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Veteran food industry insider, trendsetter and entrepreneur Errol Schweizer explained how systemic racism, labor inequality and outdated cannabis laws are affecting the food and beverage industry, and how he is attempting to motivate action and change via his new podcast, “The Checkout.”
Jason Barrett, founder & CEO of craft spirits producer Black Button Distilling, spoke about how a stint in small business consulting impacted his vision for the company, why he didn’t seek outside capital to launch Black Button and why he credits an effective systems management strategy as the key reason that spirits conglomerate Constellation Brands invested in the distillery.
Joseph Carr, founder of top-selling wine brand Josh Cellars, spoke about how diligence and self-education were critical in turning his passion into a career and why he left a lucrative job to launch his own company. He also explained how he defines hard work and how Josh Cellars has articulated a positioning that is both premium and accessible.
Mark Samuel, founder & CEO of protein-centric snack company IWON Organics, spoke what he defines as the brand’s “why,” the most effective ways to engage with his audience of 20,000-plus followers on LinkedIn, how he incorporates both confidence and vulnerability in his content and why patience is a virtue, especially after hearing the word “no.”
Veteran beverage entrepreneur CJ Rapp, the founder of Karma Water and cult cola brand Jolt, spoke about why he defines himself as a “marketer,” the key lesson learned from launching several ahead-of-their-time beverages and what he believes to be the guiding path for any entrepreneur.
Dave Colina, founder & CEO of natural sports recovery brand O2, spoke about how the company’s decisions over the past five years prepared it to meet the challenges and opportunities of the last five months, how the brand achieved record sales numbers while donating 50% of profits to independent gym owners affected by COVID-19 and why he believes that entrepreneurship is as much about personal growth as building a successful brand.
Stacy Madison, founder of Stacy’s Pita Chips, shared essential lessons learned from building her company, including those that she’s applying to her latest venture, BeBold, a refrigerated energy bar brand. She explained why having a “nothing to lose” attitude was key during her early days as an entrepreneur, the most significant mistake in building Stacy’s Pita Chips and the altruistic reason that she decided to get back into the packaged food industry.
Breezy Griffith, co-founder and CEO of fast-growing coated nut brand SkinnyDipped, spoke about why persistence was critical in landing the brand’s first retail accounts, how guts and guile got the products into the office pantries of Google and Microsoft, how she orchestrated national distribution of the brand at Target and why she’s turned to an industry veteran to manage day-to-day operations.
“New Girl” actor Max Greenfield and serial entrepreneur Mike Constantiner, co-founders of dad-centric consumer products and lifestyle company Dadz, spoke about how they’re attempting to reach a “new generation of dads,” the importance of a strong founding team and why it offers a “shortcut” to a fast start and how the brand is being communicated to the trade and consumer press.
Hannah Crum, co-founder and president of influential trade association Kombucha Brewers International, spoke about how she manages a membership group comprised of “frenemies,” the recent launch of a Code of Practice for brewing kombucha and why it’s important to support the category’s evolution despite the misgivings of some within the space.