Katie Wilson brings a unique background as a former professional matchmaker to her role revolutionizing the wellness industry. After a successful career as a Chief Dating Expert at Match, Katie applied her talent for understanding what people truly want to an entirely different field: digestive health.  Spotting a gap in the market for digestive supplements, the BelliWelli team created Daily Fiber mixes that deliver results, are easy to take, and actually taste good. The team quickly scaled—from homemade test batches to partnering with top GI doctors to develop clinically-proven formulas that combine fiber, probiotics, and functional ingredients.  Katie runs BelliWelli with a consumer-first perspective. Her social media savviness has helped grow the brand into a movement with products in thousands of stores nationwide. She's transformed the product we’ve all been hiding in our medicine cabinets into a daily wellness ritual we’re proud to display on the counter. 

Kristin Piper is the Vice President over Walmart’s Wellness Merchandising organization, leading teams that expand access to essential wellness products through technology, supplier partnerships, and creative solutions. In her current role, she has overseen the addition of an exciting assortment of trusted and innovative wellness brands, helping customers find solutions that fit their needs across vitamins, supplements, digestive health, performance, and nutrition — including high-protein options like drinks and bars. With more than 12 years at Walmart, Kristin has led teams through transformative initiatives spanning financial services, directed spend, and wellness merchandising. She is passionate about empowering teams to navigate complexity and deliver solutions that make critical products and services more accessible to customers everywhere.

Jeffrey S. Rubenstein is a recognized leader in the consumer sector with over 24 years of experience driving transformative growth for both global and entrepreneurial brands. As an operator and engaged investor, he has a strong track record of scaling high-potential businesses from their early stages to impactful exits, generating $7.9 billion in aggregate enterprise value across five strategic acquisitions or successful public offerings. Mr. Rubenstein is an inspiring team leader who uses organizational structure, a disciplined performance orientation, and a modern marketing and retail engagement model to turn emerging, better-for-you brands into household names. In September 2025, Mr. Rubenstein was named Co-Founder and CEO at Khloud, the protein snack brand started by Khloe Kardashian. Khloud has already established a solid foundation in culture and at retail, and it is poised for significant growth. Mr. Rubenstein will oversee all aspects of business operations as the Company scales and engages a new generation of snackers. Before Khloud, Mr. Rubenstein served as President and Chief Growth Officer at Poppi Soda. As the brand’s first full-time employee, Mr. Rubenstein is credited with driving Poppi’s rapid retail success, from pre-revenue to a $2B+ acquisition by PepsiCo in May 2025. Throughout his 5.5 year tenure with the brand, Mr. Rubenstein oversaw the Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Operations teams, led the International expansion effort, and partnered with PepsiCo North America CEO on post-merger integration. Poppi has been well documented as a cultural phenomenon and case study in legacy category disruption, with one of the fastest revenue growth stories in CPG history. Prior to Poppi, Mr. Rubenstein was Division President at Health-Ade Kombucha, helping integrate Coca-Cola as a lead investor while delivering breakthrough innovation, building a path to profitability, and driving double-digit sales growth. Before Health-Ade, Mr. Rubenstein was Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice President of National Account Sales at WTRMLN WTR, a pioneer in cold pressed juice whose most visible investors were Coca-Cola and musician Beyoncé. Prior to WTRMLN WTR, Mr. Rubenstein was Senior Vice President of Marketing and National Account Sales for Vita Coco, the worldwide leader in coconut water. He helped the brand evolve from a niche, natural food idea with revenues under $10M into a strong global business with a 2014 partial sale to Red Bull China and a current post IPO value of $2.2B. He spent the early part of his career in Brand Management at The Coca-Cola Company. Mr. Rubenstein holds a degree from the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida. He is an active investor and/or advisor to a number of consumer businesses, including Thrive Market, CANN, Ryze Coffee, and Lucky Energy, and he is a regular participant in industry conferences and panels, including at Harvard Business School. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife Loren and their two children, Olivia and Jack.

