BevNET Live Summer 2016

June 14 -15, 2016
New York, NY
BevNET Live is sold out, but more tickets may become available.
This is a past event. Replay all presentations and view upcoming events.

Agenda for BevNET Live Summer 2016

All listed times are subject to change.

 

Please note: All times US Eastern Time

  • 12:00 PM
    -
    12:30 PM

    Beverage School Registration & Networking

    Reserve your spot, space is limited!

  • 12:30 PM
    -
    12:40 PM

    Introduction to Beverage School

    Ray Latif, Managing Editor, BevNET

  • 12:40 PM
    -
    1:10 PM

    The Journey of a Beverage Entrepreneur

    Bill Creelman, Founder, Spindrift

  • 1:10 PM
    -
    1:40 PM

    What your Branding Partner Needs from You

    Fred Hart, Creative Director, Interact

  • 1:40 PM
    -
    2:10 PM

    Best Practices for Working with Distribution Partners as You Grow

    Jerry Reda, Chief Operating Officer, Big Geyser

  • 2:10 PM
    -
    2:30 PM
    Networking Break
  • 2:30 PM
    -
    4:00 PM

    Roundtable Networking Session

    Open Platform for Q&A and discussion with experts in various areas of the beverage industry, including:

    • Justin Prochnow, Partner, Greenberg Traurig LLP (Legal & Regulatory
    • Sean Conner, Chief Progress Officer, BevForce (Staffing & Hiring)
    • Fred Hart, Creative Director, Interact (Package Design)
    • Bill Sipper, Managing Partner, Cascadia Managing Brands (Broker Strategy)
    • Michael Zuckerman, Principal, Zuckerman-Honickman (Packaging & Sourcing)
    • Bob Burke, Founder, Natural Products Consulting (Business Planning)
    • Daniel Lohman, Founder, Category Management Solutions (Natural Channel Strategy)
    • Debbie Wildrick, Chief Strategy Officer, MetaBrand (Product Formulation)
    • Andy Stallone, CEO, SAS Sales & Marketing (Distribution Strategies)
    • John Maggiore, Owner, Maggiore Sales (Conventional Grocery Channel Strategies)

Please note: All times US Eastern Time

  • 7:30 AM
    -
    8:00 AM
    Registration, Breakfast and Networking
  • 8:00 AM
    -
    8:10 AM

    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands : Introduction & Nooma

     Watch Video

  • 8:10 AM
    -
    8:15 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands: Monfefo 

     Watch Video

  • 8:15 AM
    -
    8:20 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands : Loco Coco

     Watch Video

  • 8:20 AM
    -
    8:25 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands : Tickle Water

     Watch Video

  • 8:25 AM
    -
    8:30 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands : Well Well

     Watch Video

  • 8:30 AM
    -
    8:35 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands : Vive Organic

     Watch Video

  • 8:35 AM
    -
    8:40 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands : Bossi

     Watch Video

  • 8:40 AM
    -
    8:45 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands : Salud Refresco

     Watch Video

  • 8:45 AM
    -
    8:50 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands :  Four Pure

     Watch Video

  • 8:55 AM
    -
    9:00 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands : NOA Potions

     Watch Video

  • 9:00 AM
    -
    9:05 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands : Sweet-tauk Lemonade

     Watch Video

  • 9:05 AM
    -
    9:10 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands : LOFT

     Watch Video

  • 9:10 AM
    -
    9:15 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands : Leaf & Love

     Watch Video

  • 9:15 AM
    -
    9:20 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands : Ginjan Brothers

     Watch Video

  • 9:20 AM
    -
    9:30 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Semifinals presented by Venturing & Emerging Brands : Sweet Origins

     Watch Video

  • 9:30 AM
    -
    10:00 AM
    Networking Break
  • 10:00 AM
    -
    10:10 AM
    Welcome Remarks
    John Craven, Founder/CEO, BevNET; Jeff Klineman, Editor-in-Chief, BevNET
  • 10:10 AM
    -
    10:35 AM
    Keys to Founder Success
    • Rohan Oza
      , Co-Founder, CAVU Venture Partners
    • Brett Thomas
      , Co-Founder, CAVU Venture Partners
    • Rohan Oza, Co-Founder, CAVU Venture Partners
    • Brett Thomas, Co-Founder, CAVU Venture Partners

     Watch Video

  • 10:35 AM
    -
    11:00 AM
    Preparing for Accelerated Growth -- While Maintaining Core Values
    • Sheryl O'Loughlin
      , CEO, Rebbl, Inc.
    • Sheryl O'Loughlin, CEO, Rebbl, Inc.

