The Leading Beverage Industry Event Returns to Santa Monica on Dec. 5+6
For more than a decade, the CPG industry has turned to BevNET Live to discover the latest trends and network with the beverage community. Our signature two-day event for the beverage industry brings together thought leaders, trailblazers, and the next generation of brand founders to help beverage industry professionals thrive.
On December 5th and 6th, the beverage industry will gather in-person at the Santa Monica Beach Hotel to learn and take action.
Winter 2022 Speakers
Brand founders and CEOs will be at the event to learn about the latest trends in the industry and connect with experts like service providers, investors, suppliers, distributors, and retail buyers. Bring your toughest questions and walk away with the answers you need to move your business forward. Expect high-profile speakers, informative panel discussions, networking opportunities, sampling, pitch competitions, Beverage School for startups, happy hours, and more.
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Gwyneth Paltrow
Founder & CEO, goop
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John Fieldly
CEO, Celsius
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Sharelle Klaus
CEO, Dry Soda
Sharelle Klaus
CEO, Dry Soda
As the visionary behind DRY, Sharelle Klaus has always had a passion for the culinary world and celebrating each part of a meal – including the beverages. After having four children and not being able to enjoy wine or cocktails with her meals, Klaus recognized the need for a refreshing, elevated, non-alcoholic option in the market that was worthy of pairing with a great meal. In 2005, Klaus crafted the first batches of DRY Soda in her home kitchen and officially launched DRY. For the last 17 years, Klaus has made it her mission to establish a culture of social drinking for everyone. Klaus brings nearly three decades of entrepreneurial, financial, and technology industry experience to her role as CEO at DRY. As an advocate for advancing the sober curious movement, she also spearheaded DRY’s investment stake in Austin-based sober bar, Sans Bar, and co-authored a, “The Guide to Zero-Proof Cocktails,” in November 2020. Prior to founding DRY, Klaus worked as a consultant for Infrastructure Management Group and Price Waterhouse. She also served as president of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, where she drove strategic development of programs, events and fundraising for the organization’s 250+ Seattle-area members. Klaus has been featured in numerous publications including Huffpost, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Bon Appetit, and Imbibe, as well as has spoken at various beverage industry events, including BevNET Live and Lo and No Beverage Summit. She was also honored by Seattle Business Magazine as one of its 2018 CEOs of the year. Sharelle is a mother of four and currently lives and works from the road in a converted SUV camper.
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Sandro Roco
Founder & CEO, Sanzo
Sandro Roco
Founder & CEO, Sanzo
Sandro Roco is a Queens-born, Filipino-American and the founder of Sanzo – the first Asian-inspired sparkling water born to deliver beverages that bridge the gap between beloved Asian flavors (that represent over 60% of the world’s population) and clean, modern labels. After graduating from Villanova University and working at a nuclear power plant engineer for three years, Sandro moved to New York City to work on the trading floor of J.P. Morgan. The seeds of Sanzo were planted a few years later when Sandro was twenty-nine and as head of growth for a men’s styling tech startup, was looking for a new challenge with a bigger mission behind it. In 2019, the first Sanzo lychee cans rolled off the production line in Brooklyn and Sandro hand-delivered every single one of the initial three-thousand cans himself. Since launch, the company has boasted 5x YoY growth, a >30% RPR, and has gained distribution in 3,500+ strategic retailers including from Whole Foods Market to Safeway to Panda Express.
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Fawn Weaver
CEO & Founder, Uncle Nearest
Fawn Weaver
CEO & Founder, Uncle Nearest
Fawn Weaver has been a serial entrepreneur for more than 25 years. As the CEO and founder of Grant Sidney, Inc., a privately held investment company, Weaver is often active in her investments, overseeing strategy from behind the scenes. She is also the CEO of Uncle Nearest, Inc. which she founded in 2016 and has become the fastest-growing American whiskey brand in U.S. history and the most awarded Bourbon of 2019, 2020 and 2021. Weaver is the founder of the Nearest Green Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering full scholarships to every descendant of Nearest Green, the world’s first known African-American master distiller. In 2021, Weaver created the Uncle Nearest Venture Fund, to invest in minority founded, owned and led brands with the greatest potential to grow into legacy brands. Weaver is a popular TED speaker, as well as a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author who has appeared on 100s of popular radio, morning and television talk shows, including NPR, FOX Business, the TODAY Show, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, CNBC, Bloomberg, Fast Company, Washington Post and The New York Times. She is a regular contributor to Inc. Magazine and her revealing How I Built This segment with Guy Raz on NPR had the internet abuzz for weeks. She is certified as a Corporate Director by Harvard Business School and in March 2021, was named to the Endeavor Group Holdings (NYSE: EDR) board of directors, alongside Elon Musk, where she also serves on its audit committee.
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Dan Lourenco
CEO and Co-Founder, GHOST
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Quentin Vennie
Co-Founder & CEO, Equitea
Quentin Vennie
Co-Founder & CEO, Equitea
Co-Founder & CEO of The Equitea Co., Quentin Vennie is a celebrated wellness expert, international keynote speaker, advocate for mental health and author of the bestselling memoir, Strong In The Broken Places. Quentin has been recognized as one of Black Enterprise magazine’s 100 Modern Men of Distinction and by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, for his work in mental health and addiction recovery. He also appeared as the wellness keynote speaker for Colin Kaepernick’s “Know My Rights” Camp in Quentin’s hometown of Baltimore, MD. Quentin serves on the advisory board for the Partnering for Student Wellness program, a mental health research study conducted by The University of Maryland and the University of South Carolina and has also served on the advisory council for Lineage Project, a non-profit that teaches trauma-informed mindfulness practices to youth in New York City. Through his work with Equitea, Quentin is bringing his years of experience in wellness and mental health to the beverage industry, intersecting his love and passion for tea with his desire to increase equity in wellness and destigmatize mental health, one sip at a time.
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Heather Howitt
CEO, Thaiwala
Heather Howitt
CEO, Thaiwala
Heather would go to any length for a great business idea, in some cases, even as far as the Himalayas. Heather discovered Chai while trekking in India and brewed the first batch of Oregon Chai in her kitchen in 1994. The company grew to 35 people and was distributed in all 50 states, Canada and Europe, growing to over $32 million in sales. Within 10 years, the company sold for $75 million. Heather has been featured in numerous national business publications, including Forbes and Inc. Oregon Chai was consistently featured as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States, capturing over 80 percent of the Chai category and topping the list as the fastest growing company in the tea category. For her next business idea, Heather’s travels took her to Thailand, where she found the most pristine tea farm where she learned the mysterious Thai art of tea brewing; decoding the secrets behind pandan leaf; tracking down impeccable sources for ingredients. Since introducing Thaiwala in 2019, Thaiwala is now a national brand in over 5000 retailers. As a serial entrepreneur, Heather is well-established in the tea concentrate category and has years of experience managing and growing teams into successful businesses. She has strong knowledge from research and development, brewing, and co packing to the supply chain, distributors and retailers. Awards 2003: Outstanding Women Entrepreneurial Award by U.S. Small Business Administration, the office of Entrepreneur Development.
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Jason Shiver
CEO, Waterloo Sparkling Water
Jason Shiver
CEO, Waterloo Sparkling Water
Jason Shiver has served as CEO of Waterloo Sparkling Water since August 2017, leading the brand to exceptional year-over-year growth, national distribution with strong retailer relationships, and category leadership in flavor innovation. Prior to Waterloo, Jason was President of North America for Amplify Snack Brands, the better-for-you snacking company that includes SkinnyPop. As Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing there, he was instrumental in helping to take the company public in August 2015 and won awards from both Nielsen and IRI for SkinnyPop’s performance. From 2008 to 2013, Jason served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Glutino USA, a gluten free snack food company, which was acquired by Boulder Brands, Inc, a diversified food company. And, prior to Glutino, Jason held several roles at Atkins Nutritionals Inc, the leader in low carb food and beverages, including Vice President of Sales. From September 2001 to May 2003, Jason was a Southeast Regional Sales Manager at Acirca, Inc, an organic foods and beverages company. From August 2000 to September 2001, Jason was a National Account Manager at AriZona Beverages USA LLC. Jason holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from University of South Florida. He was also a proud recipient of the Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) “Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Central Texas Award,” in Waterloo’s hometown. Nominees were evaluated based on six criteria, including overcoming adversity; financial performance; societal impact and commitment to building a values-based company; innovation; and talent management.
