Beverage School Registration & Networking

Introduction

• Ray Latif

  , Managing Editor, BevNET

  

  Ray Latif

  Managing Editor, BevNET

  Ray has been with BevNET since March, 2011. As managing editor, Ray oversees content production on BevNET.com and in BevNET Magazine.

• Ray Latif, Managing Editor, BevNET

Interview with the Entrepreneur: The Day-to-Day of the Beverage Business

• Max Baumann

  , Founder & CEO, BEAR BRANDS, LLC

• Max Baumann, Founder & CEO, BEAR BRANDS, LLC

Building a Winning Package Design

• Kelly Mudge Criswell

  , VP Creative & Client Services, Gammon Ragonesi Associates

  

  Kelly Mudge Criswell

  VP Creative & Client Services, Gammon Ragonesi Associates

  Kelly Criswell is a visionary and creative leader, shepherding Gammon Ragonesi Associates as the VP Creative and Client Services based in the Los Angeles office. With a fierce love of beverage branding and a 16+ year career in CPG brand development and packaging design, Kelly will relentlessly push brands to the next level for success on shelf. Over her career she has worked with such notable brands as Dunkin’ Donuts, Nestlé, Premier Nutrition, Diageo, and Red Bull. Her latest modus operandi is harnessing her extensive experience in CPG to help entrepreneurs and start-ups launch their brands. Her current passion project is Kabaki Kenyan Purple Tea- she has teamed up with the founder Martin and helped him position, brand, package, and develop go-to-market strategy for a 2018 launch. When she’s not obsessively taking photos in grocery stores (say hi if you see her!) she’s painting or hiking with her two kids.

• Kelly Mudge Criswell, VP Creative & Client Services, Gammon Ragonesi Associates

Operations & Co-Packing

• Craig Fortin

  , COO, MetaBrand

• Craig Fortin, COO, MetaBrand

Networking Break

Building Your Brand Through E-Commerce

• Betsy McGinn

  , Founder, McGinn eCommConsulting

  

  Betsy McGinn

  Founder, McGinn eCommConsulting

  McGinn eCommConsulting provides expertise in eCommerce strategy for CPG companies ranging from launch stage to $3 billion in sales. With over 11 years of experience with Amazon.com and other strategic eCommerce partners, Betsy works with clients on launch and business optimization strategy, product and pack develop, problem resolution and ongoing management of their eCommerce business. With eight years of eCommerce leadership at Seventh Generation, Betsy provides a unique perspective through the brand lens to guide clients in this complex channel. Additional multi- channel experience in both the US and Canada enhances the development of eCommerce strategy that balances the interests of all sales channels in order to manage channel conflict.

• Betsy McGinn, Founder, McGinn eCommConsulting

Sales Strategy and Trade Spend

• Bob Burke

  , Founder, Natural Products Consulting Group

  

  Bob Burke

  Founder, Natural Products Consulting Group

  As a consultant since 1998, Bob Burke provides assistance in bringing natural, organic and specialty products to market across most classes of trade. This includes work in strategic planning, growth strategies, writing sales, marketing and business plans, budgeting, pricing, building distribution, broker selection and management, organizational development, strategic options, branding and trade spending management. He is also the co-author and co-publisher of the Natural Products Field Manual, Fourth Edition and The Sales Manager's Handbook. Prior to consulting, Bob was with Stonyfield Farm Yogurt for 11 years as Vice President, Sales & Corporate Development and Vice President, Marketing & Sales. He has held marketing positions with Colombo, Inc. and Sperry Top-Sider. He received an MBA from Babson College.

• Bob Burke, Founder, Natural Products Consulting Group

Beverage Company Funding Stages

• Brad Barnhorn

  , Board Member, KeVita, Chameleon Cold Brew

  

  Brad Barnhorn

  Board Member, KeVita, Chameleon Cold Brew

  Brad works closely with leading growth-stage food and beverage companies as a board member and strategic advisor. His work leverages 25 years of company-building experience as entrepreneur, CEO, board member and investor, cutting across all strategic and operational dimensions of successful company-building in the food and beverage space. He currently serves on the Board of Fishpeople, Health Warrior, Simple Mills, Zola, Rhythm Superfoods, Biena, Red’s All Natural, and Rib Rack. He previously served on the Board of Krave Jerky, Kevita and Chameleon Cold Brew from these companies early stages through their respective exits as category defining brands to Hershey’s, Pepsi and Nestle. Mr. Barnhorn’s food and beverage journey began as Founder/CEO of the Fantasia Fresh Juice Company which he built into the leading super premium fresh juice/smoothie company in the Midwestern United States from 1998-2000 culminating in a merger with Naked Juice to form the leading national brand in the category which was subsequently acquired by Pepsi. He holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, loves golden retrievers and lives in northern California when he’s not following U2 on tour around the world.

