CPG X

𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨, we have a 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 conversation coming your way! 👀 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉? 𝐎𝐧 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 21, 𝐒𝐅𝐀 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨 will bring together an incredible group of industry voices for 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲, a conversation about the changing ways consumers find new products and what specialty food brands need to know. Join us for The 𝐀𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲, moderated by Natalie Shmulik of JPG Resources, featuring: ⭐ Amanda Parker, Former Head of Food, 𝐓𝐢𝐤𝐓𝐨𝐤 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩 ⭐ Brooke Blazei, Category Manager, 𝐅𝐨𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 ⭐ Abbey Fish (formerly Rodriguez), Brand Experience Lead, Specialty Food Association ⭐ 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞, Sr. Category Manager, Thrive Market 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭, 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤! 🥫 Want to showcase your brand? Applications are open for our 𝐒𝐅𝐀 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 from 4:30–5:30 PM. Showcase spots are $75 and available 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑺𝑭𝑨 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔. 📅 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 21 | 4:30–7:30 𝐏𝐌 📍 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞 | 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨 (1857 W 16th Street) Come discover new brands, make new connections, and join us for a great conversation about where product discovery is headed next. 👉 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞: https://lnkd.in/gZai7Qdp Morgan Ryder Leana Rogers Salamah Mary Beth Vultee Delia Murphy, PMP Diana DiAntonio Naturally Chicago Margaret Omastiak Kate (Farley) Nettuno

We’re looking for service provider partners for our upcoming hosted events. If your company serves emerging and growing CPG brands, this is an opportunity to get in the room, build real relationships, and be part of the conversations happening beyond the trade show floor. Upcoming opportunities: 📍 Central Market Vendor Showcase | October 8 | Dallas 📍 Rooted Expo | October 20–22 | Dallas 📍 Miami Food & Beverage Show | October 28–29 | Miami We’re looking for the right partners, not just logos on a banner. Partners who want to meet founders, provide value, build relationships, and become part of the CPG X community. Let’s get the right people in the right room and give them an Xperience. Interested in partnering with us at one or multiple events? Comment “PARTNER” or send me a DM. #partnership #cpg #xperience #community Darren Viscount

Trade spend gets called marketing. It's closer to a tax nobody told you about. I ask almost every new Founder we work with the same question: how much of your trade budget actually lands as a lower price on the shelf? Usually silence. Turns out nobody ever taught them to tell the difference between dollars that move product and dollars that just vanish into a distributor's math. Here's the ~8% number behind it, and where the rest actually goes: —— Hi, I’m Pedro, CEO of Cultivar. We help CPG Founders feel confident about their finances by managing accounting, inventory, trade spend, and bev alc compliance so you can focus on growing the brand.

Only 5 brands will be accepted. We’re launching the CPG X 8-Week Bootcamp, and this isn’t an open enrollment program. You must apply, interview, and be accepted. Why only five? Because we want to actually work with each brand. Not put you into a group of 50 founders and hope you figure it out. Over 8 weeks, we’re bringing together hands-on 1:1 support, small-group sessions, industry specialists, retail and channel education, and access to the relationships we’ve built across the CPG industry. You’ll also walk away with over $20,000 worth of value, including buyer contacts specifically within the channels your brand is focused on. Grocery. Convenience. Foodservice. College & University. Hospitality. Travel. Specialty. And more. This isn’t about handing you a massive generic contact list. It’s about helping you identify who actually makes sense for your brand, how to approach them, and what you need to be ready when the opportunity comes. The goal is simple: Finish 2026 strong and walk into 2027 with better tools, stronger relationships, the right contacts, more knowledge, and a clear plan for growth. 5 brands. 8 weeks. $20K+ in value. Ready to put in the work? Comment Bootcamp below #founders #cpgbrands #emergingbrands CPG X Darren Viscount

Be part of something bigger. The CPG X Community is bringing together founders, buyers, investors and industry partners to connect, learn and create real opportunities. Join us. And please share this with your LinkedIn network so we can all grow together. #CPGX #CPGCommunity #CPGBrands #EmergingBrands #CPGIndustry Darren Viscount Allison C. Gregory Willis

LET'S GO! Applications are officially OPEN for Brands with Heart, 7-Eleven’s emerging brands open call! We're looking for innovative brands across: 🚀 Functional & Next-Gen Beverages 🦾 Modern Protein & Nutrition 🍦 Treats & Indulgence 🍭 Better-For-You Snacks & Candy 🌏 International Flavors 🥗 Fresh Snacks & On-The-Go Meals Selected finalists will receive: - Virtual programming with 7-Ventures and the 7-Eleven Emerging Brands team - A live pitch opportunity at 7-Eleven HQ - Consideration for testing and launch opportunities Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gW2bT6WS Applications close October 13, 2026. #BrandsWithHeart #7Eleven #EmergingBrands #CPG #RetailInnovation Danny Stepper, Trevor Drinkwater, Sabrina Crum, Michelle Embody, Wayne Wu

A special shout out to some of our recently announced sponsors to the 2026 Founders Innovation Day. It's critical to have important growth partners in the room to help facilitate emerging brand growth and acceleration. Brand Owners, Founders and CPG catalysts, I'm excited to have you in the room! Register today! Don't Delay. https://lnkd.in/eB5FsgUi The Emerson Group Kickfurther Eagle Labs, Inc. Market Performance Group NielsenIQ CPG X Wildflower Insight Hydrate Complete retailmediaIQ ECRM RangeMe #intelligence #access #retail #CPG

Applications for 7-Eleven's Emerging Brands Open Call, Brands with Heart, are officially live! https://lnkd.in/gvJ_evGV We are looking for innovative emerging brands who are interested in launching in c-store. Last year, we had over 50% of finalist brands move forward with a regional test in 7-Eleven. This year, we are specifically looking for brands in the below categories. Functional & Next-Gen Beverages Modern Protein & Nutrition Treats & Indulgence Better-For-You Snacks & Candy International Flavors Fresh Snacks & On-The-Go Meals Selected finalists will receive: Virtual programming with 7-Ventures and the 7-Eleven Emerging Brands team A live pitch opportunity at 7-Eleven HQ Consideration for testing and launch opportunities Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gvJ_evGV Monideepa Chakravorty Matthew Bunevich David J Colletti Jr. Audrey Loi Saya Honda Jerry Su Sydney Swinton Charlotte Davis Kalicia Kaul Brittany Harborth Sembe Cole, MBA Janice Ross Alexandra Davis Shawn Risdal Cecilia Serrano Ashlyn Eldridge