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Jesslyn Rollins
CEO, Biolyte
Jesslyn Rollins
CEO, Biolyte
In 2016, Jesslyn Rollins was approached by her father, Atlanta-based anesthesiologist Dr. Trey Rollins about his new product BIOLYTE, that was supposed to simulate an IV but in drinkable form. It was created as a remedy for his wife and Jesslyn’s mom, Jeannine, who was battling breast cancer at the time and suffering from severe dehydration from the chemo treatments. Insistent on discovering for herself if this product really worked, Jesslyn immediately jumped into sales mode and – with a background in theatre and performing arts – started collecting data from her own experiences and moved onto high school athletic departments and college fraternities via a cooler of the liquid supplement from the back of her car! Throughout this time, she single-handedly sold, packaged, shipped and even delivered BIOLYTE personally to anyone who purchased, before landing her first big account: Kroger. Since the brand’s inception, she has held every position in the company from director of sales, chief sales and marketing officer to now, CEO (at age 30), managing the sales, marketing, operations, finance and production teams. BIOLYTE is now a multi-million-dollar company, and was just named to the Inc. 5000: earning the 605th spot on the list of America’s fastest-growing private companies. Each bottle mimics an IV bag – offering 6.5 times the electrolytes as leading sports drinks, and 1/3 of the sugar: an efficient, effective remedy to dehydration and associated symptoms, like nausea, headaches, body aches and the overall feeling of being rundown.
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Janica Lane
Managing Director, Piper Sandler
Janica Lane
Managing Director, Piper Sandler
Janica Lane is co-head of the consumer group at Piper Sandler and leads food, beverage, and nutritional supplement investment banking. Prior to joining Piper Sandler, Lane was a partner at Partnership Capital Growth, a boutique investment bank providing M&A and private placement services to health and wellness-oriented businesses. Prior to investment banking, Lane was a researcher at Stanford University’s Center for Environmental Science and Policy (CESP) and an equity research associate on Prudential Securities’ energy team. Lane has a Master of Business Administration degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She received dual bachelor's degrees (international relations and Spanish) with Phi Beta Kappa honors from Stanford University. She spent six months living in Santiago, Chile, as part of her undergraduate education and is fluent in Spanish.
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Carin Luna-Ostaseski
Founder, SIA Scotch Whisky
Carin Luna-Ostaseski
Founder, SIA Scotch Whisky
In a terrific twist of fate, 1st generation Cuban American Carin Luna-Ostaseski set out to create a Scotch Whisky brand that would change the way people think about the category. She decided to seek these new horizons in the form of a grand tour of her local whisky purveyor – 300 bottles of whiskies and countless tasting events later, she became a dedicated student of this sublime spirit. Carin eventually left her 17-year career as a Creative Director and successfully funded SIA Scotch Whisky on kickstarter.com, pursuing her dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur and one of the first Hispanic people in history to create a Scotch Whisky company.
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Kyle Cooke
Founder, Loverboy
Kyle Cooke
Founder, Loverboy
Kyle Cooke is the Founder of Loverboy, the premium beverage brand reinventing the traditional ready-to-drink category with high-quality, low calorie sparkling hard teas and premium canned cocktails. A serial entrepreneur and cast member of Bravo’s hit reality series “Summer House,” Cooke founded Loverboy in 2018, a now-multi-million dollar business conceptualized from an idea on TV. Kyle’s tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit has laid the groundwork for all of his ventures to date, across multiple industry sectors. Prior to Loverboy, Cooke founded FENIX, an invite-only app and private wellness community providing members with a nutrition coach for personalized tips, motivation and accountability on a daily basis. Prior to that, he served as a founding partner and advisor for apparel brand Birddogs, focusing on merging content and commerce by selling high-end activewear coupled with humorous content. He also founded Blownaway, a beauty delivery service, in 2014. Cooke is a graduate of Trinity College and received his MBA in Entrepreneurship from Babson College in 2011. He resides in New York City with his wife and business partner, Amanda Batula.
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Brian Treacy
Co-Founder and President, Sagamore Spirit
Brian Treacy
Co-Founder and President, Sagamore Spirit
Brian Treacy is the Co-Founder and President of Distillery Operations at Sagamore Spirit. He overseesbrand and business development, product line innovation, and international sales. As a founding member of the brand, Brian was responsible for leading the buildout and design of Sagamore Spirit’s world-class waterfront distillery, which is consistently ranked as one of the top distilleries in the nation.Brian’s leadership also resulted in 430% increase in sales over a six year-period in the United States. Sagamore Spirit has won over 100 awards with numerous gold and double gold medals in spirit competitions, including winning World’s Best Rye Whiskey 2019, San Francisco International Spirits Competition.
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Nick Papanicolaou
CEO, No Sleep Beverage
Nick Papanicolaou
CEO, No Sleep Beverage
Nick Papanicolaou is a seasoned finance, operations & startup professional with 20+ years of experience in managing deals, valuing companies, forecasting trends, launching ventures (3 so far), improving efficiencies and scaling businesses. He currently sits on several startup Boards as well as the Investment Committee and LP Advisory Committee for an undisclosed venture capital fund. He also sat on Pernod Ricard’s Audit Committee and reporting into the CFO of Pernod Ricard North America. At Pernod Ricard, Nick oversaw Castle Brands, a $40M+ sales business. Prior to that, he ran the Incubate Brands, a $20M business within Pernod Ricard’s New Brand Ventures division. Nick has helped to deploy over $700M in capital into small and emerging brands. These investments now account for over 20% of Pernod Ricard USA’s top line growth in less than 5 years. Additionally, he launched New Brand Ventures in 2016, a hybrid internal incubator and corporate venture capital group responsible for most of the emerging brands at Pernod Ricard. Prior to Pernod Ricard, he launched two companies (one in the alcohol beverage space) and spent 6 years in investment banking mostly raising capital in the equity markets. Nick is a graduate of Columbia Business School where he received his MBA in Value Investing and Entrepreneurship. He is also a graduate of Harvard College.
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Alexandra Trott
Director, Insights, 84.51
Alexandra Trott
Director, Insights, 84.51
As a Director of Insights, Alex Trott, is responsible for ensuring 84.51°’s CPG clients are getting value and insights out of Kroger data by enabling 84.51° Stratum, 84.51° Collaborative Cloud, 84.51° In-Queries and other data capabilities. Alex was promoted to her current role after serving 10 years with the company in a variety of roles. In her longest tenured role as Senior Client Lead, Kroger Merchandising, she created and led the multi-disciplinary, customer-focused strategy for the Natural Foods Department at Kroger. Under her guidance, she helped Kroger become a leader in the natural and organic space and spoke on the retailer’s behalf at Expo West, The Wellness Your Way Festival, The Nexty Awards, BevNet and NoshLive. She also spearheaded the creation of the Natural Foods Summit, which was an innovation platform that promoted discussion about natural food trends and allowed emerging brands to showcase their products directly to Kroger. Alex began her career at 84.51°, previously dunnhumbyUSA, in the grad program as an associate client lead in Communications & Media. A native Cincinnatian, Alex graduated from Miami University with Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a minor in entrepreneurship. She sits on the Network of Executive Women Cincinnati Regional leadership team and has tutored 3rd grade math and reading at the Oyler School for 9 consecutive school years.
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Cassie Finley
Director of DSD Beverage Merchandising, Kroger
Cassie Finley
Director of DSD Beverage Merchandising, Kroger
As Director of DSD Beverage Merchandising, Cassie leads a team of 25+ associates for The Kroger Co. She is responsible for merchandising for all shelf stable non-alcoholic Beverage for DSD & CSD. Cassie began her Kroger career in 2019 as the Merchandising Coordinator in Adult Beverage supporting the Beer commodities. She was promoted to Director of DSD Beverage in June of 2020. Prior to joining Kroger, Cassie spent eighteen months as a Change Leader for Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods Market. Before this time, Cassie spent fifteen years at Walmart covering different roles from Store Manager, Buyer and Regional Merchandise Director. Cassie graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in Business Administion. Cassie currently lives in Kentucky with her partner, Henry, and their son and daughter.
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Hope Ewing
Head Bartender in Charge, Vervet
Hope Ewing
Head Bartender in Charge, Vervet
Hope Ewing is the Head Bartender in Charge at Vervet California Sparkling Cocktails, which she co-founded in 2017 with two former bar regulars, to prove that canned cocktails could also be craft cocktails representing the many cultures of Los Angeles. She has contributed writing to Punch and SevenFifty Daily and is the author of Movers & Shakers: Women Making Waves in Spirits, Beer, and Wine (Unnamed Press, 2018). She is currently the bar director at the Obscure Distillery in Los Angeles, the first cocktail bar in California owned by a distillery.
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Carlton Fowler
Managing Partner, Goat Rodeo Capital
Carlton Fowler
Managing Partner, Goat Rodeo Capital
Carlton is a graduate of UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Political Science and University of Michigan with an MBA in Strategy and Marketing. Hailing from the Sierra Nevadas, you can often find him enjoying the natural splendor of Northern California. Two things make him happiest: eating/drinking well with friends & family and tilting against the windmill that is the three tiered beverage alcohol system (we all concede he probably needs some healthier hobbies...).