• Brad Barnhorn, Board Member, KeVita, Chameleon Cold Brew

Elements of a Winning Beverage Brand

• Eric Skae

  , CEO, Rao's Specialty Foods

  

  Eric Skae

  CEO, Rao's Specialty Foods

  Eric Skae, the CEO of Rao’s Specialty Foods, is a natural leader with a passion for propelling organizations to success, a trait which has been the hallmark of his career. Before joining Rao’s Specialty Foods, Eric was the founder and Managing Partner of The Bricktown Group, a change management consulting firm providing Strategy, Finance, Sales & Marketing, and Operations consulting support to clients in the food, beverage and nutraceutical fields. Eric has a strong track record of success in meeting price, production, and quality targets while maintaining market share. With a deep understanding of financial modeling and extensive experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, Eric’s entrepreneurial mindset and hands-on approach enables him to quickly pinpoint and address financial and market vulnerabilities and opportunities. He continues to identify and capitalize on funding options that satisfy the specific needs of any project, product, or operational issue.

• Eric Skae, CEO, Rao's Specialty Foods

Networking and Expert Tables

• Mike Schneider

  , CMO, BevNET.com

  

  Mike Schneider

  CMO, BevNET.com

  Mike Schneider is a seasoned executive who lives at the collision of brand, experience and product. He has deep roots in branding, mobile, content and events. Prior to BevNET, Schneider lead major rebranding efforts for Skyhook and GasBuddy and was the CMO of Apptopia. He also spent over 8 years in big Boston ad agencies Hill, Holliday and allen and gerritsen leading content, digital innovation and analytics teams. A long-time blogger and thought-leader, Schneider got his start drinking and evaluating craft beer and co-wrote Location Based Marketing for Dummies.

• Adam Dorfman

  , Account Manager, Zuckerman Honickman
• Sean Conner

  , Chief Progress Officer, ForceBrands

• Mike Schneider, CMO, BevNET.com
• Adam Dorfman, Account Manager, Zuckerman Honickman
• Sean Conner, Chief Progress Officer, ForceBrands

Breakfast & Registration

Data Dive: Beverage Trends for the Next Five Years

• Howard Telford

  , Head of Soft Drinks Research, Euromonitor International

  

  Howard Telford

  Head of Soft Drinks Research, Euromonitor International

  Howard Telford is the Head of Soft Drinks Research at Euromonitor International, a world leader in strategic research solutions and business intelligence. He has been with since 2010. In his role at Euromonitor, he provides insights on consumer trends and market performance in the drinks industry across 100 markets. Howard’s insights are regularly cited in a variety of national programs and publications including CNBC News, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Fortune magazine. For more insight on Euromonitor International, visit http://www.euromonitor.com/.

• Howard Telford, Head of Soft Drinks Research, Euromonitor International

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Free and Clear: Avoiding the Traps That Kill Deals in CPG

• Nick Giannuzzi

  , Managing Partner, The Giannuzzi Group, LLP

  

