Jing Gao, founder & CEO of Fly By Jing, is a chef, entrepreneur, cookbook author and a renowned expert on Chinese cuisine on a mission to bring uncensored Chinese flavors to the table. Born in Chengdu, Sichuan and raised around the world, Gao returned to China as an adult where she founded Baoism, an award-winning modern-Chinese fast-casual restaurant before founding her premium Chinese food company, Fly By Jing. Her culinary innovations and contributions to the food and beverage industry have been featured in leading media including The New York Times, Forbes, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal and more. Her personal story as a cultural ambassador and entrepreneur has been seen on the BBC, CNN, TODAY, CBS and more. Gao’s new cookbook The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp (Ten Speed Press) traverses the “not traditional but personal” Sichuan flavors of Fly By Jing’s cult favorite spicy and savory chili crisp through 85 hot recipes for everything from dumplings to cocktails to desserts.

Justin Gold is the founder of Justin’s, a Boulder, CO based company that makes high-quality nut butter, organic nut butter cups, and plant-based snacks. From humble beginnings at local Farmers’ Markets to launching a national brand, Justin’s is now one of the country’s fastest growing natural foods companies, with Gold serving as an innovator and thought leader in the space. Justin’s was acquired by Hormel Foods in 2016, where he stayed on to manage integration and culture through 2021. Justin is currently leading new product development and strategy for Rudi’s Organic Bakery, the country’s first nationally distributed organic bakery. Working alongside his former Board Member, Jane Miller, Justin has been tasked with bringing the bakery back to its former glory through innovation and leadership. He has earned numerous individual and company awards and recognition over the years, including entrepreneur of the year by Ernst and Young in 2013 and Inc. 500 fastest growing companies. He currently serves as a Board Member for US BIathlon, Conscious Alliance and as the chair for the Wild Bear Nature Center. Justin also mentors and speaks at Universities regularly including CU’s Leeds School of Business. Justin Graduated from Dickinson College in 2000 with a BA in Environmental Studies. As a long time resident of Boulder, CO, Justin is an avid outdoorsman, enjoying backcountry, resort, hut and Nordic skiing, mountain biking, trail running, backpacking and all around outdoor adventuring. Outside of his professional and community goals he is constantly pursuing Father of the Year and Husband of the Year accolades . . .

Loren Castle is the Founder and CEO of Sweet Loren's, a brand that came to life after surviving cancer at the early age of 22. After learning she needed to eliminate all processed foods from her diet, she channeled all of her energy into building a healthy lifestyle - and ultimately one she could still enjoy. A year later, she was cancer free and realized her recipes (and her hero product of wholesome cookie dough) could help so many who still wanted to be able to enjoy life, but with food that made them feel good. Now, available in over 25,000 retail doors across the country, Sweet Loren’s is the #1 selling natural cookie dough in the U.S. Since its launch, Loren has expanded the brand’s product collection to include pre-cut cookie doughs, ready-to-eat breakfast biscuits and most recently, refrigerated rolled doughs inclusive of puff pastry, thin pizza crust, and pie crust. Every Sweet Loren’s product is plant-based, non-GMO, free of the top 14 allergens (including eggs, gluten, dairy, peanuts, and tree nuts), and uses no sugar substitutes - enabling everyone to discover the joy of delicious baked goods without compromise.

A 4x CEO and 3x founder, Jen loves taking companies from an idea to something real, big, and impactful -- fast. Her happy place is leading a band of mission-driven, exceedingly talented hooligans to achieve bold goals and extraordinary outcomes. Each of her companies has a few things in common: product innovation, category disruption, a passionate community, and branding that is beloved. As the team reminds her constantly, she is such an ENTJ.

Jesse Merrill is an entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience across the food and beverage landscape. Specializing in building mission-led emerging growth brands, Jesse has been a part of several exciting companies, including musician Moby’s tea company, teany, Honest Tea, and ACTIVATE Drinks. Jesse is now the Co-Founder & CEO of Good Culture, a disruptive mission-driven brand, that created loads of buzz when they shook up the cottage cheese category in 2015. Good Culture is now in over 15k stores; is one of the top selling brands across several key retailers; and in the past year is growing more than 6X faster than the category, positioning them as the leading growth brand in the cottage cheese space. Good Culture has also created relevance with new consumer segments, bringing millennials and Gen Z into the category. Jesse recognized that cottage cheese was a sleepy category, ripe for disruption. He also considered cottage cheese an overlooked superfood that needed to be reimagined. The Good Culture simple ingredient proposition was further strengthened by Jesse's belief in food as medicine after healing a severe autoimmune gut condition with real food, including Good Culture. Jesse brought his vision to life by creating a line of cottage cheese products using only high-quality clean ingredients with dairy sourced from family farms, with no gums, thickeners, stabilizers, or additives. Good Culture is dedicated to continued best-in-class innovation across their growing portfolio of cultured foods. The overwhelming success of their flagship product led to expansion into other cultured food offerings including live and active culture-rich sour cream and cream cheese. Good Culture is a proud partner of 1% for the Planet, supporting pasture access for animals and regenerative agriculture and is a Certified B-Corporation.

