineman

    Editor in Chief, BevNET

  • Ray Latif, Editor/Producer, Taste Radio, BevNET - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Ray Latif

    Editor/Producer, Taste Radio, BevNET

    Ray Latif, Editor/Producer, Taste Radio, BevNET - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Ray Latif

    Editor/Producer, Taste Radio, BevNET

    Ray has been with BevNET since March 2011 and oversees strategic planning and content for the Taste Radio podcast, BevNET's education platform and various aspects of BevNET conferences.

  • Peter Burns, Managing Partner, Sunrise Strategic Partners - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Peter Burns

    Managing Partner, Sunrise Strategic Partners

    Peter Burns, Managing Partner, Sunrise Strategic Partners - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Peter Burns

    Managing Partner, Sunrise Strategic Partners

    Over the past 20+ years, Peter Burns has established himself as an expert in the food and beverage space, especially when it comes to preparing promising brands for acquisition by multinational giants. Peter joined Sunrise Strategic Partners in 2020 as a Managing Partner Prior to joining Sunrise, Peter was the CEO of ONE Brands, a Boulder/Charlotte-based protein-bar line, where he led the business to an exit to The Hershey Co. for $397 million. Before joining ONE Brands in 2017, he served as CEO and President of Justin’s Nut Butters, working with founder Justin Gold to execute a two-year plan culminating in a $286 million acquisition by Hormel. Previously, Burns was President of Celestial Seasonings as well as Chief Sales Officer for The Hain Celestial Group-USA , where he developed and managed Celestial Seasonings’ worldwide business as well as all commercial efforts for The HC Group- USA. Prior to his accomplishments at Celestial Seasonings, Burns was the Vice President of Sales at IZZE Beverage Company where he led all commercial efforts culminating in an eventual exit to Pepsi in 2006. Also of note are senior executive positions at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation and The Hershey Company.

  • Will Lisman, Chief Commercial Officer, HumanCo - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Will Lisman

    Chief Commercial Officer, HumanCo

    Will Lisman, Chief Commercial Officer, HumanCo - NOSH Live Summer 2022

    Will Lisman

    Chief Commercial Officer, HumanCo

    Will Lisman is the Chief Commercial Officer at HumanCo. Will has almost two decades of consumer industry experience ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies across a broad range of disciplines including marketing, sales, strategy and M&A. Previously, Will was an executive with Amplify Snack Brands, an independent operating subsidiary of The Hershey Company and a leading better-for-you snack platform. Prior to Amplify, Will held a variety of commercial leadership positions within The Hershey Company and also spent five years as a management consultant in the Consumer Practice at The Parthenon Group, a boutique strategy consulting firm that is now part of EY. Will has a B.S. in Management from Boston College and an M.B.A. from The Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

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Two Days of Food Industry Insights, Advice & Partnership

Members of the natural food industry attend NOSH Live to collaborate, connect, and come up with innovative solutions. This June, NOSH Live is heading to the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City on June 13 + 14. After two years off, we’re excited to make up for it with more knowledge, more collaboration, and more fun.

All-stars will take to the stage to provide actionable insights that help food businesses grow responsibly. Off-stage there will be plenty of time for sampling and discussion with potential partners from the supply, investment, retail, and services community who have answers and solutions for some of the industry’s toughest challenges. Leave the event with new partnerships and actionable insights that will materially impact your business for the better.

Contact Us REGISTER

Pitch Slam 12: Watch Emerging Food Brands Pitch Live

NOSH Live Pitch Slam puts up-and-coming food brands in the spotlight. Semifinalists craft their perfect pitch and present to our audience of investors, retailers, distributors and other influential industry partners. Participating brands gain a certain celebrity status among attendees during the show, sparking conversations with experts, investors and potential partners. 

After the pitch, our panel of expert judges provides instant feedback on market opportunity, packaging, viability and the presentation. The winner receives the title of Pitch Slam Champion, an interview on the livestream, and an awareness package valued at $10,000. 

Contact Us LEARN MORE

Boot Camp: Education to Get You Started on Day 1

On the morning of Day 1 industry newcomers that are attending NOSH Live can learn the basics of running a food business and jumpstart their networking. Experts will present on the 5 topics early-stage food brands need to know, including finance, sales, marketing, design, and operations.

Following the presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to sit down with the experts and ask them their toughest questions. Here are the details:

Monday, June 13th - Morning Session

  • 90 mins of presentations
  • 30 mins of roundtable networking

Boot Camp helps lay the foundation for success. If you're just getting started in the natural packaged food industry, we recommend you attend the 90 minute segment.

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Make Your Product the Snack of Choice at NOSH Live

You know your product tastes good, so let it speak for itself! Innovative, single-serve, products and prepared-food packaging from attending brands are showcased in sampling stations throughout the event to facilitate more productive conversations. This makes it easy for brands to initiate conversations with potential partners, see the latest innovations in the industry, and talk shop with their peers. Providing samples allows you to move beyond the rehearsed pitch and dive deeper with industry investors, retailers, suppliers and service providers.

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Where the Magic Happens

NOSH Live attracts a group of decision makers who are ready to collaborate, solve problems, and open doors, and the stories we hear illustrate that. Food brands find key industry partners at NOSH Live. Gwen Burlingame, the co-founder of Beckon, says it best:

“There has been at least one connection every single time that has progressed our business forward."

Here's another example: Karen Nation, the founder of Creation Nation, approached the Walmart team with her pitch, inspired by their NOSH Live presentation. Just four months later, Creation Nation products were in Walmart nationwide. The magic happened at NOSH Live. And it can happen for you too.

Contact Us WATCH TESTIMONIALS

The Venue

Join These Companies at NOSH Live on June 13+14

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The Venue

You Have Questions. We Have Answers.

Contact Us CONTACT US

The Venue

COVID-19 Policy

We will be actively monitoring local, state, and federal guidelines with regard to vaccine and mask requirements, as well as current COVID conditions, and will advise our attendees regarding those policies at our events as our event dates get closer. Our top priorities are for the well-being and livelihoods of our attendees, exhibitors, vendors, and staff.