Jeni Britton is a pioneering entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author, and one of the most original voices in American food and brand culture. She founded Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in 2002 in an Ohio farmers’ market, transforming it into a national phenomenon with over 90 scoop shops and retail presence in thousands of grocery stores across the U.S. Known for its inventive flavors, ingredient integrity, and joyful design, Jeni’s helped define a new era of modern American food brands. A champion of sustainability and human-centered innovation, Jeni’s latest venture, Floura & Co., reinvents fresh produce trimmings—like watermelon rind and apple cores—into delicious, fiber-rich snacks that help close the fiber gap and combat chronic illness in America. As with Jeni’s, the mission is bigger than food: it’s about well-being, beauty, and reclaiming what nourishes us. Jeni is a 2017 Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and a U.S. Culinary Diplomat. Her leadership style blends artistry and pragmatism, intuition and data. She speaks powerfully on entrepreneurship, creativity, sustainability, brand-building, and the power of pleasure and beauty to transform lives and businesses. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, and spends as much time in the forest as possible.

Luke grew up in Cape Elizabeth, ME – a third generation lobsterman. He attended college at Georgetown University, after which he moved to New York to start a career in investment banking. He was remiss to find that every lobster roll available was overpriced, drowning in mayo, and diluted with celery. He craved a real Maine-style roll and simply couldn’t find one. In 2009, Luke turned to his roots and longstanding relationship with the Maine lobstering community to cut out the middleman and bring Maine lobster to the heart of NYC, with the help of his father, lobsterman and the first licensed lobster processor in the state of Maine, Jeff Holden, and later joined by his brothers Bryan and Mike. Luke’s lobster is a vertically integrated seafood business. Luke’s Lobster has investments in Maine wharfs and Coops, its own state of the art seafood production facility, ecommerce and consumer packaged good businesses and has grown its restaurant business beyond its founding city of New York City, with homes in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle, Newport, Tokyo, Singapore and Maine. What sets Luke's Lobster apart is its commitment to sustainability and traceability. They pride themselves on working directly with fishermen to ensure that their seafood is responsibly harvested, supporting local communities and protecting marine ecosystems. Luke sits on the board of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. In 2018, Luke’s Lobster furthered its commitment to sustainability and socially conscious business practices by becoming a certified B Corporation®. The same year, Luke’s was named the Global Supplier of the Year by Whole Foods Market and received the Purpose Driven Empowerment award by the retailer. Luke Holden has been named one of Real Leaders 2018 Top 100. Over the years, Luke has also been included on the Forbes’ 30 under 30, Inc 30 under 30, Zagat’s 30 under 30, and Crain’s 40 under 40, and was most recently interviewed on NPR’s How I Built This podcast and The Today Show. In 2024, Luke’s received Travel + Leisure’s Global Vision Award. Luke lives in South Portland, Maine with his wife, Laisee and three daughters, Poppy, Banks, and Hadley, and loves sharing his passion for fishing and the ocean with all four of them.

Eugene Kang’s journey started in his Korean immigrant parents’ Los Angeles convenience stores where he learned the value of food, community and hard work. Later, on a spring break road trip, he discovered a delicious, hand-crafted beef jerky stand and returned home with an idea that soon became a full-fledged company. He acquired Archer (then Country Archer Provisions) when he was only 22 years old. Fourteen years later, Archer is the No. 1 premium jerky brand in the U.S., known for its real, responsibly sourced ingredients and clean-label products that stand out in a crowded market. Archer’s explosive success is a driving force in the growth of the overall meat snack category. Under Kang’s leadership, Archer’s 90% year-over-year growth in 2024 outpaced the category's 5.8% growth, and the company is on track for $500 million in top-line revenue by the end of 2026.  A pivotal moment for the company came in 2017 when Kang made the decision to expand Archer’s product portfolio from jerky to meat sticks – that bet is paying off; the stick business is booming. In 2024, Archer’s meat stick sales grew by 187.4%, making the company one of the primary drivers of the overall meat stick category growth.  In the first half of 2025, under Kang’s leadership, the company underwent a bold brand refresh, which elevated it in a competitive marketplace. Archer also announced a sponsorship of the world champion Los Angeles Dodgers, which brought Archer products to concession stands throughout Dodger Stadium. In the second half of the year, the company will launch its first national marketing campaign and open its second manufacturing facility that will nearly double its production to meet surging demand and further vertically integrate its operations, an approach Kang strongly champions. 