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Aimy Steadman
Co-Founder & COO, Beatbox Beverages
Aimy Steadman
Co-Founder & COO, Beatbox Beverages
Aimy Steadman is a Co-Founder and COO at Future/Proof, creators of BeatBox Beverages - the World's Tastiest Portable Party Punch™ one of the best-selling US RTD cocktails. Future/Proof, recently awarded one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000 Fast-Growing Privately Owned Companies in America, is a disruptor in the beverage alcohol market that provides innovative solutions that drive incremental profit in high-growth categories. ??Aimy Steadman serves on the following nonprofit boards: Naturally Austin, Naturally Network, and Entrepreneurs Organization: Austin. Steadman has also received a handful of notable national as well as global accolades, most recently Austin Chamber’s A-List 2020 in addition to being featured in a recent book entitled The Immigrant Hustle.
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Brian Albert
Sr. Category Manager, Grocery, Sprouts
Brian Albert
Sr. Category Manager, Grocery, Sprouts
Brian Albert manages the merchandising and assortment for non-alcoholic beverages at Sprouts Farmers Market. Over a 30-year career, Brian has had various positions in marketing, merchandising, and product development with stops at Campbell’s, Coors, Wild Oats, Giant Eagle, Sprouts, and iMC2, a pioneer in digital marketing. Those experiences coupled with his marketing and entrepreneurial management degrees from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and the University of Colorado, Brian has a strong knowledge base on what it takes to create and maintain a successful beverage brand.”
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Nick Mindel
Founder & CEO, Amberstone
Nick Mindel
Founder & CEO, Amberstone
Nick co-founded Amberstone in 2019. Nick has extensive experience in both consumer finance where he has held roles in investment banking, credit financing, growth investing and venture investing, as well as consumer operations. Prior to co-founding Amberstone, Nick ran Trail Post Ventures (TPV), a consumer focused fundless sponsor based in San Francisco. At TPV, Nick participated in the Series A investment in nutpods, a clean ingredient, non-dairy coffee creamer; the Series A investment in Rumpl an outdoor, technical blanket company; the Series A investment in Naadam, a DTC cashmere company; and the Series Seed investment in JuneShine, an alcoholic kombucha company. Prior to TPV, Nick was an Associate in Piper Jaffray’s Investment Banking division where he covered the consumer vertical. Before joining Piper Jaffray, Nick was an investing partner and General Manager of a high-end, Mexican restaurant concept where he ran finance and operations, and helped determine expansion plans, while simultaneously operating the restaurant on a day to day basis. Nick also held an Associate role with THL Credit, focusing on management buyout and leveraged buyout transactions in the consumer space. Nick began his career in investment banking at North Point Advisors where he focused on the consumer vertical. Nick earned Bachelor of Arts in both Economics and Political Science from The University of Southern California. Nick also earned a Master of Business Administration from The University of Southern California where he graduated Dean’s List and was chosen in his second year as the recipient of the Provident Investment Counsel Endowed Scholarship.
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Tim Dornfeld
Senior Category Manager, Shelf-Stable Beverage, KeHE
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Claire Davies
Managing Director, LEK
Claire Davies
Managing Director, LEK
Claire is a Managing Director and Partner in L.E.K.’s Consumer Practice based out of Los Angeles. Focusing on Food and Beverage, she has over 14 years’ experience leading corporate and business unit growth strategy, value creation projects and has supported over 150 transactions with Commercial Due Diligence. She has supported a broad range of private equity, portfolio companies and leading retailers / consumer brands across the US and Europe. Within Beverage specifically, she has advised with a range of businesses across alc and non-alc included branded players and contract manufacturers. Claire regularly publishes on trends in the food and beverage sector and the role of data analytics in improving business value. Claire moved to the US in 2016 from the UK and has a Master of Engineering degree from University of Cambridge.
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Alyssa Ferenz
CFO, Alliance Consumer Growth
Alyssa Ferenz
CFO, Alliance Consumer Growth
Alyssa Ferenz is CFO of Alliance Consumer Growth (ACG) and where she is responsible for firmwide financial management, operations, compliance, and investor relations. In addition, she participates in the firm’s investment activities and is actively involved in portfolio company oversight. Alyssa co-led ACG’s investment in Athletic Brewing Company, and is also involved in overseeing the firm’s investment in Betty Buzz. She currently serves as a Board Member of Athletic Brewing, The Honest Kitchen and Clio Snacks. Alyssa has over 20 years of experience with entrepreneurial consumer, food and beverage brands. Prior to joining ACG, she served as Vice President of Finance at Boulder Brands, parent of the Udi’s, Glutino and EVOL brands. Previously she served as Chief Financial Officer of EVOL Foods and played an integral role in helping to grow EVOL and in consummating its successful sale to Boulder Brands. Prior to EVOL, she was an early team member at Bear Naked granola, which grew significantly before being acquired by Kashi (Kellogg’s). Alyssa holds an M.B.A. from New York University’s Stern School of Business with a dual concentration in Finance and Entrepreneurship, and a B.A. with honors in Mathematics and Art from Lafayette College.
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Ara Abrahamian
Investment Director, ONCE Ventures
Ara Abrahamian
Investment Director, ONCE Ventures
Ara leads sourcing, diligence, and deal execution for ONCE Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Otsuka Holdings. Focused on finding innovation that has a positive impact on human health, Ara is always looking to meet with founders who have an eye on efficacy and the wellbeing of consumers. In addition to his responsibilities at ONCE Ventures, Ara is also a leader within Otsuka’s corporate development team where he leads acquisition efforts in North America for Otsuka’s Nutraceuticals segment. Prior to joining Otsuka, Ara was a member of the Strategy and Corporate Development team at Pharmavite, which is Otsuka’s supplements subsidiary and parent company of Nature Made and MegaFood. Before that, Ara was a member of the Distressed Opportunities fund at Oaktree Capital and, prior to that, worked across M&A and leveraged finance at UBS Investment Bank. Outside of the office, Ara loves to travel, camp, and spend time with his wife and two young boys.
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Lauren Tamburro
VP Research & Development, Vertosa
Lauren Tamburro
VP Research & Development, Vertosa
Lauren Tamburro is Vice President of Research and Development at Vertosa. She is an expert in new product development, managing projects from concept to commercialization, plant scale-up and the product development process. As someone who has partnered cross functionally with procurement, operations, third party developers and external manufacturers, she’s well equipped to lend technical support to client products. Prior to joining Vertosa, Lauren worked for both a start-up and a multinational consumer product goods company. She performed analytical chemistry for six years, then as a Senior Scientist began launching new food products at Mondelez International primarily focused on chewing gum. As Senior Manager of Research and Development at ALOHA she launched plant-based protein bars, powders and aseptic ready to drink beverages.
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Warren Bobrow
Co-Founder & CEO, Klaus
Warren Bobrow
Co-Founder & CEO, Klaus
Warren Bobrow has been a dishwasher, the owner of the first company to make fresh pasta in South Carolina, a television engineer and he even worked at Danceteria in NYC, then a trained chef which led to a twenty year career in private banking. A cannabis, wine and travel aficionado, Warren is a former rum judge and craft spirits national brand ambassador. He works full time in the cannabis business as an alchemist/journalist.
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Darnell Smith
Founder & CEO, MXXN
Darnell Smith
Founder & CEO, MXXN
Darnell Smith is a CPG and alcohol industry veteran and cannabis entrepreneur, innovator and advocate. Smith is the founder and CEO of MXXN, a non-alcoholic, cannabis-infused spirits brand that is evolving today’s cocktail culture and disrupting the alcohol and cannabis industry. MXXN is the first product launch of MOJO Ventures, which is part of the digital + creative consultancy MOJO he founded that has done extensive work for Procter & Gamble Ventures, Barcardi’s Incubation group, Pepsico and more. Prior to founding MXXN and MOJO, Smith was a senior digital transformation lead at Infosys Consulting working with the likes of Adidas, Ralph Lauren, AB InBev, Novartis, GSK, Pfizer, AMEX and more. Prior to that, Smith worked for over a decade in various agency and client side roles focused on innovation and commercialization for the likes of Diageo and Pernod Ricard. As a Black entrepreneur working in the cannabis industry, Smith is extremely passionate about being on the frontlines of creating a more equitable space. He is committed to working with a diverse set of vendors and supply partners within his companies and always looks to partner with organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Smith earned his Marketing degree from the University of Notre Dame, where he played football as a defensive end under legendary coach Lou Holtz.