     Watch Video

  • 11:00 AM
    -
    11:30 AM
    The Evolving Challenge Set Facing Beverage Innovators
    • Tom First
      , Managing Partner, First Beverage Group
    • Tom First, Managing Partner, First Beverage Group

     Watch Video

  • 11:30 AM
    -
    11:55 AM
    Consumer Lifestyle Trends and Influencer Adoption
    • Jillian Michaels
      , Health & Wellness Expert,
      Jillian Michaels, Health & Wellness Expert, -

      Jillian Michaels

      Health & Wellness Expert,

      Jillian Michaels is an internationally famous Health and Wellness Expert, TV Personality, and Entrepreneur.

    • Giancarlo Chersich
      , CEO, Lucky Jack Cold Brew
      Giancarlo Chersich, CEO, Lucky Jack Cold Brew -

      Giancarlo Chersich

      CEO, Lucky Jack Cold Brew

      Giancarlo Chersich is the acting CEO of Lucky Jack Coffee and the CEO Empowered Media; he and Jillian Michaels are collaborators in numerous business ventures.

    • Jillian Michaels, Health & Wellness Expert,
    • Giancarlo Chersich, CEO, Lucky Jack Cold Brew

     Watch Video

  • 11:55 AM
    -
    12:00 PM
    New Beverage Showdown Finalists Announced
  • 12:00 PM
    -
    1:00 PM

    Lunch, Sample Bar and Networking

    PLUS --Livestream Lounge "Live" sponsored by Can Manufacturers Institute
    (12:15PM - 1:15PM - First Floor)

    Featuring live interviews with special guests, including:

    • Marcus Antebi, CEO & founder of Juice Press
    • Theo Rossi, Actor / CEO & founder of Ounce Water
    • Irwin Simon, President & CEO of Hain Celestial
    • Cyrus Schwartz, CEO of Dora's Naturals

     Watch Video

  • 1:00 PM
    -
    3:00 PM
    BevNET Live Tabletop Expo - Featuring thirty exhibitors.
  • 3:00 PM
    -
    3:25 PM

    Strategy Panel: Upscaling in Center Store

    • Brian Ross
      , Chief Innovation Officer, Telula Juices
    • Jordan Silbert
      , Founder & CEO, Q Drinks
    • John Maggiore
      , Founder, Maggiore Sales and Marketing
      John Maggiore, Founder, Maggiore Sales and Marketing -

      John Maggiore

      Founder, Maggiore Sales and Marketing

      John has been in the grocery business for over 25 years, he founded Maggiore's Sales & Marketing in 2003, as a consultant and broker to the Natural/Specialty trade, with a primary focus on grocery, dairy and frozen in the Supermarket Channel. Prior to setting out on his own John was the Category Manager of Natural Food for Stop & Shop Supermarkets based in Boston, MA. John pioneered the store with-in-a-store Natural Food departments at Stop & Shop, creating over 150 departments in less than five years. Natural Food sales grew at Stop & Shop from $6 million when John took over responsibility for the department to $67 million when he left. Before John became Category Manager of Natural he had buying responsibilities in numerous categories including Specialty Cheese, Specialty Crackers, Gourmet Coffee, and Specialty Pasta as well as Frozen and Dairy Foods. Currently John is working with some leading manufacturers in the Natural Food channel including Pirate Brands, Justin's, Green Mountain Gringo, Seapoint Farms, R.W. Garcia and Angie's Popcorn, and has worked with other leading companies in the past including Bear Naked Granola, Larabar, Vita Coco and Ian's Natural Foods.