Casey Gaston, based in Austin, Texas, is the Executive Leader of Local and Emerging Brands at Whole Foods Market. Beginning her career as a store team member in St. Louis, MO, Casey's 20-year journey with the company has encompassed roles in department, store, and regional leadership, highlighting her passion for retail and brand development. Since joining the Center Store Merchandising team in 2017, she has played a key role in fostering supplier relationships and sourcing innovative products. In her current position, Casey is responsible for leading the strategy and execution of bringing local and emerging brands into Whole Foods Market's center aisles. She works closely with a team of Foragers to identify and nurture unique brands that align with the company's values and customer interests. Her role involves not only scouting new products but also guiding brands through the process of becoming a part of the Whole Foods Market family. Outside of work, Casey is actively involved in Austin’s LGBTWIA+ community and her other passions include Texas two-step and line dancing, reading, and gluten-free baking.

Brad Charron is the CEO and “Re-Founder” of ALOHA, a plant-based protein company. Since joining in 2017, he has transformed the business from stagnation to rapid growth. Today, ALOHA is the fastest-growing bar in the Natural Channel and US Food, a certified B Corp, and one of the few climate-neutral brands in its category. With extensive experience in the CPG industry, Brad has led health and wellness brands, including a turn-around for Nature’s Bounty as SVP/GM and consulting for KIND Snacks. He has also held leadership roles at Chobani, Under Armour, and Frito Lay.

Shawn's career provides a very unique experience having spent time on multiple sides of large and small businesses from startups shipping their first order to global conglomerates like Kellogg’s & Nestle, has led some massive teams like Vital Proteins as well as some very small executive teams like his most recent role as President of Emerging Brands inside of Nestle Health Science, has been on both sides of M&A having both scaled and sold, as well as acquired businesses, has led VC/PE-backed businesses and then advised on behalf of VC/PE and all along the way, making sure he is having a ton of fun leading people and culture.

Rodney J. Clark is Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Aspect Consumer Partners, a boutique M&A, strategic and corporate finance advisory firm based in San Francisco, California. Rodney is passionate about providing companies and entrepreneurs with the right advice to help them grow and succeed, and has spent the past 25 years focused on advising companies in Food & Beverage, Consumer Products, Health, Wellness & Lifestyle companies. His experience includes a wide variety of strategic and financial advisory assignments including, buy- and sell-side mergers and acquisitions, public offerings and private placements and Rodney has completed over $68 billion in M&A and financing transactions across a number of key industries. Rodney lives with his wife and two children in Marin County, California, and in his spare time he enjoys trail running, hiking, yoga and reading.

Rachel Hirsch is the Founder and General Partner of Wellness Growth Ventures, a seed venture firm dedicated to investing in visionary female entrepreneurs who are driving innovation and expanding access to the consumer wellness and health market. With 15 years of experience in consumer investing and operations, Rachel has honed her expertise at UBS Investment Bank, Tiger Global, and Xponential Fitness (XPOF), before co-founding a series of wellness studios in Los Angeles. Rachel brings a unique perspective to early-stage founders, combining her investor acumen with hands-on operational experience in the wellness sector. She is a well-established figure in the wellness community, boasting a dedicated following of over 20,000. Her insights and contributions have been featured in prestigious wellness publications such as Well + Good, Shape, WWD, Glossy, Modern Retail, and Beauty Independent. Rachel holds an MBA from London Business School and a BS from The University of Texas at Austin.

Genevieve thrives at the intersection of entrepreneurship and venture capital, turning bold ideas into impactful companies. A seasoned entrepreneur with over two decades of experience, Genevieve has built and led multiple ventures in the consumer products and health and wellness sectors. As the driving force behind Springdale Ventures, she’s been an active early-stage investor for seven years, passionately championing disruptive brands. Whether managing startups or guiding companies to scale, Genevieve brings a sharp focus on innovation, growth, and community. She’s known for her big-picture thinking and hands-on leadership.