Winter 2022 Agenda
- Sunday, December 4, 202212:00 PM - 6:30 PM
- Monday, December 5, 20227:30 AM - 8:00 PM
- Tuesday, December 6, 20228:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Please note: All times US Pacific Time
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12:00 PM
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12:30 PMBeverage School Registration & Networking
Location: Catalina, 4th Floor
The day before BevNET Live, industry newcomers can learn the basics of running a beverage business and jumpstart their networking at Beverage School. Experts will present on topics early-stage beverage brands need to know, including finance, sales, marketing, design, and operations. -
12:30 PM
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12:50 PMBeverage School: Basic Beverage Design
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Kelly Criswell, Principal, Mudge
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Kelly Criswell, Principal, Mudge
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12:50 PM
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1:10 PMBeverage School: Inside Co-Packing
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Mitch Barnard, CEO, Wildpack Beverages
Mitch Barnard
CEO, Wildpack Beverages
Mitch Barnard is the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Wildpack Beverage. He founded Wildpack in 2018 and has occupied various positions leading its operations, sales, mergers and acquisitions and growth departments. In addition to Wildpack, he has founded multiple other companies and joined an early-stage beverage brand. Earlier in his career, Mitch practiced international tax at several leading firms. Now, he is committed to expanding Wildpack Beverage and being an integral part of his customer’s growth stories. Mitch received his Juris Doctor from the University of Alberta, Faculty of Law, graduating with first class and Dean’s list honours.
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Mitch Barnard, CEO, Wildpack Beverages
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1:10 PM
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1:30 PMBeverage School: Sales Strategy
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Bill Sipper, Managing Partner, Cascadia Managing Brands, LLC
Bill Sipper
Managing Partner, Cascadia Managing Brands, LLC
BILL SIPPER is a food and beverage industry leader who has guided numerous brands from concept to commercialization to category leadership. He held senior and C Level positions at leading brands including Evian, Nantucket Nectars, Fresh Samantha/Odwalla, Naked Juice and Clearly Canadian. Bill’s strategic expertise and executional focus helped those brands succeed and can help your brand succeed, too.? Consulting closely with client leaders as they consider a sale or acquisition, Bill has supported several brands through the process. (Naked Juice was sold to Pepsico, Fresh Samantha/Odwalla was sold to Coca Cola, and Nantucket Nectars was sold to Ocean Spray). Bill has significant international experience, and works with clients in Asia, Europe, South America and the Middle East. He draws on this expertise to help international brands establish presence in the US and to help US brands expand internationally.? Bill is active in philanthropic causes: He served as president of Robert Kennedy Jr.’s clean water charity, Tear of the Clouds; was an advisor to The Walden Woods Project; and served on the Board of Directors of the National Osteoporosis Foundation.? Bill has been featured on Food Network’s “Unwrapped” and in the PBS documentary “The Water Wars.” He has been a featured speaker at Columbia University School of Business, The Bottled Water Congress (Torino, Italy), the Pan Arab Congress on Osteoporosis (Tunisia), and at virtually every major US food and beverage show, including Natural Products Expo, BevNet, Nosh Live and more. His articles have appeared in leading trade publications, and he is frequently quoted in media including The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and the New York Times.
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Bill Sipper, Managing Partner, Cascadia Managing Brands, LLC
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1:30 PM
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1:50 PMBeverage School: Funding Stages for Beverage Entrepreneurs
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Keith Kohler, Founder, The K2 Group LLC
Keith Kohler
Founder, The K2 Group LLC
Keith Kohler is the Founder of The K2 Group LLC, a finance consultancy. Keith has worked with and impacted hundreds of companies with financing and financing education. Over the past few years, he has originated and closed over $100 million in financing, with a particular focus on the natural products and food and beverage industries. He supports founders via several other roles, including as a mentor of the Nutrition Capital Network, a Year 5 Mastermind Advisor for Babson College’s Women’s Innovating Now Growth Lab, a Wharton Venture Lab Expert in Residence and Mentor, and as the Finance instructor for The Idea Center at Miami-Dade College. Keith has also led financing webinars for the Specialty Food Association, Hirshberg Entrepreneurship Institute, and has also been the featured expert on all aspects of debt financing for 15 years for the Natural Products Consulting’s “Financing Your Consumer Products Company” in-person seminars. Under his newly created Financing Man brand, Keith recently launched a new retreat and mastermind-based business to help founders get comfortable with and master the finance function in their business called Making the Numbers Work for You (www.makingthenumbersworkforyou.com). Keith also provides a complimentary review of a company's financials to give founders a 2-3 year financing strategy including debt, equity, and alternative financing options (yourfinancingreview.com).
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Keith Kohler, Founder, The K2 Group LLC
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1:50 PM
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2:10 PMBeverage School: What Investors Look At
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Jeremy Halpern, Partner; Co-Chair Food and Beverage Group, Nutter
Jeremy Halpern
Partner; Co-Chair Food and Beverage Group, Nutter
Jeremy Halpern is a partner and co-chairs and serves as the Director of Business Development for Nutter’s Emerging Companies Group. Jeremy’s practice focuses on emerging companies, private equity, venture capital and angel financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, executive and team compensation matters, and general start-up support. Serving as the firm’s entrepreneur-in-residence, Jeremy often works on strategy and corporate development matters with companies, investors, and executives in technology, life sciences and the food and beverage industry. Jeremy is an active angel investor and is a member of the board of The Capital Network, a Boston based non-profit serving entrepreneurs seeking high growth capital. Jeremy serves on the Advisory Board and the Executive Education Committee of the MBI Health Program and on the Advisory Board of Pintley, a MassChallenge 2011 finalist company providing marketing solutions to the craft brewers and bars. He continues to serve as a mentor at MassChallenge and LearnLaunch, an expert advisor at the Innovation Hub at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and as a speaker, reviewer, judge or mentor for MIT HackingMedicine, HackingPediatrics, the Mass Tech Transfer Center, the Mass Life Science Center, M2D2, BranchFood and Startup Institute. Previously Jeremy served on the Board and Investment Committee of MassVentures, an early stage venture capital fund funding technology companies in Massachusetts. Jeremy taught entrepreneurial leadership at Tufts University for nine years and cofounded a company in the mobile technology synchronization space. Jeremy received his B.A., summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of California, Berkeley, and his J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles.
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Jeremy Halpern, Partner; Co-Chair Food and Beverage Group, Nutter
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2:10 PM
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2:30 PMBeverage School: An Entrepreneur's Playbook
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Henry Kasindorf, Co-Founder, Remedy Organics
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Henry Kasindorf, Co-Founder, Remedy Organics
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2:30 PM
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3:00 PMBeverage School Expert Tables
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3:00 PM
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6:30 PMRTD Spirits Entrepreneurial Track
Location: Palisades, 5th Floor
On Sunday, December 4th, from 3PM to 5:30 PM PT, the BevNET team will kickstart BevNET Live with a spotlight on spirits and RTD cocktails. The program will include an investor panel and the Cocktail Showdown pitch competition, featuring the most promising new RTD cocktail brands on the market. Attendees will be able to sample the products of all participants, as well as continue their networking at the BevNET Live Welcome Reception.
Our spirits coverage will carry over to day 1 of BevNET Live with a morning main stage presentation and afternoon breakout session track. Registered attendees of BevNET Live, NOSH Live and Brewbound Live are invited to attend the Sunday spirits program. -
3:00 PM
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3:30 PMAmbition and Proof: Sourcing, Supplying, Deploying Investment for Spirits Brands
This panel will take the stories of two successful brands, SIA Scotch Whiskey and Beatbox, and talk about their capital journey as they grew, what their capital needs were in terms of strategy and growth, what role investment played, what the money factor has been with regard to key decisions in the brand and entrepreneur's journey. Blending the aims of investors, from institutional capital to strategic brand houses to angels and other sources into the mix, this talk will show how capital, product, and strategy can blend into a successful growth cocktail.-
Nick Papanicolaou, CEO, No Sleep Beverage
Nick Papanicolaou
CEO, No Sleep Beverage
Nick Papanicolaou is a seasoned finance, operations & startup professional with 20+ years of experience in managing deals, valuing companies, forecasting trends, launching ventures (3 so far), improving efficiencies and scaling businesses. He currently sits on several startup Boards as well as the Investment Committee and LP Advisory Committee for an undisclosed venture capital fund. He also sat on Pernod Ricard’s Audit Committee and reporting into the CFO of Pernod Ricard North America. At Pernod Ricard, Nick oversaw Castle Brands, a $40M+ sales business. Prior to that, he ran the Incubate Brands, a $20M business within Pernod Ricard’s New Brand Ventures division. Nick has helped to deploy over $700M in capital into small and emerging brands. These investments now account for over 20% of Pernod Ricard USA’s top line growth in less than 5 years. Additionally, he launched New Brand Ventures in 2016, a hybrid internal incubator and corporate venture capital group responsible for most of the emerging brands at Pernod Ricard. Prior to Pernod Ricard, he launched two companies (one in the alcohol beverage space) and spent 6 years in investment banking mostly raising capital in the equity markets. Nick is a graduate of Columbia Business School where he received his MBA in Value Investing and Entrepreneurship. He is also a graduate of Harvard College.
