King Arthur Baking Company has partnered with Project Potluck to launch Baking Pitchfest 2024 to foster greater inclusivity, equitable opportunity and creativity in the baking world.
Startups with little more than an idea and a compelling founder’s story may no longer be able to secure wild valuations or enough funding to blow millions a month proving a concept, but companies that have product-market fit in competitive categories...
Since Project Potluck was founded in 2020 to support people of color in the CPG industry, the landscape and conversation around diversity and inclusion has changed dramatically, but according to the grassroots group turned non-profit a lot remains to...
A new start-up incubator and investment platform from the team that helped KIND climb from concept to a $5b business with only $5m in primary investment is throwing out the tried-and-true playbooks for growing a brand in favor of focusing on the values...
Knowing entrepreneurs often dramatically underestimate the time it takes to validate their business models, are more likely to lose money or break even than make a profit and face abysmal failure rates, one successful founder is offering a helping hand...
Calls for more diversity, equity and inclusion in the food and beverage industry – and in particular the natural and organic sector – have grown steadily louder in recent years as has consumer interest in supporting minority-owned brands, and yet funding...
Entrepreneurs at startups and emerging brands often innovate and build their businesses based on their intuition or anecdotal feedback from loved ones and early adopters, but as they scale so do their need for detailed data and analysis -- not just about...
301 Inc – General Mills’ venture capital arm – is ploughing $15m into two early-stage women-led venture capital funds, which are on a mission to promote racial and gender equity and economic opportunities for women of colour (WOC) entrepreneurs.
Third-party meal delivery service DoorDash is debuting its DoorDash Accelerator for Local Goods, a program designed to support local packaged food brands owned by women, BIPOC, immigrant, and transgender entrepreneurs.
While some of the initial challenges that food and beverage startups experienced when the pandemic began have subsided, like restrictions on sampling and freezes on category resets, others remain and new ones have emerged – complicating the path to market...
Citing “abusive actions by monopolies,” including “big ag,” that “lead to mass layoffs, higher prices, [and] fewer options for workers and consumers,” President Joe Biden Friday signed a sweeping executive order that tasks more than a dozen agencies with...
Most startups have more questions than funding, which means when they come across something they don’t know they lose time, resources and occasionally their businesses finding the answer the hard way – but a new program from the food brand builders at...
When launching a business, founders often are asked to rely on friends, family and their community for financial support and guidance until they have proof of concept – but not all networks are created equally and entrepreneurs without affluent or influential...
While all entrepreneurs face an uphill battle, Black, Indigenous and People of Color often face more challenges and have fewer resources than their white counterparts in America – contributing to a racial wealth gap that McKinsey & Company projects...
After initially hitting pause on new deals during the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, investors have steadily returned to the bargaining table, but the CEO of one venture capital firm warns the pandemic has raised the bar for and slowed the pace...
When the pandemic prompted some retailers to delay category resets or close their doors temporarily to new brands, the emerging wellness shot brand So Good So You didn’t dwell on delayed distribution opportunities – rather it doubled down support for...
Rabobank has announced the 15 finalists – food and ag entrepreneurs spanning everything from edible spoons to plant-based eggs - who will compete in its livestreamed FoodBytes! Pitch competition on December 2.
Limited access to processing facilities is a top contributor to food waste, and a major hurdle that blocks mid-sized food and beverage businesses from scaling to the next level – two challenges that startup Matriark Foods is hoping to bypass with a unique...
Entrepreneurs desperate for capital or unsure of the best path forward for growth may be tempted to overlook dismissive or demeaning comments from potential investors, but the co-founder of the fast-growing brand SkinnyDipped warns these are huge red...
While successfully scaling a business may give entrepreneurs a sense of pride and accomplishment, it also can trigger feelings of loss and skepticism along with other growing pains that if left unchecked could stunt or cripple a company.
With last week’s launch of the community building and mentoring organization Project Potluck, three food and beverage industry executives hope to improve access and diversity in the CPG industry by tackling fundraising limitations, networking gaps and...
Venture capitalists’ initial hesitancy to enter new deals immediately following the coronavirus outbreak appears to be easing with the most interest and activity focused on grocery CPGs and food delivery, according to an analyst with Pitchbook.
Cash-strapped startups may hold-off on establishing a board to save money, but according to one career coach a solid line-up of advisors can generate returns several-fold higher than their fees or salaries and can reassure potential investors, making...
All entrepreneurs are destined to fail, but that doesn’t mean they also must lose, according to the CEO of the startup ingredient company Rambuhealth, who explained that companies can overcome almost any obstacle as long as leaders are creative, decisive...
Despite uncertainties about the pandemic, investors continue to fund food and beverage businesses, but they are more closely scrutinizing opportunities, holding entrepreneurs to higher standards and offering less for more than they did before the coronavirus...