Wayne Wu is a General Partner at VMG Partners. VMG Partners works intimately with founders and leaders of branded consumer product companies, providing the resources and guidance needed to propel them to their next level of growth and value. Beyond capital, Wayne provides a value-added investment philosophy that pulls from his decades of experience, strategic guidance, and passionate focus to help our brands accelerate growth, increase brand awareness, and achieve their own definition of success. VMG has worked closely and successfully with brands such as Ancient Nutrition, Drunk Elephant, Humm Kombucha, Justin's, KIND, Nature's Bakery, Perfect Snacks, Quest, and Spindrift, to name a few. Wayne is energized by the next generation of innovative, consumer product entrepreneurs, and looks forward to helping them fully realize their vision. Wayne is based in San Francisco, CA.

Sherry Frey brings more than two decades of industry experience to her role as Vice President, Total Wellness at NielsenIQ. With a background in market research, innovation and consulting, she has elevated clients across the fresh, CPG and wellness industries, providing forward-thinking insights, combined with practical strategies. In addition to leading NielsenIQ’s Total Wellness team and industry engagement, Sherry has been a featured speaker at many national and international industry events and is often sought as a media and analyst resource on topics related to consumer health, wellness and environmental issues. Sherry’s view of health and wellness spans beyond personal health and wellness, encompassing how we collectively think about the health of the planet.

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.

Anthony Corsaro is an entrepreneur, investor, and regenerative agriculture evangelist whose mission is to help heal our people and planet through ventures that inspire the production and consumption of healthy, nutrient-dense foods. Anthony is the Co-Founder and President of ReGen Brands, an unprecedented education, community, and financing ecosystem for CPG brands supporting regenerative agriculture.

Yassin Sibai co-founded Afia Foods in 2017, launching at a local farmer's market with his wife Farrah and their daughters. Yassin jumped into the world of CPG with 20 years of experience in technology, product management, and financial markets. As CEO of Afia, he leverages his entrepreneurial skills, business acumen, and financial discipline to co-lead the brand and manufacturing facility with Farrah. Since launching into retail in 2018, Afia has grown from 180 doors to more than 4,500 doors nationwide that sell Afia's convenient, frozen Mediterranean food - from falafel to heritage inspired meals.

Oisin Hanrahan is the co-founder and CEO of Keychain, a manufacturing platform for the packaged goods industry that is backed by $18 million in venture funding from Lightspeed Venture Partners, BoxGroup, and SV Angel. Prior to founding Keychain, he served as the CEO of NASDAQ-listed Angi Inc (Angie’s List / HomeAdvisor). Before assuming the role of CEO of Angi, Mr. Hanrahan had served as Chief Product Officer of Angi since 2019, where he was responsible for all product and technology strategy. Mr. Hanrahan joined Angi in 2018 when Handy, the company he co-founded and led as CEO since 2012, was acquired by Angi. Mr. Hanrahan built Handy to hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue, and raised over $100 million in institutional capital, before exiting to Angi.

Craig Albert is the founder and managing partner of Saphineia Manufacturing Partners, a team of 12 manufacturing specialists exclusively serving the middle market food and beverage manufacturing industry. Our team provides clients with access to decades of hands-on, cross-functional expertise from leading food and beverage manufacturers such as Unilever, P&G, Wrigley, Mars, Tyson, DuPont Danisco, Hearthside, Keurig Dr Pepper, Kraft, Kroger and Griffith Foods, spanning manufacturing, engineering, continuous improvement, procurement, supply chain, maintenance, contract manufacturing, project management and quality and food safety. Prior to starting Saphineia, Craig was the President of Golding, a private equity-backed, multi-site dressings and sauces manufacturer for private label, CPG and foodservice customers. Before Golding, Craig was VP of Corporate Development at Hearthside Food Solutions and the head of Strategy & Corporate Development for Greencore USA, a $1.3 billion, 13-site contract manufacturer. Prior to entering the food manufacturing industry, Craig was co-owner and Portfolio Manager of Sheffield Asset Management, a $1.3bn long/short equity hedge fund. Earlier in his career, Craig was the Sr. Packaged Food Analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., a sell-side equity research firm.