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Carin Luna-Ostaseski, Founder, SIA Scotch Whisky
Carin Luna-Ostaseski
Founder, SIA Scotch Whisky
In a terrific twist of fate, 1st generation Cuban American Carin Luna-Ostaseski set out to create a Scotch Whisky brand that would change the way people think about the category. She decided to seek these new horizons in the form of a grand tour of her local whisky purveyor – 300 bottles of whiskies and countless tasting events later, she became a dedicated student of this sublime spirit. Carin eventually left her 17-year career as a Creative Director and successfully funded SIA Scotch Whisky on kickstarter.com, pursuing her dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur and one of the first Hispanic people in history to create a Scotch Whisky company.
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Aimy Steadman, Co-Founder & COO, Beatbox Beverages
Aimy Steadman
Co-Founder & COO, Beatbox Beverages
Aimy Steadman is a Co-Founder and COO at Future/Proof, creators of BeatBox Beverages - the World's Tastiest Portable Party Punch™ one of the best-selling US RTD cocktails. Future/Proof, recently awarded one of Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000 Fast-Growing Privately Owned Companies in America, is a disruptor in the beverage alcohol market that provides innovative solutions that drive incremental profit in high-growth categories. ??Aimy Steadman serves on the following nonprofit boards: Naturally Austin, Naturally Network, and Entrepreneurs Organization: Austin. Steadman has also received a handful of notable national as well as global accolades, most recently Austin Chamber’s A-List 2020 in addition to being featured in a recent book entitled The Immigrant Hustle.
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Carlton Fowler, Managing Partner, Goat Rodeo Capital
Carlton Fowler
Managing Partner, Goat Rodeo Capital
Carlton is a graduate of UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Political Science and University of Michigan with an MBA in Strategy and Marketing. Hailing from the Sierra Nevadas, you can often find him enjoying the natural splendor of Northern California. Two things make him happiest: eating/drinking well with friends & family and tilting against the windmill that is the three tiered beverage alcohol system (we all concede he probably needs some healthier hobbies...).
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Nick Papanicolaou, CEO, No Sleep Beverage
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Carin Luna-Ostaseski, Founder, SIA Scotch Whisky
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Aimy Steadman, Co-Founder & COO, Beatbox Beverages
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Carlton Fowler, Managing Partner, Goat Rodeo Capital
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3:30 PM
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5:00 PMBevNET Cocktail Showdown 3
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5:00 PM
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6:30 PMBevNET Live Welcome Reception
Location: Arcadia Foyer, 5th Floor
Please note: All times US Pacific Time
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7:30 AM
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9:00 AMBreakfast, Presented by Cometeer & Registration
Breakfast, coffee and beverages are served from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM PT and are included with registration. Registration and badge pick up opens for the day at 7:30 AM PT. -
8:00 AM
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9:30 AMNew Beverage Showdown Semifinal Round
Feel the excitement and suspense as our 12 semifinalists offer rapid-fire pitches to our first panel of judges! -
10:00 AM
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10:15 AMWelcome Remarks
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Jeff Klineman, Editor in Chief, BevNET
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John Craven, CEO & Founder, BevNET.com
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Jeff Klineman, Editor in Chief, BevNET
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John Craven, CEO & Founder, BevNET.com
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9:30 AM
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10:00 AMNetworking Break & Taste Radio Studio
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10:15 AM
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10:45 AMState of the Market: On the Ground, At the Store, In the Balance Sheet
We scan the operating conditions for beverage entrepreneurs, looking through the eyes of financial, retail, and distribution gatekeepers to try to assess opportunities in the coming year.-
Janica Lane, Managing Director, Piper Sandler
Janica Lane
Managing Director, Piper Sandler
Janica Lane is co-head of the consumer group at Piper Sandler and leads food, beverage, and nutritional supplement investment banking. Prior to joining Piper Sandler, Lane was a partner at Partnership Capital Growth, a boutique investment bank providing M&A and private placement services to health and wellness-oriented businesses. Prior to investment banking, Lane was a researcher at Stanford University’s Center for Environmental Science and Policy (CESP) and an equity research associate on Prudential Securities’ energy team. Lane has a Master of Business Administration degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She received dual bachelor's degrees (international relations and Spanish) with Phi Beta Kappa honors from Stanford University. She spent six months living in Santiago, Chile, as part of her undergraduate education and is fluent in Spanish.
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Sandro Roco, Founder & CEO, Sanzo
Sandro Roco
Founder & CEO, Sanzo
Sandro Roco is a Queens-born, Filipino-American and the founder of Sanzo – the first Asian-inspired sparkling water born to deliver beverages that bridge the gap between beloved Asian flavors (that represent over 60% of the world’s population) and clean, modern labels. After graduating from Villanova University and working at a nuclear power plant engineer for three years, Sandro moved to New York City to work on the trading floor of J.P. Morgan. The seeds of Sanzo were planted a few years later when Sandro was twenty-nine and as head of growth for a men’s styling tech startup, was looking for a new challenge with a bigger mission behind it. In 2019, the first Sanzo lychee cans rolled off the production line in Brooklyn and Sandro hand-delivered every single one of the initial three-thousand cans himself. Since launch, the company has boasted 5x YoY growth, a >30% RPR, and has gained distribution in 3,500+ strategic retailers including from Whole Foods Market to Safeway to Panda Express.
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Tim Dornfeld, Senior Category Manager, Shelf-Stable Beverage, KeHE
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Brian Albert, Sr. Category Manager, Grocery, Sprouts
Brian Albert
Sr. Category Manager, Grocery, Sprouts
Brian Albert manages the merchandising and assortment for non-alcoholic beverages at Sprouts Farmers Market. Over a 30-year career, Brian has had various positions in marketing, merchandising, and product development with stops at Campbell’s, Coors, Wild Oats, Giant Eagle, Sprouts, and iMC2, a pioneer in digital marketing. Those experiences coupled with his marketing and entrepreneurial management degrees from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and the University of Colorado, Brian has a strong knowledge base on what it takes to create and maintain a successful beverage brand.”
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Janica Lane, Managing Director, Piper Sandler
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Sandro Roco, Founder & CEO, Sanzo
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Tim Dornfeld, Senior Category Manager, Shelf-Stable Beverage, KeHE
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Brian Albert, Sr. Category Manager, Grocery, Sprouts
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10:45 AM
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11:15 AMBuilding Brands in the Crowd
In categories ranging from energy drinks to coffee to kombucha to all manner of sparkling drinks, competition is at an all-time high. Shiver, who has made a career out of leading teams in competitive categories, discusses the keys: company culture, brand authenticity, cash for growth and marketplace timing.-
Jason Shiver, CEO, Waterloo Sparkling Water
Jason Shiver
CEO, Waterloo Sparkling Water
Jason Shiver has served as CEO of Waterloo Sparkling Water since August 2017, leading the brand to exceptional year-over-year growth, national distribution with strong retailer relationships, and category leadership in flavor innovation. Prior to Waterloo, Jason was President of North America for Amplify Snack Brands, the better-for-you snacking company that includes SkinnyPop. As Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing there, he was instrumental in helping to take the company public in August 2015 and won awards from both Nielsen and IRI for SkinnyPop’s performance. From 2008 to 2013, Jason served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Glutino USA, a gluten free snack food company, which was acquired by Boulder Brands, Inc, a diversified food company. And, prior to Glutino, Jason held several roles at Atkins Nutritionals Inc, the leader in low carb food and beverages, including Vice President of Sales. From September 2001 to May 2003, Jason was a Southeast Regional Sales Manager at Acirca, Inc, an organic foods and beverages company. From August 2000 to September 2001, Jason was a National Account Manager at AriZona Beverages USA LLC. Jason holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from University of South Florida. He was also a proud recipient of the Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) “Entrepreneur Of The Year 2020 Central Texas Award,” in Waterloo’s hometown. Nominees were evaluated based on six criteria, including overcoming adversity; financial performance; societal impact and commitment to building a values-based company; innovation; and talent management.
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Jason Shiver, CEO, Waterloo Sparkling Water
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11:15 AM
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11:45 AMCocktails Remixed: A Deep Dive Into RTD Cocktail Strategies
Ready-to-Drink Cocktails are the fastest-growing category in the spirits space -- but the direction for the brands in that category is far from settled. Three brand founders discuss their strategies and viewpoints in a panel that speaks not just to spirit companies, but to competitors in all emerging beverage areas.-
Hope Ewing, Head Bartender in Charge, Vervet
Hope Ewing
Head Bartender in Charge, Vervet
Hope Ewing is the Head Bartender in Charge at Vervet California Sparkling Cocktails, which she co-founded in 2017 with two former bar regulars, to prove that canned cocktails could also be craft cocktails representing the many cultures of Los Angeles. She has contributed writing to Punch and SevenFifty Daily and is the author of Movers & Shakers: Women Making Waves in Spirits, Beer, and Wine (Unnamed Press, 2018). She is currently the bar director at the Obscure Distillery in Los Angeles, the first cocktail bar in California owned by a distillery.
