Women in CPG support each other at special Newtopia Now brunch

Being a founder isn’t easy. That’s especially true for female founders in the CPG sector.

“It’s a tough, admirable road,” says Angi Rassi, chief growth officer at Red’s All Natural. “We need founders to be successful because that’s where so much innovation has been and will continue to come in our food system. We need to have brands that are pushing boundaries and doing the right thing for people and the planet because it helps the entire food system.”

But not all founders have the same access to capital, networks and mentoring to accomplish those goals.

“The statistics around female founders are particularly daunting when compared to male founders, particularly when it comes to funding,” Rassi says. “If you’re a diverse female founder, it is extra difficult.”

Entrepreneur and best-selling author Kim Perell

Making it easier for female founders to connect with each other spurred the idea for Newtopia Now’s Empowering Women in CPG brunch, an offsite special event featuring investment expert, entrepreneur and best-selling author Kim Perell.

“This is just one way to begin to level the playing field,” Rassi says. “There’s real power when women come together and create community and connection so we can begin to help each other.”

The idea for the event came after Jessica Rubino, vice president of content at New Hope Network, and Rassi, began talking.

Related:3 can’t-miss keynotes at Newtopia Now, New Hope Network’s unique event

“Jessica and I were in the same peer mentoring circle last year,” says Rassi, who co-leads a mentoring circle for senior female leaders in the conscious product space, in collaboration with One Step Closer and the J.E.D.I. (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) Collaborative. 

As weeks passed, Rubino began to share more details about Newtopia Now and how the event would focus on creating deeper relationships between brands and buyers.

“I got really excited,” Rassi says. “Because it adds great value to startup brands in this natural products, conscious products space.”

While many start-up brands have extensive broker networks, most have small sales teams. “What that means is they're not always as close to where the retailers are going on a day-to-day basis,” Rassi says. That makes it harder for start-ups than bigger brands that have larger direct sale forces who are connected to retailers.

At the same time, Rubino and Rassi wanted to unite female leaders and thought about their peer mentoring circle.

“We’re seeing a lot of power in these peer mentoring circles for women and leadership, because those circles are cross-functional and they’re highly diverse,” Rassi says.

The idea of connecting women who live in different geographic regions and places in their careers—evolved to become the Newtopia Now event, Empowering Women in CPG: Brunch at Ophelia's. Other scheduled speakers include Holly Adrien, former natural and organic strategy and innovation manager at The Kroger Co.; Angela Bozo, director of member programs at INFRA; and Alyssa Vescio, senior vice president of merchandising, Center Store, Sourcing and Product Development at Whole Foods Market. Angela Marurano, president of Orchid Holistic Search, will also serve as a meetup host.

Related:Meet the 9 brands competing at this year's Naturally Network National Pitch Slam

“The higher you go in your career, the more likely you are to be an only or a few,” Rassi says. “The longer you are in this industry, the more likely you will be on your own. And so that's where I have this deep belief in these circles or events like this.”

There’s also a heightened desire among women to help other women.

“What I’ve seen being in these circles for the past four years, is women have the ability to connect at a deeper level, very quickly,” Rassi says. “It doesn't take very long for women to come together. Or help each other.”

That’s more important than ever.

“It’s a tough time right now,” Rassi says. “Given the state of the economy, which has a lot of uncertainty in it, a lot of the capital that was being infused into startups has dried up.”

That’s been going on for about a year and a half, Rassi says.

“What that means for all founders is the game that they were playing, ‘Be mindful of your margins, but rev your top line growth,’ has changed really quickly,” Rassi says. “Now it’s about ‘What’s your path to profitability? What does your margin profile look like and how are you responsibly and sustainably building this brand?’”

That’s always been a better way to build a brand, Rassi says.

“It was just such a quick shift for many founders,” she says. “Now more than ever is a time to connect to experts who have worked in the industry for a long time because the business is cyclical.”

The brunch is scheduled for 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 28, at Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox in Denver. Pre-registration is required and can be completed during registration for Newtopia Now. Space is limited.

Newtopia Now, New Hope Network's new trade show, is set for Aug. 25-28 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. For more information and to register, visit the Newtopia Now website.