    • Brian Ross, Chief Innovation Officer, Telula Juices
    • Jordan Silbert, Founder & CEO, Q Drinks
    • John Maggiore, Founder, Maggiore Sales and Marketing

     Watch Video

  • 3:25 PM
    -
    3:45 PM
    Scaling Up: Challenges in Business and Law
    • Jesse Lyon
      , Partner & Coordinating Chair, Food & Beverage Practice, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
    • Jesse Lyon, Partner & Coordinating Chair, Food & Beverage Practice, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

     Watch Video

  • 3:45 PM
    -
    4:20 PM
    Brand Evolution/Brand Revolution: Case Studies
    • Greg Fleishman
      , President, Purely Righteous Brands
      Greg Fleishman, President, Purely Righteous Brands -

      Greg Fleishman

      President, Purely Righteous Brands

      Greg has created and grown some of the world's largest and most successful brands during his 20-year career - launching 500+ items across 17 food and beverage categories into 12 countries - focusing primarily on the "natural green Space". Greg is currently president & co-founder of Purely Righteous Brands LLC (PRB), a boutique consultancy dedicated to fostering the growth of "green space" health food & beverage companies. Clients include Tasty Brand, Revolution Foods, Arctic Zero & SUJA Juice - all committed to revolutionizing the spaces they are in. Under PRB, Greg served as Chief Marketing & Strategy for Suja, the #1 cold-pressured fresh juice brand in the US where he led business strategy, marketing, innovation, and retail customer development. There he positioned the portfolio, created & launched 35 new items (including two sub-brands) and built 3 sales channels. Prior to that, he served as CMO of Sambazon, the maker of fresh amazon superfood-based beverages. As CMO, Greg led marketing, strategy, innovation and business development for Coca-Cola's FUZE & Energy portfolio. He also worked for over 14 years as an executive marketer at Kashi/Bear Naked and Kelloggs.

    • Chris Campbell
      , Co-Founder, President and CEO, Chameleon Cold-Brew
      Chris Campbell, Co-Founder, President and CEO, Chameleon Cold-Brew -

      Chris Campbell

      Co-Founder, President and CEO, Chameleon Cold-Brew

      Chris Campbell is Co-Founder, President and CEO of Austin, TX-based Chameleon Cold-Brew, the nation's first fair-trade and 100% organic cold-brew coffee company. Since Chameleon's founding in 2010, Campbell has successfully steered the company through triple digit annual growth and rapid expansion to more than 30 states and 1,400 stores nationwide. Campbell is a former consultant.

    • Sharelle Klaus
      , CEO & Founder, DRY Soda Co.
    • David Lemley
      , Brand Strategist, Design Firm Principal, Retail Voodoo
      David Lemley, Brand Strategist, Design Firm Principal, Retail Voodoo -

      David Lemley

      Brand Strategist, Design Firm Principal, Retail Voodoo

      David Lemley is a man on a mission. For 25 years, he has used his design chops to make his clients successful. He’s passionate about working with brands that want to connect with people in a meaningful way—a deeply personal one. To create tribal cults around brands with raving fans who believe in the same values. And a shared vision of a world made better because they truly want to make a difference in people’s lives. David helps clients find their brand’s outer edges so that they can begin to see what they didn’t think possible. But this isn’t just the stuff of dreams—it’s actionable. David shows how to design a strategy that harnesses ritual, core values and behavior from the inside out to create a unique, exciting culture for employees and brand fans. As Chief Troublemaker at Retail Voodoo, David leads people to think differently about the role of brand strategy, design and brand experience as tools of change. To reach David Lemley: P 206.285.6900 Email david@retail-voodoo.com Website www.Retail-Voodoo.com

    • Greg Fleishman, President, Purely Righteous Brands
    • Chris Campbell, Co-Founder, President and CEO, Chameleon Cold-Brew
    • Sharelle Klaus, CEO & Founder, DRY Soda Co.
    • David Lemley, Brand Strategist, Design Firm Principal, Retail Voodoo

     Watch Video

  • 4:20 PM
    -
    4:35 PM
    Brand Lessons: Leveraging Innovation
    • Todd Carmichael
      , CEO & Co-Founder, La Colombe
      Todd Carmichael, CEO & Co-Founder, La Colombe -