Hailey Swartz is the co-Founder and co-CEO of Actual Veggies. Actual Veggies makes chef-crafted veggie burgers and fries. Launched in 2021, Actual Veggies is available in over 10,000 retail doors nationwide.

Lauren Ressel Castro is the Lead Director of Healthy Consumables and Grocery at CVS Health, where she partners with emerging brands to drive growth and innovation in the better-for-you food and beverage sector. Lauren has contributed to the transformation of CVS as a destination for health foods, driving notable growth for both the CVS business and the brands she champions. Over 13+ years, Lauren has directed media, merchandising, and corporate strategy initiatives across both high-growth startups and Fortune 50 organizations, redefining what healthier living means for today’s consumer. Prior to joining CVS Health, Lauren led marketing efforts as Head of Digital Media for emerging health food brands. She developed her media expertise in the startup world of ad tech, where she built a $7M annual content marketing business from a team of two. She has created communication strategies for iconic brands ranging from kombucha to soda, and remains committed to storytelling and brand building. An advocate for holistic health, Lauren is a certified fitness instructor and coaches 80+ students weekly to achieve their peak performance. Lauren holds a degree in Communications, Business, and Marketing from Northwestern University and is based in Los Angeles, CA.

Laurel Orley is the CEO and Co-founder of Daily Crunch Snacks, an Inc. 5000 snack company that launched in 2020. With over 15 years of experience in marketing & strategy, Laurel spent her career working with companies such as Diageo, Hasbro, and Unilever. While at Unilever, she worked on flagship brands including Dove, Hellmann’s, and Lipton. She played a key role in the award-winning Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, which earned an Effie and was named 2011 Media Plan of the Year by Adweek. Laurel was selected in the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Class of 2024 and recognized as a 2025 NOSH Notable. Daily Crunch is a Uniquely Crunchy™ sprouted nut snack that proves healthy eating can be delicious, satisfying, and crave-worthy. Inspired by her Aunt Diane’s discovery of sprouting in India over 20 years ago, Laurel co-founded Daily Crunch to bring the benefits of sprouted ingredients to everyday snacking. Today, the brand is available in over 16,000 points of distribution and expanded nationally with Whole Foods Market in 2024. Daily Crunch’s biggest launch to date was fall 2025 in over 1,500 Albertson’s doors. Daily Crunch is mission-driven with a strong focus on mental health and sustainability — proudly recognized as one of the first Upcycled brands, where Laurel sits on the board. In 2024, Laurel led Daily Crunch’s Series A round and established a formal board, now chaired by the former CEO of Tate’s Cookies and Tom’s of Maine. Laurel lives in Nashville with her husband and three children. She enjoys hiking, Nashville hot chicken, and traveling with her family…their next trip is Japan in December!

Meet Morgan Zanotti, Founder of Waay — a sparkling protein water with 10g protein, 45 calories and 0g sugar and co-founder of Primal Kitchen. Her philosophy? Life’s too short for anything boring. And that applies to wellness too. With Waay, she’s flipping the script on diet culture and reminding women that more (protein, fun, joy) is actually the point. When Morgan’s not tirelessly working to make our food system a better place, you can find her surfing, playing tennis, chasing her boys (all 3 of them) or aimlessly wandering the farmers market. She deeply resonates with her favorite tagline for Waay: Fizzy Little Overachiever. She spent her post-college years as an accountant, nomadic surfer in South America and a wannabe Yogi in Hawaii. In her late 20’s she managed brands within PepsiCo’s Growth Ventures portfolio for a boutique advertising agency and then ran Marketing for lead kombucha brand KeVita (that was later sold to PepsiCo). Before she was revolutionizing the protein space, she became President and Co-Founder of Primal Kitchen. She launched the brand, bootstrapped the business to $50M in revenue profitably and then led the company through their $200 million Kraft-Heinz acquisition. With Morgan’s energetic leadership and innovative mindset, Primal Kitchen launched the first ever condiment made with avocado oil among other industry-leading pantry staples, quietly spearheading the seed-oil-free movement long before it became trendy. Morgan subsequently completed an Executive in Residence program with Summit Partners (a $10B PE fund) where she helped define the strategy on their investment thesis in the food & beverage space.

