10 Quotable Moments from NOSH Live
NOSH Live Summer 2019 was full of inspirational stories, advice and insights from some of the natural food industry’s biggest players. Below are some of our favorite quotes from the presenters at the two-day conference in New York City.
Walter Robb, Former Co-CEO, Whole Foods Market; Principal, Stonewall Robb Advisors
“I’ve never seen such a time of challenge and disruption guiding change up and down the value chain from the seed all the way down to the table. I’ve never seen such a time of opportunity; the customer wants small and medium sized brands. Large brands are not growing. The opportunity is there!”
Doug Munk, Director of New Business Ventures for Nestle
“Make sure everyone understands they’re an entrepreneur in their company and they have the platform to put their ideas forward.”
Megan Bent, Founder and Managing Partner, Harbinger Ventures
“Focus on ensuring you, as a founder, are growing as quickly as the business — that at exit you’re still leading the business you wanted to lead.”
Laura Rush, Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager, Frozen Foods, Walmart
“The customer is at the heart of every decision. The customer needs to have access to everything -- healthy food, innovation.”
John Lowe, CEO, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
“Bedside manner really matters. Having people that are kind and listen and understand your POV before espousing their own is very important. I think we got very fortunate trying to go through that process of finding the right fit.”
Jaime Athos, President & CEO, The Tofurky Company
“We want to reflect on what we’ve done in our lives and be proud of it.”
Robert Craven, Former CEO, MegaFood and Garden of Life
“Clarify your purpose-driven strategy. Bring the company with you, and structure it so that the culture is sound and locked into what you’re trying to do.”
Tracy Miedema, VP of Innovation and Brand Development, Presence Marketing
“[CBD] is too big to fail. There’s a genuine value for humankind in the 104 cannabinoids in the hemp plant so it’s here to stay, and retail will come along.”
Jane Miller, CEO, Lily’s Sweets
“If you really want to help people get through change, make sure you’re communicating on a regular basis. Make sure people understand the ‘why’ of what you’re doing, not just what you’re doing.”