  Nick Giannuzzi

  Managing Partner, The Giannuzzi Group, LLP

  From Harvard University to New York University School of Law to a chic business residence in the Meatpacking District of NYC, Nicholas Giannuzzi is a partner and founder of The Giannuzzi Group, LLP. Started in 2011, the “Giannuzzi Group” has since become the leading law firm for nearly 500 high-growth consumer brand companies in the natural, better for you food and beverage industry. Among the firm's many clients – both present and historic – are some of the industry’s most successful and fastest growing companies such as Glaceau (creator of VitaminWater and SmartWater), Pirate’s Booty, Pretzel Crisps, Vita Coco, Siggi’s, WTRMLN WTR, Mamma Chia, Sir Kensington’s, Hint, Califia Farms, Krave, HappyBaby, Chameleon Cold Brew, Essentia, Rhythm Superfoods, Peeled, Runa, Oatmega, Sugarfina, Juice Press and many more. In addition to day-to-day legal services, advice and guidance the Giannuzzi Group has assisted its clients in over 500 financing transaction and in nearly 50 exits to strategics and PE funds, including but not limited to sales to Coke, Pepsi, General Mills, Group Danone, Hersheys, Hain Celestial, Amplify, Bacardi, White Wave and many other multi-national companies and some of the largest PE funds. In the last year, the firm has overseen the sale of KRAVE Jerky to The Hershey Company, the partial sale of Suja Juice to The Coca-Cola Company, the acquisition of Wallaby Yogurt by WhiteWave Foods, the sale of YummyEarth to the Riverside Company and the firm is currently working on multiple sales transactions in the 100s of millions of dollars for its other food and beverage clients. The Giannuzzi Group has an un-paralleled understanding of the industry and works tirelessly to serve its clients and to create positive relationships with all of the investors, co-packers, distributors, brokers, acquirers, service providers and difference makers throughout the industry so that we can shares these relationships with our clients.

• Nick Giannuzzi, Managing Partner, The Giannuzzi Group, LLP

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Entrepreneurs and Experience: Ways to Incorporate Innovation

• Tim Brown

  , President & Chief Operating Officer, Chobani

  

  Tim Brown

  President & Chief Operating Officer, Chobani

  As President & Chief Operating Officer of Chobani, LLC, Tim oversees the full sprectrum of the business for America’s No.1-selling Greek Yogurt company, including the sales, marketing, legal and finance teams. Prior to Chobani, he served as Chairman, President and CEO of Nestle Waters North America Inc (NWNA) where he was responsible for the third-largest nonalcoholic beverage company in the U.S. Under Tim’s leadership, the company boasted an unrivaled portfolio of popular, quality refreshment brands with an emphasis on water as healthy hydration, with $4.3 billion in annual net sales, 8,500 employees, 29 plants and operations in more than 140 communities. After beginning his career at Procter and Gamble, Tim joined NWNA in 1988, known in its early stages as The Perrier Group of America. He spent nearly 30 years with Nestlé and was instrumental in transitioning bottled water from a niche product to the number one beverage in America. Tim serves on the boards of the Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER), the Business Council of Fairfield County, the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI). He is a former board member of Toronto’s nonprofit Harbourfront Corporation, the Food and Consumer Products Canada & Grocery Foundation, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Stamford and the ABA.

• Tim Brown, President & Chief Operating Officer, Chobani

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Networking Break & Livestream Studio

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New Beverage Showdown Finals, Presentation Set 1

• Jim Murphy

  , Vice President, Strategy and Venturing, VEB Coca-Cola

  

  Jim Murphy

  Vice President, Strategy and Venturing, VEB Coca-Cola

  Jim is a 22-year veteran of The Coca-Cola Company -- having spent 18 of those years within Mergers and Acquisitions. Most recently, Jim has been responsible for M&A activity in the European Union – including the relationship development, minority stakes, and eventual full acquisition of Innocent, as well leading the Coca-Cola European Partners bottling deal. He was also part of the initial creation of Coca-Cola Bottlers Africa and part of the Monster transactions. He has closed more than $30-billion in transaction value around the world. Jim serves on the Board of Directors of Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company, which is headquartered in Barcelona and covers 11 West African markets. He holds an undergraduate degree from Georgia State University and an MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.

• Gigi Lee Chang

  , Managing Partner, BFY Capital

  

  Gigi Lee Chang

  Managing Partner, BFY Capital

  Gigi Lee Chang is a Managing Partner at BFY Capital, a privately owned financing company focused on providing highly structured term debt to “better for you” consumer brands in the food, beverage and beauty sectors to support growth activities with minimal dilution. Prior to joining BFY, she was the Managing Director of FoodFutureCo, an accelerator helping mission driven entrepreneurs working across the food space. Gigi is the Founder of Plum Organics and was also the CEO of the national children's environmental health non-profit Healthy Child Healthy World. Named one of the top women leaders in the "future of food" by Forbes in 2017 and a top dealmaker and influencer in consumer food and beverage by CircleUp in Dec 2016, Gigi is a frequent speaker on social enterprise, sustainability, impact investing and entrepreneurship. Recent speaking engagements include Nutrition Capital Network, SXSW, FoodVision, FoodTank Summit, EscaBona, and FounderMade. She is an advisor and mentor to numerous early stage companies and currently serves on the Friends Board of Good+ Foundation and the Advisory Boards of the Good Food Initiative of Arabella Advisors and the B Corp Force for Good Fund.