Brian Bernstein is an Investor at Rich Products Ventures, the Corporate Ventures Capital arm of privately owned, $6.5bn revenue frozen food manufacturer, Rich Products. Rich Products Ventures is an early stage investor across the CPG, food tech and restaurant tech ecosystem. Brian has spent his entire career across various capacities within the food industry. He started his career in Investment Banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s (Consumer & Retail team). He then held multiple strategy, finance and operations roles at Blue Apron, AB InBev, AlixPartners and Restaurant Brands International. Brian received his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and his BA in Economics from Vanderbilt University. He is based in San Francisco.

Jason Parasco is Chief Executive Officer of Insignia International, where he leads the company's mission to build authentic Hispanic and Southwestern food brands that resonate with modern American consumers. Under his leadership, Insignia's core brands are posting growth and consistently outperforming category averages as Hispanic flavors gain mainstream adoption across the U.S. Parasco joined Insignia as Chief Sales Officer and quickly transformed the company's commercial operations. He secured major retail wins including expanding craft salsa into 1,400 Walmart stores, placing Hatch Magic Chips across 2,000 Kroger locations, and driving Yucatan Guacamole to the #1 position at Publix. His consumer-first approach delivered standout results, with Lilly B's organic burritos exceeding Costco projections by nearly $2 million in Q1 2025. Prior to Insignia, Parasco served as Senior Vice President, Head of Sales at Sovos Brands (NASDAQ: SOVO), where he was instrumental in scaling the company from under $100 million to over $1 billion in revenue. He also held the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Fly By Jing, leading commercialization efforts from a direct-to-consumer model to mainstream brick and mortar for the premium Asian food brand and driving significant distribution gains. A United States Naval Academy graduate, Parasco served as a Naval Supply Corps Officer, bringing disciplined leadership and strategic thinking to the consumer packaged goods industry. He studied Economics at the Naval Academy, where he also played lacrosse. Parasco's leadership philosophy centers on what he calls "heart, hustle, and purpose" – building companies that create bold, authentic products while maintaining an entrepreneurial "Street Fighter mentality." He is recognized for his expertise in scaling premium food brands and capitalizing on emerging consumer trends in the rapidly evolving CPG landscape.

Axel Malbrain is an investor at FF2032, an evergreen investment fund focused on better-for-you food and beverage brands, primarily active in the U.S. market. FF2032's portfolio includes a.o. IQBAR, The Good Crisp Company, and, more recently, Coconut Cult. The fund serves as the autonomous investment vehicle of the Lotus Bakeries Group, a Belgian publicly listed company best known for its Biscoff cookie, generating over $1.5 billion in annual global revenue. 

Genevieve Gilbreath is Co-Founder and General Partner at Springdale Ventures, an early-stage venture fund investing in innovative consumer brands. She serves on the boards of Tiny Organics, Gooder Foods, and The Absorption Company, bringing founders the benefit of two decades of hands-on experience as both an entrepreneur and investor. Before launching Springdale, Genevieve built and scaled two global natural supplement companies while living in India, then went on to lead SKU, the first U.S. consumer products accelerator, that launched breakout brands like Siete and Epic Provisions to the national stage. She also co-founded Naturally Austin and Naturally Network, national organizations supporting conscious, mission-driven businesses across the consumer goods industry. Now based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Genevieve is passionate about backing founders who are reshaping how we eat, live, and thrive. Outside of work, she’s a world traveler, horsewoman, and outdoor enthusiast who believes the best ideas often start around a table with good food and good people.

Becca Millstein is the CEO & Co-Founder of Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co. She co-created the company in 2020 during Covid-19, after recognizing a glaring hole in quality, sustainable tinned fish available in the U.S. market. She was recently named as one of Forbes 30 under 30 and has been interviewed by Eater, Cherry Bombe, Nylon, and more, and recently appeared on Shark Tank. She’s currently based in Los Angeles.