      Todd Carmichael

      CEO & Co-Founder, La Colombe

      Todd Carmichael is the co-founder and CEO of La Colombe Coffee, a premier coffee roaster and retailer. Carmichael has lived and breathed coffee for over three decades. By pressing the limits of taste, service, and most notably, coffee sourcing – visiting the world’s developing countries to responsibly gather the planet’s best coffee – Todd has converted the nation’s culinary elite into La Colombe drinkers. Along the way, he has made his company the country’s leading coffee roaster while managing it philanthropically. Fueled by Todd’s passion to push the U.S. coffee scene forward, La Colombe sits at the forefront of the ethical trade movement and regularly dabbles in new terrain, inventing ground-breaking new brewing devices and beverages, such as the first ever Draft Latte. He is also the host of two Travel Channel series, “Dangerous Grounds” and “Uncommon Grounds.”

    • Todd Carmichael, CEO & Co-Founder, La Colombe

     Watch Video

  • 4:35 PM
    -
    5:00 PM
    Bankable Trends in Beverage
    • Bill Weiland
      , Founder & CEO, Presence Marketing
      Bill Weiland, Founder & CEO, Presence Marketing -

      Bill Weiland

      Founder & CEO, Presence Marketing

      He started working in a natural food store when he was 16 and began reading books on nutrition and healthy living at a fervent pace. Paavo Airola, Norman Walker and Paul Bragg were some of the early natural food enthusiasts who influenced his lifestyle choices, along with the inimitable Dr. John R. Christopher, an early pioneer in herbal medicine. After nearly a dozen years of working in the Natural Products Industry, in varied roles within the sales and retail sectors, he launched Presence Marketing in January, 1990. He is surrounded by a dedicated cast of creative and intelligent people who carry out the mission of bringing healthy products to consumers, with great energy, passion, and resolve. With nearly 35 years of industry experience, he is uniquely qualified to lead Presence Marketing/Dynamic Presence during booming as well as unstable economic times. His passion for sustainable agriculture, healthy foods and integrated medicine are key drivers behind his commitment to continue building Presence Marketing/Dynamic Presence, the only independently owned, national - natural products brokerage in the United States.

    • Bill Weiland, Founder & CEO, Presence Marketing

     Watch Video

  • 6:00 PM
    -
    8:00 PM
    BevNET Live Afterparty Powered by BevForce - Networking, hors d'oeuvres, and open bar at the Sky Room (330 West 40th Street, PH & 34th Floor, New York, NY 10018) 

Please note: All times US Eastern Time

  • 8:00 AM
    -
    9:00 AM
    Breakfast & Registration
  • 9:00 AM
    -
    9:05 AM
    Welcome Remarks
  • 9:05 AM
    -
    9:30 AM
    Identifying and Exploiting Market Opportunities
    • Andrew Henkel
      , VP Brand Growth Solutions, SPINS
    • Andrew Henkel, VP Brand Growth Solutions, SPINS

     Watch Video

  • 9:30 AM
    -
    10:00 AM
    How Impact investing Can Change the Beverage Industry
    • Shen Tong
      , Managing Partner, Food Future
      Shen Tong, Managing Partner, Food Future -

      Shen Tong

      Managing Partner, Food Future

      Shen Tong is a serial entrepreneur, impact investor with 30+ food innovation investments and other media, and high tech investments. He is founder & MP of Food Future. One of Newsweek’s People of the Year in 1989, Shen Tong was an organizer of the democracy movement in 1989 that occupied Tiananmen Square while he was at Beijing University. After his exile to the US, he finished his undergraduate degree at Brandeis University, and went on to study in PhD programs at Boston University and Harvard University. Mr. Shen became an entrepreneur in the 1990s, founding or co-founding, B&B Media, and VFinity among other ventures in the past two decades, serving on boards and advisory boards including Food Tank, Change Food, Poets & Writers. He founded FOOD-X in 2014; also serves as venture partner of SOSV - the accelerator VC, a global multi-stage venture capital fund. Shen is a long time social activist, film buff, avid traveler, foodie, and a writer/poet.