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Brian Treacy, Co-Founder and President, Sagamore Spirit
Brian Treacy
Co-Founder and President, Sagamore Spirit
Brian Treacy is the Co-Founder and President of Distillery Operations at Sagamore Spirit. He overseesbrand and business development, product line innovation, and international sales. As a founding member of the brand, Brian was responsible for leading the buildout and design of Sagamore Spirit’s world-class waterfront distillery, which is consistently ranked as one of the top distilleries in the nation.Brian’s leadership also resulted in 430% increase in sales over a six year-period in the United States. Sagamore Spirit has won over 100 awards with numerous gold and double gold medals in spirit competitions, including winning World’s Best Rye Whiskey 2019, San Francisco International Spirits Competition.
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Kyle Cooke, Founder, Loverboy
Kyle Cooke
Founder, Loverboy
Kyle Cooke is the Founder of Loverboy, the premium beverage brand reinventing the traditional ready-to-drink category with high-quality, low calorie sparkling hard teas and premium canned cocktails. A serial entrepreneur and cast member of Bravo’s hit reality series “Summer House,” Cooke founded Loverboy in 2018, a now-multi-million dollar business conceptualized from an idea on TV. Kyle’s tenacity and entrepreneurial spirit has laid the groundwork for all of his ventures to date, across multiple industry sectors. Prior to Loverboy, Cooke founded FENIX, an invite-only app and private wellness community providing members with a nutrition coach for personalized tips, motivation and accountability on a daily basis. Prior to that, he served as a founding partner and advisor for apparel brand Birddogs, focusing on merging content and commerce by selling high-end activewear coupled with humorous content. He also founded Blownaway, a beauty delivery service, in 2014. Cooke is a graduate of Trinity College and received his MBA in Entrepreneurship from Babson College in 2011. He resides in New York City with his wife and business partner, Amanda Batula.
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Hope Ewing, Head Bartender in Charge, Vervet
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Brian Treacy, Co-Founder and President, Sagamore Spirit
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Kyle Cooke, Founder, Loverboy
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11:45 AM
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12:15 PMHow Celsius Got Red Hot
Celsius CEO John Fieldly will bring the story of Celsius’ long climb to the top to the BevNET Live Winter audience. Fieldly will go through the company’s search for effective brand positioning and retail efficiency, and the ways that he’s been able to make the product work for a growing set of consumers, retailers, and investors – all of whom are seeing their investment in the brand pay off.-
John Fieldly, CEO, Celsius
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John Fieldly, CEO, Celsius
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12:15 PM
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12:30 PMBest of Awards + New Beverage Showdown Finalists Announced
We’ll take a break from discussion to celebrate: BevNET’s Best of 2022 and New Beverage Showdown Finalists will be presented right before lunch. -
2:00 PM
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2:40 PMBreakout Sessions - Round I
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12:30 PM
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2:00 PMLunch, Sampling & Taste Radio Studio
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2:00 PM
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2:40 PMSupply Chain Pain Redux: Inflation and Self-Preservation
Location: Arcadia - Main Ballroom, 5th Floor
As with last year, beverage companies are STILL worried about raising prices, increasing costs, the potential margin impacts that will roll into fundraising valuations and more. Only now, they're also worried about inflation, sharing higher costs with partners, and inventory surpluses. But hey, the ports are cleared. An unmissable panel manufacturing consultant Will Madden, master strategist Neil Kimberley, and Encore Consumer Capital’s Kate Wallman returns for round two of Supply Chain Pain.-
Neil Kimberley, President, Bossa Nova Beverage Co.
Neil Kimberley
President, Bossa Nova Beverage Co.
Creative, dynamic and passionate leader in the beverage and food category, Neil is the Chief Strategy Officer at Essentia. Best known as one of the leaders that turned around Snapple after its decline under Quaker, and more recently as an acknowledged expert in the development of new beverages, speaking frequently at industry events. Neil has a background in marketing, innovation & strategy, which he's used both at major corporations (Hershey, Cadbury, Snapple) and start-up brands.
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Will Madden, Senior Partner, Whole Brain Consulting
Will Madden
Senior Partner, Whole Brain Consulting
William Madden is one of Whole Brain Consulting's founders, an outsourced operations consulting firm with over 600 clients in 23 countries. Whole Brain Consulting's primary business is assisting brands with aligning their operations for explosive growth. Over the years, Madden has become a trusted partner of multiple investment funds in the industry who depend on Whole Brain Consulting to confirm they're "buying a boat, not an anchor." Before founding Whole brain Consulting, Madden held various senior leadership roles at Nestle, Hearthside Foods, and Little Lady Foods. While at Little Lady Foods, Madden developed and managed over $100 Million in revenue. In addition, Madden is a serial entrepreneur, having started Dulce Foods while in college, and Madson Foods, later in life. While at Dulce Foods, Madden oversaw the integration of four co-packers, one self-owned manufacturing site, and two acquisitions before exiting to a competitor. In Madden's free time, he enjoys collecting comics, scuba diving, white water rafting, and traveling to warm, sunny destinations.
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Ben Settle, Director - Consumer & Retail Investment Banking, William Blair
Ben Settle
Director - Consumer & Retail Investment Banking, William Blair
Ben Settle is a senior member of William Blair’s investment banking team and specializes in advising High-growth Consumer companies. He has completed over 30 M&A advisory and capital markets transactions for a range of clients across founder-led, sponsor/VC-backed and publicly traded corporates. Ben received his MBA from IE Business School based in Madrid, Spain. Previously, he graduated with a BS in Business from Miami University with a dual focus in marketing and entrepreneurship. Ben is an Eagle Scout, past Emergency Medical Technician and an active board member of the Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.
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Neil Kimberley, President, Bossa Nova Beverage Co.
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Will Madden, Senior Partner, Whole Brain Consulting
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Ben Settle, Director - Consumer & Retail Investment Banking, William Blair
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2:00 PM
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2:40 PMSpirits Track: RTD Cocktail Data Share: The Numbers Behind the Growth
Location: Palisades, 5th Floor
IWSR's Brandy Rand offers a comprehensive data set on the growth, value, use cases and challenges facing the fast-growing RTD cocktail category. A must for brands, buyers, suppliers, and investors alike.-
Brandy Rand, Chief Strategy Officer, IWSR
Brandy Rand
Chief Strategy Officer, IWSR
Brandy Rand leads global strategy across various areas of product, commercial and corporate development at IWSR. Brandy has over 20 years of management experience in the beverage alcohol industry, with previous positions at Allied Domecq Spirits & Wines, William Grant & Sons, and Bacardi Limited. In these roles, she worked across multiple markets covering brand commercial strategy, trade marketing, consumer engagement and product innovation.
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Brandy Rand, Chief Strategy Officer, IWSR
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2:00 PM
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2:40 PMInfusion Insights: How Cannabis Beverages are Evolving
Location: Room 831 (8th floor)
The prospects for cannabis-infused beverages continue to grow and the formats are improving, but what are the challenges that remain from a product and market fit standpoint? Our panel of experienced CPG development, spirits, and sales experts looks at the state of and long-term outlook for this special category.-
Darnell Smith, Founder & CEO, MXXN
Darnell Smith
Founder & CEO, MXXN
Darnell Smith is a CPG and alcohol industry veteran and cannabis entrepreneur, innovator and advocate. Smith is the founder and CEO of MXXN, a non-alcoholic, cannabis-infused spirits brand that is evolving today’s cocktail culture and disrupting the alcohol and cannabis industry. MXXN is the first product launch of MOJO Ventures, which is part of the digital + creative consultancy MOJO he founded that has done extensive work for Procter & Gamble Ventures, Barcardi’s Incubation group, Pepsico and more. Prior to founding MXXN and MOJO, Smith was a senior digital transformation lead at Infosys Consulting working with the likes of Adidas, Ralph Lauren, AB InBev, Novartis, GSK, Pfizer, AMEX and more. Prior to that, Smith worked for over a decade in various agency and client side roles focused on innovation and commercialization for the likes of Diageo and Pernod Ricard. As a Black entrepreneur working in the cannabis industry, Smith is extremely passionate about being on the frontlines of creating a more equitable space. He is committed to working with a diverse set of vendors and supply partners within his companies and always looks to partner with organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Smith earned his Marketing degree from the University of Notre Dame, where he played football as a defensive end under legendary coach Lou Holtz.