Scott Caras is an experienced operator and investor with deep expertise in building and scaling consumer brands. He is the Founder and President of Relentless Consumer Partners (www.relentlessconsumer.com), an investment company focused on partnering with founders and management teams to build the next generation of category defining consumer brands. Prior to founding Relentless he was a Managing Director at consumer investment firm Breakaway Ventures and ran M&A at Escalade Sports, a public company that owns 30+ brands in the sports, fitness and outdoor categories. His experience spans nearly 20 years, the majority of which has been in the consumer sector. With a strong passion for entrepreneurship, Caras was the founder of North Point Brands, an outdoor platform that owns Cheeky Fishing, Rep Your Water and Wingo Outdoors, where he still serves on the Board today. As an investor, Caras has partnered with many category defining consumer brands including Luke’s Lobster, Actual Veggies, Lady Technologies, Grillo’s Pickles, True Botanicals, MTNTOUGH Fitness, IdeaPaint and EverybodyFights. Caras received his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College and his M.B.A. from The Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

Kelli Howard leads Brand Strategy at SPINS, helping brands translate data and market intelligence into strategies that drive growth and innovation. She operates at the intersection of consulting, client partnerships, and thought leadership, ensuring SPINS partners not only understand what is happening in the market but also know how to act on it to accelerate success. With nearly a decade of experience in the CPG industry, Kelli has built her career around translating data signals into strategic opportunities across categories, channels, and stages of brand growth. Her background spans Revenue Growth Management at The J.M. Smucker Company, business and category analytics at Chobani, and Client Insights at SPINS. This breadth of experience has shaped her passion for the art and science of strategic thinking and positioned her as a trusted partner to brands seeking what’s next. Kelli earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Logistics from The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. She has an enduring passion for the evolving health and wellness landscape and an endless curiosity for what’s on the shelf (and what isn’t), fueling her commitment to helping brands grow, lead, and innovate.

Pedro Aldrete is an Investor at Santatera Capital, an investment fund focused on startups driving innovation within the better-for-you CPG space, primarily targeting the U.S. market. Santatera’s portfolio includes brands like Cure Hydration, Wildwonder, Mezcla, Hiyo, and more recently Drumroll. The fund is part of a Mexican asset manager called Redwood Capital Partners, who are known as forerunners in the development of the VC ecosystem in Latin America.

Kendall Dickieson is a social-media and influencer-marketing consulstant specializing in the consumer packaged goods and direct-to-consumer space. She partners with brands across food, beverage, and wellness and more to build meaningful digital communities through organic content, creator collaboration, and performance-driven storytelling. In the last 5+ years, her clients have consisted of brands such as Graza (where she has launched the brand's social and influencer program and managed it for 3 years), Ripi Foods, immi and many others. Kendall has demonstrated how thoughtful social strategy can scale without relying solely on paid media. She’s also the author of the Substack, No Filter, where she publishes tactical insights on content, community, and creator strategy for brand operators.

Will has significant experience working with small, high growth and large, global consumer companies. Prior to joining Prelude Growth Partners, Will worked on the private equity investing team at Goldman Sachs Principal Investment Area, where he evaluated investment opportunities in the consumer and retail sectors. Prior to that, Will was a member of the investment team at TowerBrook Capital Partners, an international private equity firm, and began his career in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at J.P. Morgan. Will received a BA in Economics from Cornell University and he earned his MBA from Harvard Business School.

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.

As Editor-in-Chief of BevNET, Jeff Klineman oversees the organization's reporting across all of its web sites, as well as BevNET Magazine. Jeff also plans, curates, and hosts the BevNET Live and NOSH Live conferences. Jeff previously worked as a newspaper reporter for the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune, the Boston TAB and the Metrowest Daily News, and has freelanced for publications like Slate, Boston Magazine, Self, George, Commonwealth, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy. He is a graduate of Yale University and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. A frequently-cited expert on the beverage industry, Jeff has also twice been named in Forbes as one of the 25 Most Influential when it comes to Consumer and Retail Companies.

Adrianne DeLuca is the Assistant Managing Editor - Newsletters 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.

Jeni Britton is a pioneering entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author, and one of the most original voices in American food and brand culture. She founded Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in 2002 in an Ohio farmers’ market, transforming it into a national phenomenon with over 90 scoop shops and retail presence in thousands of grocery stores across the U.S. Known for its inventive flavors, ingredient integrity, and joyful design, Jeni’s helped define a new era of modern American food brands. A champion of sustainability and human-centered innovation, Jeni’s latest venture, Floura & Co., reinvents fresh produce trimmings—like watermelon rind and apple cores—into delicious, fiber-rich snacks that help close the fiber gap and combat chronic illness in America. As with Jeni’s, the mission is bigger than food: it’s about well-being, beauty, and reclaiming what nourishes us. Jeni is a 2017 Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute and a U.S. Culinary Diplomat. Her leadership style blends artistry and pragmatism, intuition and data. She speaks powerfully on entrepreneurship, creativity, sustainability, brand-building, and the power of pleasure and beauty to transform lives and businesses. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, and spends as much time in the forest as possible.