    • Jomaree Pinkard
      , Co-Founder, Hella Co.
      Jomaree Pinkard, Co-Founder, Hella Co. -

      Jomaree Pinkard

      Co-Founder, Hella Co.

      Jomaree is an African-American male entrepreneur who was raised in New York City. His career has been a journey that has taken him from helping develop and implement the Salvation Army's September 11th World Trade Center Disaster Relief Program to providing his consulting company’s services for the National Football League, with BS and MBA degree pit stops at the University of Virginia and The Wharton School of Business at UPenn. Currently, he is co-owner and CEO of craft cocktail company, Hella Co. In 4 years, he and his partners have grown a hobby into a nationally distributed premium quality food manufacturer. While his business acumen serves Hella from a strategic, marketing and financial operations standpoint, he continues to learn about the life of a food entrepreneur as an end-to-end experience in the creation and growth of a premium lifestyle beverage brand.

    • John Houseal
      , CEO and Co-Founder, GIVN Water
      John Houseal, CEO and Co-Founder, GIVN Water -

      John Houseal

      CEO and Co-Founder, GIVN Water

      John Houseal is social entrepreneur and co-founder and CEO of GIVN Goods Inc., makers of GIVN Water – a premium spring water infused with good karma. Every bottle of GIVN Water funds one day of water for a person in need. Following 15 years working as a consultant for the US Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and other international and domestic health organizations, John started GIVN with one goal – to turn everyday purchases into meaningful good. In the 9 months since launching in the Midwest, he and his co-founder Liz Skalla have grown GIVN Water from the ground up to with a planned reach of 1,000 stores by the close of 2016. GIVN Water’s distribution partners include Jewel Osco, KeHE, and Sysco, among others and the brand is available across the Midwest and Southeast. This year, GIVN Water projects consumers will fund over 1,000,000 day of clean water alone.

    • Shen Tong, Managing Partner, Food Future
    • Jomaree Pinkard, Co-Founder, Hella Co.
    • John Houseal, CEO and Co-Founder, GIVN Water

     Watch Video

  • 10:00 AM
    -
    10:30 AM
    Chasing Giants: Strategies for Attacking Category Leaders

     

    • Shauna Martin
      , CEO & Founder, Daily Greens
      Shauna Martin, CEO & Founder, Daily Greens -

      Shauna Martin

      CEO & Founder, Daily Greens

      Shauna Martin obtained her BA from the University of Central Arkansas and her JD from the University of Arkansas School of Law. She has over 18 years of experience as a corporate attorney, and has obtained a variety of awards recognizing her work, which includes technology law, mergers and acquisitions, financing, and corporate matters. In 2005, Shauna was diagnosed with breast cancer. With a young family to care for, she turned to daily green juicing to recover from the trauma of multiple surgeries and the toxic effects of chemotherapy. After discovering its life-restoring power, she made it her mission to get a green juice into the hands of everyone that she can every day, so that all can thrive as she has. Founding Drink Daily Greens LLC in 2012, Shauna now works to accomplish this mission through crafting new and delicious recipes and selling her Daily Greens, which are now sold in retail outlets nationwide. Although Daily Greens is now her full-time gig, Shauna co-founded Grable Martin Fulton PLLC in 2013, otherwise known as the GeneralCounselHub.com, where she continues as a member today. Today, Shauna lives in Austin, Texas, drinking her veggies, with her husband, Kirk, and their 10 year old son, Cooper.

    • Justin Trout
      , Co-Founder & COO, Health-Ade Kombucha
    • Shauna Martin, CEO & Founder, Daily Greens
    • Justin Trout, Co-Founder & COO, Health-Ade Kombucha

     Watch Video

  • 10:30 AM
    -
    11:00 AM
    Networking Break
  • 11:00 AM
    -
    11:45 AM
    New Beverage Showdown Finals - Round I

     Watch Video

  • 11:45 AM
    -
    12:10 PM
    Category Management Checklist for Entrepreneurial Brands 
    • Daniel Lohman
      , Strategic Advisor, Category Management Solutions
      Daniel Lohman, Strategic Advisor, Category Management Solutions -