• John Craven

  , CEO & Founder, BevNET

  

  John Craven

  CEO & Founder, BevNET

  As founder and CEO of BevNET, John Craven is a widely-recognized authority on the beverage industry and he is frequently cited in mainstream media. His vision shapes the editorial, publishing, and positioning of all of BevNET's properties, including BevNET.com, BevNET Magazine, Brewbound.com, BevNET FBU and their associated conferences. John is a graduate of Boston College with a BS in Marketing and Computer Science.

• Paula Grant

  , Founder/CEO, Flood Creative

  

  Paula Grant

  Founder/CEO, Flood Creative

  Founder, CEO of Flood Creative, an award winning branding agency Located in Irvington, NY. Paula's story and Flood's story are one in the same. After designing for more traditional agencies in London and New York in her early career, Paula was given the amazing opportunity to help build a brand from scratch as a co-founder and investor. She left her design job and co-founded a beverage company in 2001. After 5 years of hard work and lots of lessons in brand building, the brands, Fuze and NOS energy sold to Coca-Cola. The experience changed her view of what design can accomplish and more importantly, gave her an empathy and insight for marketing that no other agency role could provide. Flood has grown a lot over the years and the team continues to use the fundamental learnings from this experience to effect both new and established brands. In addition to the continued effort of innovating and building brands...most recently, BodyArmor Sports Drink and Core Hydration, Paula enjoys sharing her expertise by speaking and contributing to the branding community. She is also on the executive board of AIGA Brand Central and visits Parson's and other campuses in NY to share her insights.

• Jim Murphy, Vice President, Strategy and Venturing, VEB Coca-Cola
• Gigi Lee Chang, Managing Partner, BFY Capital
• John Craven, CEO & Founder, BevNET
• Paula Grant, Founder/CEO, Flood Creative

New Beverage Showdown Finals: Sip City

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New Beverage Showdown Finals: Element Shrub

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New Beverage Showdown Finals: Nitro Beverage Co.

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Extensions, Adjustments, Platforms, and Where Your Brand Can Go

• Jody Levy

  , CEO, WTRMLN WTR

  

  Jody Levy

  CEO, WTRMLN WTR

  Jody Levy is the Co-founder and CEO of World Waters | WTRMLN WTR a company and brand committed to redefining how and what we drink to nourish our bodies and sustain our ecosystem. World Waters first product WTRMLN WTR (watermelon water) was created out of a solve for the hundreds of millions of pounds of unused watermelons in the United States. These waste melons are either ugly, misshapen, sunburned but otherwise perfect to press nutrient-dense, hydrating WTRMLN WTR. WTRMLN WTR is a hot pink juicy drink that is packed with electrolytes, vitamins, lycopene, anti-oxidants, magnesium, iron, L-Cittruline and more. WTRMLN WTR consists of nothing but raw watermelon and a drop of organic lemon juice. No added water, and no added sugar. WTRMLN WTR is cold-pressed and never heated with no additives, no preservatives, absolutely nothing artificial! The mission of World Waters and WTRMLN WTR is to educate people about why clean healthy eating is so important for the health and sustainability of our communities. Jody Levy is also a director and executive producer and has been in the world of experience design since 2001. Jody has been creating unique events, interactive environments, brands, products, and multi-sensory installations that connect people in engaging ways. Her professional focus is all about the integration of art and technology. Jody is a creative director and executive producer and her work includes the design and production of live theatrical events, touring stages, hospitality environments, interactive installations, immersive brand activations, and non-traditional marketing and social campaigns. Clients include American Idol, Chrysler, The Coachella Music Festival, Ford Motor Company, Heineken, Hewlett Packard, Lexus, MAC Cosmetics, Mos Def, Museum Of Modern Art, The Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Palm, Paramount Pictures, Project Runway, San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art, Scion, Shades Optical, Toyota, W Hotels and many other international brands. Jody is an entrepreneur, artist, designer, director, producer, educator and writer from the Detroit area who lives in New York City.