As the initial chaos of the early days of the pandemic and pantry loading settle into a more predictable flow, entrepreneurs may be tempted to pause and catch their breath, but according to the CEO of the emerging e-commerce retailer Living Food Co.,...
The food and beverage industry has been a tale of two cities since the coronavirus pandemic was declared with some companies seeing surging sales reinforced by fresh rounds of high-dollar investments and other businesses grinding to a halt with both revenue...
With 1.6 billion tons of food worth $1.2 trillion lost or wasted every year, the Danish startup Nature Preserve sees massive market potential for its miniaturized food processing plant to convert surplus produce into nutrient-dense powders across the...
Founders who wear multiple hats during the lean early years of a startup may struggle to pass responsibilities to others as their companies grow, but, according to the founder of Sweet Loren’s, to fully maximize companies’ potential entrepreneurs need...
A firm believer that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, the founder of Holmes Made Foods not only seized every chance he was offered to build his all-natural applesauce company, but he also unabashedly created his own opportunities through persistence...
The coronavirus pandemic may have brought to a standstill the large tradeshows where industry players traditionally came together, but thanks to new digital platforms – including Austin-based Fieldcraft – stakeholders not only can still meet, explore...
Dreams of a startup taking off like a rocket ship with broad distribution, strong sales and widespread brand recognition can quickly become a nightmare if entrepreneurs don’t first have in place effective strategies for hiring, financial management and...
With only 1% of venture capital going to Black led or founded companies last year, investors are being asked to finance more Black entrepreneurs as part of the anti-racism movement sweeping America, but to do so, the founder of TeaSquares advises, they...
Even though Andrew Abraham has helped millions of people live healthier, more vibrant lives first as a medical doctor and then for the past 12 years as the founder of the organic protein shake and bar brand Orgain, he wanted to help more consumers learn...
The high cost and opaque process of securing patents can be daunting for cash-strapped startups, but the CEO of the home hydroponic growing system GroPod advises entrepreneurs not give into the temptation to skip or delay this step until after fundraising.
Even before the coronavirus pandemic paused face-to-face meetings and tradeshows, startups that couldn’t afford the high entrance fees to some of the food and beverage industry’s most prominent shows struggled to catch and keep investors’ attention –...
No longer able to rely on conferences, in-store demos or serendipitous meetings to raise awareness of a new business or product, entrepreneurs increasing are connecting with each other, mentors and consumers through subscription-based online platforms...
With the invention of peanut coffee, fifth generation peanut farmer James Harrell found a way to combine in one product the rich history and future of his hometown of Suffolk, Va., which as the headquarters for Planters Peanuts was once known as the ‘peanut...
“Gut feelings” often form the foundation of startups, but to scale a business successfully, especially in times of crisis, entrepreneurs need more than that – they need data that shows where their brand fits in the competitive landscape and where consumers...
The middle of a global pandemic when many consumers are filling their grocery carts virtually may seem like a strange time to expand distribution in brick-and-mortar stores, but for the vitamin enhanced water brand KidsLuv the timing of its current rollout...
After weeks of working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic, some companies are rethinking the value of central offices, but for the founder of Seed + Mill sharing space with other entrepreneurs at WeWork’s Food Labs in New York City before the outbreak...
WeWork is helping to level the playing field between emerging and established brands in the competitive food and beverage space with the recent unveiling of its flagship Food Labs in New York City and the graduation of its first food and ag focused accelerator...
Consumers in Chicago craving restaurant quality meals but without the overhead of delivery fees while staying at home during the coronavirus pandemic can enjoy internationally flavored soup kits created with local restaurants from the startup Soup Explorers....
While there is something to be said about following your gut as an entrepreneur, the founder and CEO of Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. advises that following the data often is a more reliable strategy for sparking retailer interest and launching products that...
Rather than hit pause during the ongoing pandemic like many other investors, global venture capital fund SOSV’s Food-X accelerator is moving full steam ahead by welcoming to its 11th cohort eight companies that are directly tackling challenges coronavirus...
While the number of women launching businesses is growing at an exponential rate, their access to venture capital, mentors and other resources still lags far behind that of their male counterparts – a unique challenge that will require players across...
For entrepreneurs at cash-strapped startups, finding mentors often takes a backseat to fundraising, but according to a leader with Rabobank’s Startup Innovation team, focusing on the former can help with the latter.
Startups looking for capital to fuel their next phase of growth may find there's a gap in the market for investors who are willing to write smaller checks, says Jason Starr, founder and managing director of Chicago-based investment firm CompanyFirst....
Even though women drive 70-80% of all consumer purchasing, very few companies include women on their boards – a mismatch that hurts brands’ ability to connect effectively with their core consumer and could hinder their ability to make smart investments...
As the number of food accelerators and incubators has increased in recent years, the barrier for entry into the market has decreased – and while this makes launching a new product or company easier, it has made cutting through the competition and finding...