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Miyoko Schinner, founder and CEO of fast-growing vegan cheese and butter company Miyoko’s Creamery, spoke about why she describes her business “a mission with a company,” the importance of empowering employees and ensuring they align with the brand’s ethos and why investors “have to love you for who you really are.”

At last week’s Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, brands continued to innovate, offering plant-based and vegan options to classic dairy favorites, from spreads and sauces to chocolate and cheeses. Check out the gallery for the new plant-based products spotted on the show floor, including the latest launches from Miyoko’s and a sweet new release from The Coconut Collaborative.

Two brands in the bean-based snacking segment — Beanitos and The Good Bean — revealed last week that they had struck a deal to go into 2020 as a unified company after The Good Bean acquired Beanitos’ assets in December. Beanitos investors, L Catterton, 2x Consumer Products Growth Partners, and BFY Capital are now each minority shareholders in The Good Bean.

In a webinar this week, research firm Innova Market Insights listed its Top 10 Trends in Sweets and Snacks, and many of those characteristics were also displayed in products at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.

John Sorial, founder of Mediterranean-inspired food brand TaDah Foods, spoke about how he navigated the company through a period of constant challenges, why finding a co-packing partner is like “getting married,” preparing for his pitch on “Shark Tank” and what it was like to turn down an offer from Mark Cuban.

Utilizing the entire coconut to minimize its carbon footprint and maximize profitability has been a long-term goal for Harmless Harvest and its CEO Ben Mand, who joined the company in June 2018. At Winter Fancy Food Show 2020, held January 19-21 in San Francisco, the company unveiled an expanded food and beverage portfolio that delivers on that goal.

As seen at the 2020 Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco this week, ice cream brands continue to innovate with vegan and lactose-free ingredients, internationally inspired flavors and sustainable packaging. Check out the gallery to see what ice cream and frozen dessert products were seen on the show floor, including a new line from Alden’s Organic and new flavors from NOSH Pitch Slam 7 Winner Beckon.

Capitalizing on the success of a top-selling novelty, organic ice cream brand Alden’s is leaping into dairy-free with the debut of seven dairy-free flavors and two dairy-free treats at the Winter Fancy Food Show this week.

With limited time to connect with consumers on shelf, brands need to stand out visually and tell their stories in just a matter of seconds. These recent rebrands, several of which debuted at the Winter Fancy Food Show this week, show how companies are looking to sleek, eye-catching designs to not only pop on shelf — but keep consumers hungry for more.

Rachel Joseph is the Founder and CEO of Rachel’s Brand, an emerging company that’s stirring things up in the oatmeal category with overnight oat mixes. Rachel’s aims to serve millennial consumers with a premium version of the classic oatmeal breakfast, using superfood ingredients like organic rolled oats, chia seeds, hemp and flax for a better-for-you option that can easily be prepared the night before.