• Jordan Silbert

  , Founder & CEO, Q Drinks
• Brad Barnhorn

  , Board Member, KeVita, Chameleon Cold Brew

  

  Brad Barnhorn

  Board Member, KeVita, Chameleon Cold Brew

  Brad works closely with leading growth-stage food and beverage companies as a board member and strategic advisor. His work leverages 25 years of company-building experience as entrepreneur, CEO, board member and investor, cutting across all strategic and operational dimensions of successful company-building in the food and beverage space. He currently serves on the Board of Fishpeople, Health Warrior, Simple Mills, Zola, Rhythm Superfoods, Biena, Red’s All Natural, and Rib Rack. He previously served on the Board of Krave Jerky, Kevita and Chameleon Cold Brew from these companies early stages through their respective exits as category defining brands to Hershey’s, Pepsi and Nestle. Mr. Barnhorn’s food and beverage journey began as Founder/CEO of the Fantasia Fresh Juice Company which he built into the leading super premium fresh juice/smoothie company in the Midwestern United States from 1998-2000 culminating in a merger with Naked Juice to form the leading national brand in the category which was subsequently acquired by Pepsi. He holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, loves golden retrievers and lives in northern California when he’s not following U2 on tour around the world.

• Jody Levy, CEO, WTRMLN WTR
• Jordan Silbert, Founder & CEO, Q Drinks
• Brad Barnhorn, Board Member, KeVita, Chameleon Cold Brew

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Funded! How Investment Affects Emerging Categories

• Jamie Danek

  , Founder & CEO, Humm Kombucha

  

  Jamie Danek

  Founder & CEO, Humm Kombucha

  Jamie leads Humm with endless energy, abundant optimism and a big heart; traits that have enabled her to find success at numerous startups during a career spanning more than 20 years. Previous to starting Humm she founded and served as CEO of the consulting firm JLD Enterprises before pivoting to create EON Organics, a natural products company with distribution throughout the East Coast. Using the skills and knowledge gleaned from these successes, Jamie built Humm from the ground up and is now focused on defining strategy and leading the overall execution of Humm’s rapid expansion. Her passion for healthy should taste great is rivaled only by her desire to spread joy throughout the world. As a founding board member of Kombucha Brewers International, she is a national leader driving positive advocacy for the kombucha sector. Jamie holds a B.S. in international marketing from Temple University. She is an avid traveler and spends as much time as possible outside, usually on her mountain bike.

• Daina Trout

  , Co-Founder & CEO, Health-Ade Kombucha

  

  Daina Trout

  Co-Founder & CEO, Health-Ade Kombucha

  Daina Trout co-founded Health-Ade Kombucha in 2012 alongside her husband, Justin Trout, and best friend, Vanessa Dew, in Los Angeles. Daina, who has Masters’ degrees in Nutrition and in Public Health from Tufts University, was working in corporate America when she decided to pursue her passion for “real” food and develop the best-tasting, highest quality kombucha on the market. Under her fearless leadership, Health-Ade has grown from a small production, artisanal item made in Daina’s tiny apartment and sold at local farmer’s markets into the fastest growing brand in the category that is now available in more than 12,000 stores and restaurants nationwide.

• Sean Lovett

  , Founder & CEO, Revive Kombucha

  

  Sean Lovett

  Founder & CEO, Revive Kombucha

  Sean Lovett is the Founder and CEO of Revive Kombucha, a kombucha brewery based in Petaluma, CA, where he lives with his wife, Rebekah, and their two daughters. Originally from Chicago, where Sean honed his entrepreneurial skills, he moved to Sonoma County in 2009 to explore Northern California’s rich winemaking and brewing resources. A serious soda habit drove him to seek a healthy alternative in kombucha, with the expressed goal of making something as refreshing and drinkable as his favorite soft drink. Eight years later, his efforts have grown into Revive, an employee-owned company with a line of top-selling, locally produced, organic and healthy kombuchas that are distributed nationwide. A committed environmentalist, Sean has experimented with the possibilities of environmentally conscious production and business practices, including the use of biofuels, an award-winning bottle exchange program and water conservation efforts that drastically reduce the water usage in his brewery.

