A Bite With… Casey Gaston, Executive Leader of Local and Emerging Brands for Whole Foods

Monica Watrous
Whole Foods

Theo’s Plant Based, Fila Manila and The Pizza Cupcake are among the brands that have participated in Whole Foods Market’s Local and Emerging Accelerator Program (LEAP), an initiative launched in 2022 to elevate and nurture early-stage businesses.

Selected companies receive tailored education and mentorship and are considered for equity investment and shelf placement. Family-owned frozen food brand Jaju Pierogi debuted in Whole Foods stores throughout Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire and Rhode Island last year after completing the program.

Last year, the retailer expanded its accelerator with the introduction of two tracks: Early Growth, for brands not yet sold on Whole Foods shelves, and On the Verge, for existing local and emerging Whole Foods suppliers that “demonstrate strong growth potential and are poised for success.” Whole Foods is set to launch the next round of participants in July.

Casey Gaston, executive leader of Local and Emerging Brands for Whole Foods Market, shared in an interview how suppliers are assessed for the program, as well as her take on promising brands to watch and why.

How are brands evaluated for LEAP cohorts?

Each of our cohorts are evaluated differently. LEAP: Early Growth is a program for new-to-Whole Foods Market brands that are also just emerging into the retail landscape. Early Growth candidates are evaluated through an application process and interviews with a combination of our Foragers, Merchants and Business Development team partners.

LEAP: On The Verge is a program for smaller Whole Foods Market brands with great potential for growth. On The Verge candidates are evaluated through a nomination process. Foragers, Merchants and Business Development partners all nominate brands, and the final cohort is chosen through an internal collaborative review process and ends with interviews with the brands.

What key performance indicators, trends or other factors are considered?

Candidates for the program are early in their retail journey. They bring innovation – we are looking for brands and items that are trend-forward, such as flavor, usage occasion or form factor, or in sustainability practices and mission-driven principles – while also being differentiated from our current assortments.

We want to work with dynamic and eager founders that can or are willing to meet Whole Foods Market’s requirements. And we are looking for brands that will benefit significantly from the partnership and investment.

What are examples of food brands that are worth watching, and why?

I would keep my eye on some incredible brands we have launched or expanded recently.

We’ve really seen some exciting brands in frozen convenience taking quality, taste and comfort to new levels.

Evergreen was founded by a working mom who created quick and easy family breakfast options from frozen waffles to breakfast sandwiches, without sacrificing nutrition, quality or taste.

Myles Comfort Food is a comfort food brand that is elevating the landscape of frozen foods with quality, convenient, delicious meals perfect for busy lifestyles

Jaju Pierogi was created by sisters wanting to honor their grandfather and share their culture and delicious pierogis.

La Gringuita comes from a founder from Uruguay – these are gigantic delicious cookies that come in flavors like Chocolate Souffle and El Churro.

Another place to watch is brands looking at plant-based in new ways. Funky Mello is a line of whipped marshmallow dips that are vegan thanks to their star ingredient – aquafaba. Darë Vegan Cheese (pronounced “dairy”) focuses on small-batch, handmade vegan cheeses with flavors like Balsamic Fig and Roasted Garlic.