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Warren Bobrow, Co-Founder & CEO, Klaus
Warren Bobrow
Co-Founder & CEO, Klaus
Warren Bobrow has been a dishwasher, the owner of the first company to make fresh pasta in South Carolina, a television engineer and he even worked at Danceteria in NYC, then a trained chef which led to a twenty year career in private banking. A cannabis, wine and travel aficionado, Warren is a former rum judge and craft spirits national brand ambassador. He works full time in the cannabis business as an alchemist/journalist.
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Lauren Tamburro, VP Research & Development, Vertosa
Lauren Tamburro
VP Research & Development, Vertosa
Lauren Tamburro is Vice President of Research and Development at Vertosa. She is an expert in new product development, managing projects from concept to commercialization, plant scale-up and the product development process. As someone who has partnered cross functionally with procurement, operations, third party developers and external manufacturers, she’s well equipped to lend technical support to client products. Prior to joining Vertosa, Lauren worked for both a start-up and a multinational consumer product goods company. She performed analytical chemistry for six years, then as a Senior Scientist began launching new food products at Mondelez International primarily focused on chewing gum. As Senior Manager of Research and Development at ALOHA she launched plant-based protein bars, powders and aseptic ready to drink beverages.
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Darnell Smith, Founder & CEO, MXXN
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Warren Bobrow, Co-Founder & CEO, Klaus
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Lauren Tamburro, VP Research & Development, Vertosa
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2:00 PM
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2:40 PMSponsored Talk: Functional Forecasting for Beverages
Location: Catalina Ballroom, 4th Floor
The conventional line between supplements and beverages blurring. Join us for an exclusive look at US-specific consumer insights including need states across dayparts and consumer-preferred formats and ingredients.-
Emmet Malone, RD&A Director, Kerry
Emmet Malone
RD&A Director, Kerry
Emmet Malone is the Research, Development and Applications Director at Kerry, focusing on functional beverages and supplements for the North American market. He leads a team of development and application scientists, bringing customer innovations to life from ideation to a finished product on the shelf. He partners with startups and emerging brands, co-creating market-leading products and supporting brand growth to over $100M market share. Emmet has a passion for exploring functional ingredients, adaptogens and botanicals that provide positive health benefits in great-tasting beverages and supplements.
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Shawn Gerstenkorn, Director of Strategic Marketing, Kerry
Shawn Gerstenkorn
Director of Strategic Marketing, Kerry
Shawn Gerstenkorn leads the strategic marketing team for Kerry’s North American beverage business unit. During his time at Kerry, he has focused on a broad range of beverage categories including functional beverages, refreshing beverages and alcohol as well as supporting innovation in packaging, flavors, functional ingredients and manufacturing. His experience with CPG beverage brands combined with his understanding of taste and functional ingredients helps him provide a unique perspective in the food and beverage industry. Shawn works closely with entrepreneurs and beverage start-ups providing strategic and market guidance, fostering innovation from concept to commercialization.
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Emmet Malone, RD&A Director, Kerry
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Shawn Gerstenkorn, Director of Strategic Marketing, Kerry
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2:00 PM
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2:40 PMSponsored Workshop: Breakthrough Flavor Technology for Authentic Tasting Beverages
Location: Topanga (7th floor)
Liquid flavors for beverages primarily rely “washing” the base citrus oils to make a water-soluble compound. Old school beverage emulsion flavors are out of favor because they are hard to use and contain objectionable additives. Learn about innovative beverage flavor technology that enables your beverage to use the taste and aroma that comes from complete citrus oils – in a clean, water-soluble, more sustainable delivery system.-
Jim Vale, Senior VP of R&D, ZoomEssence
Jim Vale
Senior VP of R&D, ZoomEssence
Jim spent over 25 years in flavor and nutrition having patented new and novel delivery systems and commercialized several others. With a background in R&D, applied science, and commercial tech services he likes to use his diverse background to take a much larger view on innovation and technology. He and his family have lived in the Cincinnati area having opportunities to work for local large F&F companies and now the agile entrepreneurial ZoomEssence.
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Steve Hardek, Chief Strategy Officer, ZoomEssence
Steve Hardek
Chief Strategy Officer, ZoomEssence
As a founding member and Chief Strategy Officer, Steve is responsible for championing the Zooming®? technology portfolio as a key technical lead for our customers. During his time at ZoomEssence, Steve has held multiple roles including President and CFO as the business has grown from an idea to a company with a global customer base and extensive patent portfolio. Looking to the future, Steve is at the forefront of exploring how our innovative delivery system technology can improve beverage, food, and consumer products. Prior to ZoomEssence, Steve was in the private equity and investment banking business and has an MBA from Columbia Business School and undergrad from Rutgers University School of Business.
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Jim Vale, Senior VP of R&D, ZoomEssence
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Steve Hardek, Chief Strategy Officer, ZoomEssence
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2:40 PM
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2:50 PMNetworking Break
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2:50 PM
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3:30 PMBreakout Sessions - Round II
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2:50 PM
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3:30 PMYour Customer is the Retailer: A Selling Workshop
Location: Arcadia - Main Ballroom, 5th Floor
The path to true volume and scale lies in the very same chain stores and independent retailers who have fostered growth in the past. To grow, brands need to think of these stores as their true customers, as important to their growth equation as their finely tuned consumer plays. But thinking about the needs of the store can be very different from thinking about the needs of the consumer. Jones shares the key mistakes brands make when seeking to establish relationships with store buyers and the ways that beverage companies can learn to think like those buyers and create a mutually beneficial environment.-
Buck Jones, CEO, A Buck's Worth
Buck Jones
CEO, A Buck's Worth
Although Buck is most often referred to as a speaker, author and trainer, he still thinks of himself as a retailer. He spent 24 years in the supermarket industry starting out as a part-timer and ending up as a corporate Vice President for the 6 th largest supermarket operator in the country. He left the corporate world and formed his own company in the late 1990’s and has since worked with over 100 retail and manufacturing companies in the U.S., Brazil and Europe. He wrote a column and the complete Foodservice section for Progressive Grocer Magazine for 6 years, … developed and administered a supermarket training program used by more than 16,000 supermarkets for over 12 years, … has been a featured speaker on almost every supermarket platform, … wrote and published two books, … filmed and distributed a 13-episode training concept entitled “Think Like A Retailer,”... and he currently delivers 30 or more high-energy virtual and live selling workshops a year.
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Buck Jones, CEO, A Buck's Worth
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2:50 PM
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3:30 PMSpirits Track: Selling Spirits DTC
Location: Palisades, 5th Floor
Of course sending that bottle through the mail is a great idea! But between varied state regulations, three-tier requirements, and operational obstacles, D2C sales of spirits to consumers is nowhere near the kind of market that it could be. Our speakers outline the playing field, offer tips on audience development, and explore the spirits market's relationship with online sales.-
Josh Jacobs, CEO, Speakeasy
Josh Jacobs
CEO, Speakeasy
Josh Jacobs is a data scientist by trade, but an entrepreneur at heart. Following his passion to build and tackle gaps in the market, Josh has launched companies in various sectors across fashion, moving, and the alcohol industry. With a BS in Mathematical Business from Wake Forest University, Josh continues to apply a data driven approach to scaling Speakeasy Co., an e-commerce and fulfillment platform for alcohol brands, as Co-Founder and CEO. When not wearing his entrepreneurial hat, you can find Josh pounding pavement along the coast in San Diego, stretching to new boundaries in the yoga studio, and generally loving the outdoors and pushing the limits physically with his college sweetheart now wife.
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Josh Jacobs, CEO, Speakeasy
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2:50 PM
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3:30 PMAdjusting to Omnichannel: Considerations for D2C Beverage Brands Scaling in Brick & Mortar
Location: Room 831
When brands open physical retail after launching D2C, things change: pricing and packaging structure, marketing, design, operations, and overall channel strategies are all on the table. Fortunately, our panel knows where the pain points are, and can have you smoothly arrive at the store, set up for growth.-
Jordan Bass, CEO & CoFounder, HOP WTR
Jordan Bass
CEO & CoFounder, HOP WTR
Jordan Bass co-founded HOP WTR after seven years at The Wonderful Company where he was Head of eCommerce and rapidly scaled the business to become leaders in CPG eCommerce. Jordan also held roles in corporate strategy and worked in venture capital. After garnering more than a decade of strategic experience spanning technology, management consulting, finance and CPG, Bass, who comes from a long line of entrepreneurs and has this DNA in his blood, was eager to get back to it. Losing his drinking partner (when his wife got pregnant) and wanting to lose his beer gut, he saw a need for a functional healthy beer alternative and partnered with Nick Taranto to bring it to life. Jordan lives in Los Angeles with his amazing wife, two daughters and dog, Hamilton, who has more Instagram followers than he does.
