These 7 industry experts will offer their insight at Expo East Pitch Slam
The Natural Products Business School Pitch-Slam Competition offers entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their company to experts and investors for the chance to win a valuable prize package. Meet the judges who who will be choosing the winners.
September 8, 2016
Liz Moskow is the founder of Tank Talkers and Balm Chicky Balm Balm. She tackled her first venture, a restaurant, at the tender age of 23. Five years later, she sold the highly successful restaurant, its second location and expansive catering/events business. She's opened, operated and successfully sold a New York- based yoga studio, has served as a private Park Avenue chef, caterer, outdoor adventure tour guide, and is a published restaurant food critic. Her third business, Balm Chicky Balm Balm, schooled her in the art of invention, the patent process, creating an overseas supply chain and go- to- market strategy. After exiting Balm Chicky, Liz saw the opportunity to galvanize an amazing group of entrepreneurs with Tanktalkers.com, a brain trust of entrepreneurs from seasons one through seven of ABC TV's Hit Show "Shark Tank." Tank Talkers provides engaging content for speaking engagements, corporate team building seminars and entrepreneurial-centric events.
Chuck Cotter co-chairs the Food and Beverage Group at Holland & Hart LLP, where he provides advice to companies at all stages of growth, from startups to publicly listed companies, helping them successfully raise capital, complete acquisitions and divestitures, and comply with regulatory requirements. He represents startup companies from initial formation and financing rounds, through growth stages, and culminating in exit strategies. Chuck represents a substantial number of clients, both small and large, in the food, beverage and natural products space, such as Boulder Food Group, ChiaViva!, CleanWell, Dale Katechis and Oskar Blues Brewery, EvoHemp, Hotbox Roasters, the Odell family and Yummari.
Rosemary partners with innovative growth companies as a strategist, operator and investor. Since joining NGEN in 2006, she has worked on healthy living and sustainability, investing in companies with improved solutions for consumers and enterprises. She currently sits on the boards of Bare Snacks, Soul Sprout, Zevia, Hyla, and Nlyte Software and is an observer on the board of Enzymedica. Rosemary also led an investment in Revolution Foods. Responsible for corporate business development worldwide at Altria Group from 1990-2005, Rosemary helped spearhead and execute numerous expansionary growth plans for Kraft Foods. Prior to joining Altria, Rosemary was a managing director at Furman Selz, responsible for the Retail and Consumer Group, and prior to that was a senior investment banker at L.F. Rothschild, Unterberg, Towbin where she financed numerous small and mid-size technology companies and made venture investments.
Paddy Spence is a recognized authority on health and wellness with 20 years of experience in the natural/organic consumer packaged goods industry. Paddy currently serves as CEO of Zevia, a line of zero-calorie, naturally sweetened beverages. From 2005 to 2009, he was president of Levlad, known for its natural personal care brand Nature’s Gate. Before joining Levlad, he served as chairman of SPINS, a leading provider of syndicated market research that he sold to private investors in 2004. In 1995, he founded SPINS to introduce sophisticated marketing information services to the rapidly growing health and wellness industry, and served as the company’s CEO for eight years. Prior to founding SPINS, Paddy served from 1992 to 1995 as vice president, sales and marketing, for the Kashi Company. He has also held positions at Harvard Business School's Division of Research, the Center for Leadership and Career Studies at Emory University and United Parcel Service's International Marketing department.
Grant Ferrier is CEO and cofounder of Nutrition Capital Network, an entity that connects investors and growth companies in the nutrition and health and wellness industry. NCN hosts four investor meetings annually—two focused on finished products and two on ingredients and science. Grant leads the screening process that evaluates more than 100 companies for each meeting, where 20 to 25 companies are selected and mentored by NCN and its selection committee to present in 10-minute intervals to an audience of 60 to 70 investors. Grant also leads the interaction with NCN Cornerstone Investor members. Grant is the cofounder and former editor of Nutrition Business Journal, a business he ran for from 1996 to 2007, selling it to New Hope Network in 2001. Grant is on the board of four companies, has made personal investments in two companies besides his own, and has facilitated more than 10 financing or M&A transactions.
In 2002 Eric cofounded Steaz, the first sparkling tea and USDA Organic, fair trade soft drink and energy drink brand. Eric drove the company to leading positions today in these mainstream segments of the beverage category, all while establishing a triple bottom-line business philosophy founded on people, planet and ethical profitability. Prior to Steaz, Eric was president of Long Life Tea and helped triple its organic tea lines before sale to Kikkoman. He initially served as the national brand manager for Country Life Vitamins and was on the executive committee, co-directing five brands and more than 1,000 SKUs globally. In early 2011, Eric cofounded I AM, a lifestyle brand of supplements and aromatherapy mists, and launched new R&D shop MetaBrand, a business focused on taking natural beverage products to market. In 2014 he formed MetaBrand Capital. In 2015 he launched a new visionary consulting agency, incubator and accelerator, BeyondBrands, with his wife, eco-fashion pioneer Marci Zaroff.
Pete is currently a new business development leader in the newly formed innovation division of General Mills called 301 Inc. During his 18-year career at General Mills, he has also managed many large business platforms: Big G Cereal, Pillsbury Dough, Betty Crocker Meals, and Yoplait. Recently, Pete’s overall responsibility includes creating strategic partnerships/capabilities to find incremental growth for General Mills, as well as direct all of the supply chain activities and drive commercialization excellence for 301 Inc. across a diverse portfolio of food products. Pete is also a founder of the new food division for the state-wide innovation competition MN cup with the vision of creating an active food innovation community in Minnesota. He is a champion at General Mills and is currently a board member for a few local food startups.
Pete is currently a new business development leader in the newly formed innovation division of General Mills called 301 Inc. During his 18-year career at General Mills, he has also managed many large business platforms: Big G Cereal, Pillsbury Dough, Betty Crocker Meals, and Yoplait. Recently, Pete’s overall responsibility includes creating strategic partnerships/capabilities to find incremental growth for General Mills, as well as direct all of the supply chain activities and drive commercialization excellence for 301 Inc. across a diverse portfolio of food products. Pete is also a founder of the new food division for the state-wide innovation competition MN cup with the vision of creating an active food innovation community in Minnesota. He is a champion at General Mills and is currently a board member for a few local food startups.
The Natural Products Business School Pitch-Slam Competition offers entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their company to experts and investors for the chance to win a valuable prize package that includes a free booth at Expo East 2017. Attendees can see firsthand what investors are looking for, and learn how to prepare for their own flawless fundraising.
For the first time ever, attendees will also get to watch two companies compete to become this year's Rising Star. These companies were finalists in the Net Impact Food Forward Competition, and they'll compete against each other for a chance to become this year's Rising Star at Expo East.
Meet the judges who who will be choosing the winners in the following slides.
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