For more than a decade, Monica Watrous has covered the latest trends, innovations and developments in the food and beverage industry and has organized and hosted multiple events featuring emerging brands and cutting-edge concepts. She is a lifelong foodie and a champion of startups and disruptors in the consumer packaged goods landscape.

Lukas Southard is a Reporter covering the food and beverage industries across BevNET and NOSH.

Colby Gehers spent the past 3 years learning and growing in the role of Analyst/ Buyer in the Natural Organic and Conventional Frozen Categories at The GIANT Company. Before that, he worked at GIANT from 2014 in various Store Operations roles, including heavy involvement helping to lay the foundation of GIANT's footprint in Philadelphia with time spent in each of the urban format Heirloom Market locations. Prior to his category management role, Gehers balanced what little time he had outside of a busy GIANT Operations role as a High School soccer Coach leading a dedicated squad of players set multiple program records and titles which still stand to this day. Gehers is actively pursuing an MBA in Food Marketing from Saint Joseph's University Haub School of Business, with hopes of completion in 2025.

Steve Young is a proven consumer products executive with a unique blend of both growth equity investment expertise and global C-Level operating experience for leading consumer products companies. Steve has over a decade of growth equity investment leadership, including both fund management and buy-side M&A, and a track record of realized investments including IPOs, sponsor-backed, and strategic sales. As Managing Partner, Steve currently leads the investment portfolio at Manna Tree and is a member of both its Executive and Investment Committees. Manna Tree invests across the consumer health and wellness ecosystem and has invested in industry-leading companies like Vital Farms, Health-Ade, Good Culture, Gotham Greens, True Food Kitchen, and TruFood Manufacturing. Prior to Manna Tree, Steve served as EVP and Managing Director for Sunrise Strategic Partners, a $200+ million venture fund with successful exits on consumer brands like Kodiak Cakes, Vital Farms, and Teton Waters Ranch. Before his move into fund management, Steve served as a buy-side leader of General Mills’ broader $1 billion portfolio of emerging brands, including leading its transformational Annie’s acquisition and integration. This brand has more than tripled in topline sales since General Mills acquired it in 2014. Steve also has 20+ years of proven experience as an operator, including both corporate officer-level leadership at General Mills and CEO experience at Bellisio/CP Foods North America.

Brad Buchholz is the Vice President of Business Development at POM Wonderful, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping a sustainable future for the iconic brand. With over 25 years of experience in functional food and ingredient development, Buchholz leverages his expertise to educate businesses and consumers about the distinctive benefits of the pomegranate—one of the world's original superfruits. He is dedicated to showcasing the unique nutritional properties and versatility of this fruit, promoting its role in health and wellness. Buchholz's leadership at POM Wonderful underscores his commitment to fostering innovation and growth in the functional foods industry, while championing sustainability practices. Through his efforts, he continues to drive forward the vision of POM Wonderful as a leading advocate for healthy living and a sustainable, impactful brand in the global market.

For the last 25 years, Keith has been immersed in the food and beverage industries. He started his career as a journalist covering the commercial baking industry, where he developed in-depth ingredient technology and category trend articles. Keith left the journalism industry in 2005 to work directly with food companies and ingredient suppliers. Today, he spends his time talking to food and beverage manufacturers about walnuts and their applications in everything from energy bars to plant-based meat alternatives. 

Edward Fish is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Varietal Solutions at Bay State Milling. Ed’s team brings new-to-the-world ingredients to market, focusing on unique IP varietals with inherently better nutrition like HealthSense® High-Fiber wheat flour and SowNaked® Mindfully Farmed Oats. Prior to joining Bay State Milling, Ed worked across a variety of businesses at Cargill focusing on corporate strategy and business development. He holds various food and agriculture related certificates from UC Davis and Kansas State. He received his Bachelor’s degree from George Washington University and Master’s degree and a Certificate in Sustainability from MIT. Ed is the Chair of the Organic Trade Association’s Grains Council, serves on the Board of Directors of About Fresh, a Boston-based nonprofit getting healthy foods to vulnerable populations, and serves on the MIT Sloan Sustainability Advisory Board.