      Daniel Lohman

      Strategic Advisor, Category Management Solutions

      Daniel is a trusted and respected member of the natural community. With more than 30 years of experience, he serves as an advisor to Circle Up, Naturally Boulder, The Innovation Center of the Rockies, Brick Meets Click Black Belt, BWG Strategy Advisory Board Member, BevNet Expert, and a speaker and trainer for Natural Products EXPO, World Alliance For Retail Excellence And Standards, and ECRM. He is also an internationally published author. While at Kimberly-Clark, Unilever and SPINS, Daniel was responsible for mentoring, growing sales, and teaching category management theory and principles. Daniel assists companies in expanding their retail distribution and improving their merchandising. His company, Category Management Solutions (CMS4CPG), provides innovative ideas, actionable insights and strategic solutions for companies interested in gaining a significant competitive advantage.

    • Daniel Lohman, Strategic Advisor, Category Management Solutions

     Watch Video

  • 12:10 PM
    -
    12:30 PM
    What We Learned From the Sale
    • Mark Rampolla
      , Founder, ZICO; Managing Director, Powerplant Ventures
      Mark Rampolla, Founder, ZICO; Managing Director, Powerplant Ventures -

      Mark Rampolla

      Founder, ZICO; Managing Director, Powerplant Ventures

      Mark Rampolla was the Founder and CEO of ZICO Beverages, launched in 2004. Under Mark's leadership, ZICO experienced nine years of explosive growth and became one of the fastest growing beverage brands in the world. Mark was recognized as BevNET's 2010 Beverage Innovator of the Year and has been featured in major media, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Bloomberg, CNBC and Business Week. In 2013 The Coca Cola Company acquired 100% of ZICO Beverages. Mark continues to consult with The Coca Cola Company on ZICO and is also an angle investor and advisor to early stage companies in the beverage, food, crowd funding and technology industries. Mark started his career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Central America and later operated businesses across Latin America and the Caribbean for International Paper. He graduated from Marquette University and earned an MBA and Masters of Environmental Management from Duke University.

    • Chris Hickey
      , President, ISOPURE
      Chris Hickey, President, ISOPURE -

      Chris Hickey

      President, ISOPURE

      Chris Hickey is President of The Isopure Company - a leading sports nutrition company doing business in over 40 countries. Chris has consistently excelled building brands and businesses in a variety of corporate environments including Procter & Gamble, General Mills, MolsonCoors, Abbott Laboratories, and private equity-backed Athletes' Performance, Inc (now EXOS). Chris was recruited to The Isopure Company in April 2013 to transition and grow the high-performance company from founder leadership and private equity ownership to scale and corporate ownership. In his time at The Isopure Company he has focused on building the Isopure brand via the "We're All More Than Muscle" campaign, driving awareness through media partners like GQ, Men's Health, and Shape, and extending the franchise with category-expanding innovations like Cocotein (the first protein + coconut water beverage) and JAVAPRO (the first protein + coffee beverage). In October 2014, Chris led the $153 million sale of The Isopure Company to Glanbia plc, the Ireland-based global performance nutrition and ingredients company. In his two years of leadership, Isopure has achieved 21% Revenue CAGR and 34% EBITDA CAGR competing primarily in the specialty (GNC, Vitamin Shoppe) and online channels (Amazon, Bodybuilding.com). Chris attended Villanova University where he earned his BS in accounting graduating cum laude. He then went on to obtain his MBA in Business Administration and Management at the University of Virginia - Darden Graduate School of Business Administration where he has a member of the prestigious Raven Society. Chris is a husband and proud father of two beautiful girls, Bridget and Megan. He practices the lifestyle he preaches and is an active individual whose hobbies include working out, kayaking and coaching his girls' basketball teams.