• Jamie Danek, Founder & CEO, Humm Kombucha
• Daina Trout, Co-Founder & CEO, Health-Ade Kombucha
• Sean Lovett, Founder & CEO, Revive Kombucha

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Strategic Profile: Nestle's Approach to Beverage

• John Carmichael

  , President, Nestlé Beverage Division

  

  John Carmichael

  President, Nestlé Beverage Division

  As President of the Beverage Division for Nestlé USA, John leads a portfolio of some of the nation’s best-known beverage brands comprising $2.5 billion in combined annual sales, including Nescafé® Taster’s Choice®; Nescafé® Clasico™, COFFEE-MATE ®; COFFEE-MATE natural bliss ®, and Nesquik®. Under John’s leadership the division has reinvigorated its base brands to meet the needs of consumers’ changing tastes and preferences, successfully expanding into natural and plant-based territories. John has also led the expansion of the division’s coffee portfolio through recent investments in high-potential brands like Chameleon Cold-Brew and Blue Bottle Coffee, both leading providers of premium-crafted coffee. Most recently, Nestlé reached an agreement granting it the rights to market Starbucks consumer and foodservice products globally, outside of the company’s coffee shops. John will lead the commercial collaboration with the new team’s leadership to define the roadmap for the future of Nestlé’s U.S. beverage portfolio. Since he joined Nestlé in 1995, John has held multiple positions both in the U.S. and globally. Prior to his current role, he was President of Nestlé’s Pizza & Snacking Division. Under his leadership, the Pizza Division achieved market share gains while expanding margins and innovating into new territories. John’s innovative management style, for instance, enabled the company to develop internal incubator-brands, including Outsiders Pizza. John holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and an MBA from The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

• John Carmichael, President, Nestlé Beverage Division

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Lunch Break & Livestream Studio

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New Beverage Showdown Finals, Presentation Set 2

New Beverage Showdown Finals: Cusa Tea

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New Beverage Showdown Finals: Peloton

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New Beverage Showdown Finals: Simply Soupreme

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CSDs, THC, and CBD: Rewards, Risks and Challenges

• Lauren Rudick

  , Partner, Hiller, PC
• Erik Knutson

  , President, American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp

  

  Erik Knutson

  President, American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp

  Starting in 2010, Mr. Knutson began working with a number of licensed medical marijuana organizations to establish compliant operating procedures. Since that time he has helped shape industry standards surrounding super-critical CO2 extraction techniques and oral liquid medical marijuana delivery systems. Since August 2014, Mr. Knutson has served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of CanCore Concepts, Inc. In 2013, Mr. Knutson also co-founded Denver Packaging Company (“DPAC”), a licensed Colorado Medical and Adult-Retail Cannabis Manufacturing company. Additionally, he is a co-founder, Board Member and President of the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp (“ATACH”). In 2012, Kelly and Erik Knutson (brothers) founded Isolate Extraction Systems, Inc. (IES). Since then IES has sold over 50 commercial extraction machines into the regulated Cannabis space. Many of these machines went to start-up businesses in burgeoning medical marijuana states. Together, IES and CCC have assisted dozens of companies in Canada, Puerto Rico, California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Colorado and New York with processing/ extraction operations. Mr. Knutson received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the University of Colorado in 2009.

• Lauren Rudick, Partner, Hiller, PC
• Erik Knutson, President, American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp

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PepsiCo’s View on Venturing

• Daniel Grubbs

  , Managing Director, PepsiCo Ventures Group

  

  Daniel Grubbs

  Managing Director, PepsiCo Ventures Group

  Daniel leads the PepsiCo Ventures Group with the aim of identifying, securing, and nurturing PepsiCo's partnerships with emerging Food & Beverage companies. The Ventures Group mission is to champion the founders vision while also supporting PepsiCo’s transformation and long term market position. Previously, Daniel helped lead PepsiCo’s Premium Beverage/Emerging Brands division, encompassing Naked Juice, IZZE, O.N.E. Coconut Water, and KeVita. During his tenure Naked Juice became a $1B retail business for PepsiCo, while KeVita was successfully integrated into the PepsiCo family after a period of investment. Before PepsiCo, Daniel held a number of key roles with IRI, including co-leading the Strategy Growth Consulting practice with a focus on Corporate Portfolio Strategy and M&A Due Diligence. Daniel holds an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California.

• Daniel Grubbs, Managing Director, PepsiCo Ventures Group

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New Beverage Showdown Winner Announcement & Closing Remarks

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