Chef Robert Danhi has dedicated the past three decades to researching, codifying, preserving, and sharing the cultures of Southeast Asia. Robert worked his way up from dishwasher to executive chef in restaurants and attended the Culinary Institute of America. Teaching culinary arts became his passion, and he was a chef instructor at the CIA and director of education at the Southern California School of Culinary Arts. Chef next evolved into an R&D chef, industry thought leader, and conference speaker, and founded Chef Danhi & Co. consultancy agency in 2005 and is currently the California Walnut Board’s Chef-in-Residence. This curator of cultures is a James Beard award-winning publisher, author, and photographer for Southeast Asian Flavors-Adventures in Cooking the Foods of Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia & Singapore. His most recent book, Easy Thai Cooking, showcases simple recipes that result in the genuine flavors of Thailand. Robert continued to share his passion and knowledge as the host of the 26-episode docuseries Taste of Vietnam, of the vibrant lives of farmers, artisans, cooks, chefs, and street food vendors. The Vietnamese community then invited the chef to be the main judge for all episodes of Season 1 of Top Chef Vietnam. Recently, Robert has focused on his humanitarian efforts in Vietnam. He continues to volunteer and chair the Culinary Advisory Board for STREETS International, which empowers disadvantaged youth by teaching life skills, English, and hospitality training. He also works with the Community Development Fund, which is set to launch a Culinary Life Skills Program in 2025 for hearing-impaired youth in Quang Tri Province.

Rachel Hirsch is the Founder and General Partner of Wellness Growth Ventures, a seed venture firm dedicated to investing in visionary female entrepreneurs who are driving innovation and expanding access to the consumer wellness and health market. With 15 years of experience in consumer investing and operations, Rachel has honed her expertise at UBS Investment Bank, Tiger Global, and Xponential Fitness (XPOF), before co-founding a series of wellness studios in Los Angeles. Rachel brings a unique perspective to early-stage founders, combining her investor acumen with hands-on operational experience in the wellness sector. She is a well-established figure in the wellness community, boasting a dedicated following of over 20,000. Her insights and contributions have been featured in prestigious wellness publications such as Well + Good, Shape, WWD, Glossy, Modern Retail, and Beauty Independent. Rachel holds an MBA from London Business School and a BS from The University of Texas at Austin.

Mollye Santulli is an investor with Springdale Ventures partnering with visionary founders to accelerate growth of transformative consumer brands. Mollye joined the team in September of 2022 as a Venture Fellow while pursuing her MBA. Before attending business school, Mollye spent four years working on the finance teams at General Mills and most recently at Simple Mills. During her experiences at these organizations as well as her time as an intern at RXBAR, Mollye discovered her passion for the CPG industry. Mollye received her MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School and a BA from Northwestern University with a degree in Economics.

Marc S. Santos is the Vice President of Sales (North America) at NielsenIQ (NIQ). With a career spanning over 20 years in the industry, Marc has developed extensive expertise in sales and business development. At NIQ, he is responsible for driving sales strategies and growth initiatives across North America, leveraging his deep understanding of market trends and customer needs. Before his time as VP at NIQ, Marc held various leadership roles with Nielsen, where he significantly contributed to business development and growth focused on emerging brands. His previous positions include Vice President of Business Development and Director of New Business Development, where he played a pivotal role in expanding the company's market presence.

Colby Gehers spent the past 3 years learning and growing in the role of Analyst/ Buyer in the Natural Organic and Conventional Frozen Categories at The GIANT Company. Before that, he worked at GIANT from 2014 in various Store Operations roles, including heavy involvement helping to lay the foundation of GIANT's footprint in Philadelphia with time spent in each of the urban format Heirloom Market locations. Prior to his category management role, Gehers balanced what little time he had outside of a busy GIANT Operations role as a High School soccer Coach leading a dedicated squad of players set multiple program records and titles which still stand to this day. Gehers is actively pursuing an MBA in Food Marketing from Saint Joseph's University Haub School of Business, with hopes of completion in 2025.

David Shaffer is the Category Manager for Cookies, Crackers, & Breakfast at KeHE Distributors. His professional experience includes four years at Walgreens, working in Category Management (Personal Care) and Process Management. In his short experience at KeHE, he's had the opportunity to partner with a myriad of small brands with a focus on helping drive growth through KeHE’s network and tools, and disrupt current categories within Natural and Specialty grocery.

Dace is a global supply chain and logistics specialist with over 20 years of experience at Fortune 500 companies. With extensive international experience, particularly in Asia, Dace has developed products, streamlined manufacturing, and built strategic relationships. Known for reducing costs and generating savings, he balances logical efficiency with creativity. His career includes roles at Target Corporation, Porsche Cars North America, The Coca-Cola Company, and Johnson & Johnson. Dace also supports community initiatives in Atlanta and Minneapolis. He holds a B.S. in Business Management from Hampton University.