    • Mark Rampolla, Founder, ZICO; Managing Director, Powerplant Ventures
    • Chris Hickey, President, ISOPURE

     Watch Video

  • 12:30 PM
    -
    2:00 PM
    Lunch, Sample Bar and Networking
  • 2:00 PM
    -
    2:40 PM
    New Beverage Showdown Finals - Round II

     Watch Video

  • 2:40 PM
    -
    3:00 PM
    Compass Points: Scoring Revenue in Food Service
    • Renny Wilmer
      , Sr. Director of Consumer Engagement, Compass Group, USA
      Renny Wilmer, Sr. Director of Consumer Engagement, Compass Group, USA -

      Renny Wilmer

      Sr. Director of Consumer Engagement, Compass Group, USA

      Renny Wilmer assumed the role Sr. Director of Consumer Engagement, managing retail initiatives across Compass USA sectors, in October 2015. The Consumer Engagement group develops consumer based beverage programs, merchandising standards, pricing strategies, and consumer insights across the Food Service and Vending businesses. From 2014-2015, Renny was the Director of Beverages for Business Excellence, responsible for developing beverage marketing and merchandising programs. In addition to creating new beverage programming across Compass Group, he also created geographic and demographic based beverage strategies based on market and consumer data.  Renny began his career at Compass with Foodbuy in 2012, where he managed grocery, disposables, and beverage categories. Prior to Compass Group, Renny spent 12 years in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry at Altria, and his responsibilities included roles within Sales, Trade Marketing, Technology, and Distribution. Renny is a graduate of George Mason University, and holds an MBA from Duke University.  He and his wife, Christie, reside in Cincinnati with their twin sons.

    • Renny Wilmer, Sr. Director of Consumer Engagement, Compass Group, USA

     Watch Video

  • 3:00 PM
    -
    3:30 PM

    Panel: Comparing Strategic Agendas

    • Mike Burgmaier
      , Managing Director, Whipstitch Capital
    • Matthew Mitchell
      , VP of Portfolio Strategy and Ventures, The Coca-Cola Co.
      Matthew Mitchell, VP of Portfolio Strategy and Ventures, The Coca-Cola Co. -

      Matthew Mitchell

      VP of Portfolio Strategy and Ventures, The Coca-Cola Co.

      Matthew Mitchell is the Vice President of Ventures and Strategy for Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) in the Coca-Cola North America business unit. Since 2007, he has been responsible for building strategies that help to identify and create the next portfolio of $1 billion brands for the Company. Specifically, he identifies external businesses/brands that are positioned against emerging consumer trends, determines long term value to The Coca-Cola Company from these brands, and designs and implements partnerships that will deliver this value over time. Matthew has worked on investments in Zico Coconut Water, Honest Tea, Suja juice, Bossa Nova, and Core Power/fairlife Farms during his time in VEB. He also represents Coca-Cola’s engagement on the board of LA Libations and the investment committee of First Beverage Ventures. Matthew has been with the Coca-Cola Company for 20 years in various finance, R&D, and strategy roles both in the United States and internationally. Prior to joining the company, he was an investment banker trading foreign exchange options in Tokyo, Japan. He is a graduate of Duke University and the

    • Rajesh Babu
      , Director, Corporate Development & Strategy, WhiteWave Foods
    • Kevin Benmoussa
      , Director of Strategy & Business Development, Nestlé Waters
      Kevin Benmoussa, Director of Strategy & Business Development, Nestlé Waters -

      Kevin Benmoussa

      Director of Strategy & Business Development, Nestlé Waters

      Kevin is Director of Strategy & Business Development at Nestlé Waters North America where he manages Mergers & Acquisitions and is the finance lead for eBusiness, Innovation and Corporate Affairs. He has over 10 years of experience in Corporate Finance and Strategy within the Food & Beverage industry. Kevin started his career at Bears Stearns Investment Banking after which he spent seven years at PepsiCo where he held several roles of increasing responsibilities within the Finance and Strategy functions including strategic planning, M&A and marketing finance. During his career, Kevin worked on numerous partnerships, investment deals and multi-billion dollar acquisitions. He holds a Master’s Degree from Brandeis University and currently resides in New York City with his family.

    • Mike Burgmaier, Managing Director, Whipstitch Capital
    • Matthew Mitchell, VP of Portfolio Strategy and Ventures, The Coca-Cola Co.
    • Rajesh Babu, Director, Corporate Development & Strategy, WhiteWave Foods
    • Kevin Benmoussa, Director of Strategy & Business Development, Nestlé Waters

     Watch Video

  • 3:30 PM
    -
    4:00 PM
    New Product Showdown: Winners and Wrapup

     Watch Video