Brody is the forager manager at Sprouts Farmer’s Market, an Arizona-based natural specialty store that spans across 24 states and has over 450 locations. Brody is responsible for bringing innovative and differentiated products into Sprouts to help the company lead the CPG market in innovation and to assist with the incubation of smaller brands. He prepares these emerging brands for national launches on the Innovation Center, delighting customers with unique and fun experiences they can only find while shopping at Sprouts. Brody brings 14 years of retail experience, 13 of which are in the natural specialty industry with Sprouts. Brody nurtures his strong passion for natural and innovative products by helping small brands grow into formidable competitors in an ever-expanding market. 

Todd Davis’s journey with Kroger started in 1995 as a fresh-faced Courtesy Clerk, and it didn’t take long for his hard work to pay off—he was promoted to Produce Clerk that same year. By 1996, Todd had already stepped into his first leadership role as a Produce Manager, setting the stage for a career full of growth and fresh opportunities. Fast forward through the years, and Todd’s resume reads like a tour of the grocery world. From Assistant Store Leader in 2001 to Division CAO Specialist in Houston, Produce Field Specialist, and more, Todd has worn a lot of hats. His knack for innovation shone through when he became the District Produce Coordinator in 2010 and then a Produce Subject Matter Expert at the General Office in 2011. By 2019, Todd was leading stores in Houston, and in 2023, he took on a new challenge as Store Leader in Excess at King Soopers. Today, he’s the King Soopers/City Market Division Natural Foods/Local Category Manager, where he blends his passion for fresh products with a flair for creative merchandising. But there’s more to Todd than his impressive career. He’s driven by a calling to help others grow, both professionally and personally. He’s all about those deep, meaningful conversations where everyone walks away with something new. Todd’s curiosity is boundless, he’s got an itch to study quantum physics and a soft spot for Thanos (yes, that Thanos), who could both save and destroy with a snap. When he’s not shaping the future of grocery, Todd’s geeking out on documentaries, diving into self-improvement books, or soaking up stories from strangers that offer fresh perspectives. You might be surprised to know that Todd’s hip-hop collection is the largest in North America—who knew? A self-proclaimed "Inspirational Speaker," Todd aims to inspire and assist others in reaching their goals. Todd is grateful for life and family. Todd loves to inspire others and will always be curious. His advice to his younger self? “Be patient, plan accordingly, and believe.” Todd is a leader who knows that growth and innovation go hand in hand.

Becca Millstein is the CEO & Co-Founder of Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co. She co-created the company in 2020 during Covid-19, after recognizing a glaring hole in quality, sustainable tinned fish available in the U.S. market. She was recently named as one of Forbes 30 under 30 and has been interviewed by Eater, Cherry Bombe, Nylon, and more, and recently appeared on Shark Tank. She’s currently based in Los Angeles.

Eric Skae serves as CEO of Carbone Fine Food, maker of the fastest-growing national pasta sauce. The only major center-store CPG brand that bridges pop culture, tastemakers, influencers, celebrities, events and social media, Eric has led Carbone to the #2 position in Natural and #6 in Grocery in four short years since its 2021 launch. The results are 100% YOY growth and unique status as the only leading pasta sauce brand that indexes high with both Gen Z and millennials – all against Eric’s goal of making Carbone a billion-dollar brand.

Karen Ivanis-Rogers is the Sr. Director of the Albertsons Venture Group. She joined Albertsons eight years ago specifically for this role, working alongside Jim Foltz. Karen feels incredibly fortunate to be in this position.  In her role, Karen collaborates with Jim on evaluating and signing new investments and working directly with portfolio companies to accelerate their growth. She also serves as an observer on six boards.  Prior to Albertsons Ventures, Karen worked in CPG with the bigger brands at Johnson and Johnson, Clorox, Nestle Foods, Del Monte and Nature Made Vitamins.    Karen is particularly proud of the Innovation Launchpad, a program she initiated two years ago. Since its inception, Albertsons has processed applications from over 1,500 brands, set up 110 brands to compete, and awarded over half a million dollars in prizes. The Launchpad has successfully connected these brands with merchants across the company and promoted them online. The diversity statistics of the Launchpad brands, including women-owned and minority-owned businesses, are impressive.  In 2024, Karen was thrilled to be recognized as a Nosh Notable on behalf of the Launchpad work.   Karen lives in the Oakland Hills with her husband.

Joining Gelson’s in 2007 as a Dairy/Deli/Frozen Category Manager, Rich’s team is currently responsible for all Center Store product assortment, promotions and merchandising at Gelson’s. This includes products in Grocery, Dairy, Frozen, Deli, Non-foods, Liquor and Specialty Cheese. He previously spent 21 years at Vons for a total of over 39 years in the industry. During his time at Gelson’s, Rich and his team have been recognized for sourcing innovative new items and trends. This would include being First to Market with well-known brands like CVT, Health-ade, Califia, Chica’s, Caulipower and Impossible Burger’s national retail launch. Gelson’s is proud to work with small, local brands trying to start out in the industry and is willing to assist in educating brands on the right way to go to market. Rich holds his BA in Business Economics from UC Santa Barbara, a Masters in Food Industry Leadership from USC and is also a graduate of the USC Food Industry Management Program.

Brad partners with leading growth-stage food and beverage companies as an active Board member working with high performance CEOs to optimize their leadership effectiveness across all business dimensions in order to build/scale dynamic brands and create high value, category winning companies effectively positioned to sustainably drive strong, profitable growth and/or exit to strategic acquirers. Current Boards: Country Archer, Gimme Foods, Biena and Barney Butter. Prior Boards from early/growth stage through to Company Exit: Kevita (Pepsi), Simple Mills (Flowers Foods), Krave (Hershey), Flying Embers (JuneShine), Health Warrior (Pepsi), RightRice (Planting Hope), Zola (Karp Reilly), Fishpeople (Bornstein Seafood), Chameleon Cold Brew (Nestle), Red’s All Natural (Bansk Group) and Aura Bora (Next in Natural) … with cumulative exit value surpassing $1.5 billion. After time spent in management consulting and investment banking, Brad’s food/bev journey began over twenty-five years ago as the Founder/CEO of the Fantasia Fresh Juice Co. which he built into a leading superpremium fresh juice/smoothie brand culminating in a merger with Naked Juice and subsequent acquisition by Pepsi. He holds an MBA from the Stanford GSB and a true passion for unlocking the power of human transformation and possibility in life and leadership.

Mollye Santulli is an investor at Springdale Ventures, an early-stage venture fund backing the next generation of consumer brands. She began her career in finance at General Mills and Simple Mills before earning her MBA from Harvard Business School. At Springdale, she leads sourcing, diligence, and investments across food, beverage, wellness, and personal care, and works closely with founders post-investment on fundraising, hiring, and go-to-market strategy. She also serves on the associate board of Naturally Chicago and Chicago Seed, supporting early-stage founders in the region.  

Michael Sands, Principal Consultant - The Maker Group Small Business Academy: Michael is a seasoned entrepreneur, C-suite executive, innovator, and investor with over 35 years in the food and beverage industry. He has led and scaled multiple high-growth consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies, creating substantial value from start-ups to fortune 500 companies. While Chairman of Fenway LLC, a strategic consulting firm, and Fenway 2 LLC, his family office he focused on early-stage investments, Michael draws on his deep operational, marketing, and leadership expertise. He previously served as CEO of YumEarth Organic Candy and Balance Bar Nutrition and held senior leadership roles including Chief Marketing & Operations Officer at Snapple Beverage Group, Chief Marketing Officer at Ben & Jerry’s, and General Manager/SVP at B&G Foods. He also co-founded LesserEvil Snacks and held strategic marketing positions at InBev (Labatt USA) and Unilever. A Babson College graduate with a degree in marketing, Michael has been inducted into the Advertising Hall of Achievement for executives under 40 and honored with an Inc. 500 Award for leading one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.