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Erin Chaiken, Head of Partnerships, Interact Brands
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Kate Dwyer, Founder, Trending Creative
Kate Dwyer
Founder, Trending Creative
Kate Dwyer is a Comercial Go-To-Market Strategist focused on the Beverage Industry. Her experience includes over a decade of supplier-side experience at Diageo, Constellation, and Anheuser-Busch in sales, marketing, and commercial innovation. In her most recent brand side role, Kate was the Chief Revenue Officer for Leilo, a Kava beverage in the functional beverage category. As the founder of Trending Creative, she has spent the last decade leading growth strategy and scaling execution with start-up CPG brands. She has had the opportunity to take multiple companies from ideation to multi-million-dollar product sales.
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Jordan Bass, CEO & CoFounder, HOP WTR
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Erin Chaiken, Head of Partnerships, Interact Brands
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Kate Dwyer, Founder, Trending Creative
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2:50 PM
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3:30 PMSponsored Talk: Crafting Better Beverages - A Sip of Tasty Nutrition
Location: Catalina Ballroom, 4th Floor
Health and wellness continue to be top of mind in this pandemic/post-pandemic time we find ourselves in. The elevated focus on health and wellness is sparking a shift in overall beverage categories. However, the taste experience is still key. In this session, our Ingredion beverage experts will guide you through key insights into the blurring of category lines and share how to deliver nutritious beverages without compromising taste and texture.-
Janae Kuc, Senior Marketing Manager, Beverage Category, Ingredion
Janae Kuc
Senior Marketing Manager, Beverage Category, Ingredion
Janae Kuc, Senior Marketing Manager, Beverage Category for US/CAN Ingredion, has been in the food industry for the past 12 years. She works in the food industry because her hobbies include eating and drinking. During her tenure she has held roles within marketing, business development, R&D and technical services. Adaptation and change have been key drivers throughout her career. She has survived multiple acquisitions and lived to tell the tale (Penford acquired Gum Technology in 2014, Ingredion acquired Penford in 2015, Ingredion acquired TIC Gums in 2016, Ingredion fully integrated TIC Gums in 2019). Through these acquisitions she has had the opportunity to gain perspective and experience through lenses and scopes of each of these companies. These opportunities have also given her the chance to explore and indulge in new surroundings. Food and beverage have continued to play an intricate role in her career, adapting to new innovations and consumer needs within the beverage category has been a true inspiration.
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Rich Stewart, Technical Service Project Leader, Ingredion
Rich Stewart
Technical Service Project Leader, Ingredion
Rich Stewart is a Technical Service Project Leader for the sweetener team at Ingredion with over 20 years of experience in the flavor and flavor modulation area. He has a food science degree from Rutgers University and a culinary degree from The Culinary Institute of America. Rich has been a member of the ISBT for over 10 years and has worked with major clients in the beverage space. In his spare time Rich enjoys woodworking, gardening, and cooking.
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Janae Kuc, Senior Marketing Manager, Beverage Category, Ingredion
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Rich Stewart, Technical Service Project Leader, Ingredion
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2:50 PM
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3:30 PMSponsored Workshop: Breakthrough Flavor Technology for Authentic Tasting Beverages
Location: Topanga (7th floor)
Liquid flavors for beverages primarily rely “washing” the base citrus oils to make a water-soluble compound. Old school beverage emulsion flavors are out of favor because they are hard to use and contain objectionable additives. Learn about innovative beverage flavor technology that enables your beverage to use the taste and aroma that comes from complete citrus oils – in a clean, water-soluble, more sustainable delivery system.-
Jim Vale, Senior VP of R&D, ZoomEssence
Jim Vale
Senior VP of R&D, ZoomEssence
Jim spent over 25 years in flavor and nutrition having patented new and novel delivery systems and commercialized several others. With a background in R&D, applied science, and commercial tech services he likes to use his diverse background to take a much larger view on innovation and technology. He and his family have lived in the Cincinnati area having opportunities to work for local large F&F companies and now the agile entrepreneurial ZoomEssence.
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Steve Hardek, Chief Strategy Officer, ZoomEssence
Steve Hardek
Chief Strategy Officer, ZoomEssence
As a founding member and Chief Strategy Officer, Steve is responsible for championing the Zooming®? technology portfolio as a key technical lead for our customers. During his time at ZoomEssence, Steve has held multiple roles including President and CFO as the business has grown from an idea to a company with a global customer base and extensive patent portfolio. Looking to the future, Steve is at the forefront of exploring how our innovative delivery system technology can improve beverage, food, and consumer products. Prior to ZoomEssence, Steve was in the private equity and investment banking business and has an MBA from Columbia Business School and undergrad from Rutgers University School of Business.
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Jim Vale, Senior VP of R&D, ZoomEssence
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Steve Hardek, Chief Strategy Officer, ZoomEssence
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3:30 PM
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5:30 PMBevNET Live Happy Hour
Location: Venice Ballroom, 4th Floor
Join your fellow attendees at the conclusion of day 1 presentations for beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages and light appetizers. -
6:00 PM
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8:00 PMBevNET Live Official Party, Presented by ForceBrands
Location: Pacific Garden, Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel
Join us for some outside fun and head to the lawn behind the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel for beachside networking! Swing on the glow swings, sit by the fire pit, play some lawn games and listen to live music while enjoying signature cocktails, beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages and light appetizers.
Please note: All times US Pacific Time
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8:30 AM
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9:30 AMBreakfast, Presented by Cometeer & Registration
Breakfast, coffee and beverages are served from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM PT and are included with registration. Registration and badge pick up opens for the day at 8:30 AM PT. -
9:00 AM
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9:20 AMThe Gospel of Gross Margin
Sharelle Klaus leads the BevNET Live audience on her journey to profitability via a relentless search for gross margin through cost controls, smart spending, and hard choices.-
Sharelle Klaus, CEO, Dry Soda
Sharelle Klaus
CEO, Dry Soda
As the visionary behind DRY, Sharelle Klaus has always had a passion for the culinary world and celebrating each part of a meal – including the beverages. After having four children and not being able to enjoy wine or cocktails with her meals, Klaus recognized the need for a refreshing, elevated, non-alcoholic option in the market that was worthy of pairing with a great meal. In 2005, Klaus crafted the first batches of DRY Soda in her home kitchen and officially launched DRY. For the last 17 years, Klaus has made it her mission to establish a culture of social drinking for everyone. Klaus brings nearly three decades of entrepreneurial, financial, and technology industry experience to her role as CEO at DRY. As an advocate for advancing the sober curious movement, she also spearheaded DRY’s investment stake in Austin-based sober bar, Sans Bar, and co-authored a, “The Guide to Zero-Proof Cocktails,” in November 2020. Prior to founding DRY, Klaus worked as a consultant for Infrastructure Management Group and Price Waterhouse. She also served as president of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, where she drove strategic development of programs, events and fundraising for the organization’s 250+ Seattle-area members. Klaus has been featured in numerous publications including Huffpost, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Bon Appetit, and Imbibe, as well as has spoken at various beverage industry events, including BevNET Live and Lo and No Beverage Summit. She was also honored by Seattle Business Magazine as one of its 2018 CEOs of the year. Sharelle is a mother of four and currently lives and works from the road in a converted SUV camper.
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Sharelle Klaus, CEO, Dry Soda
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9:20 AM
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9:40 AMTurn Up the Volume
Howitt, the founder of both Oregon Chai and Thaiwalla, shows how entrepreneurial beverage brands can use operations and volume expansion as a strategy to create long-term profitability.-
Heather Howitt, CEO, Thaiwala
Heather Howitt
CEO, Thaiwala
Heather would go to any length for a great business idea, in some cases, even as far as the Himalayas. Heather discovered Chai while trekking in India and brewed the first batch of Oregon Chai in her kitchen in 1994. The company grew to 35 people and was distributed in all 50 states, Canada and Europe, growing to over $32 million in sales. Within 10 years, the company sold for $75 million. Heather has been featured in numerous national business publications, including Forbes and Inc. Oregon Chai was consistently featured as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States, capturing over 80 percent of the Chai category and topping the list as the fastest growing company in the tea category. For her next business idea, Heather’s travels took her to Thailand, where she found the most pristine tea farm where she learned the mysterious Thai art of tea brewing; decoding the secrets behind pandan leaf; tracking down impeccable sources for ingredients. Since introducing Thaiwala in 2019, Thaiwala is now a national brand in over 5000 retailers. As a serial entrepreneur, Heather is well-established in the tea concentrate category and has years of experience managing and growing teams into successful businesses. She has strong knowledge from research and development, brewing, and co packing to the supply chain, distributors and retailers. Awards 2003: Outstanding Women Entrepreneurial Award by U.S. Small Business Administration, the office of Entrepreneur Development.
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Heather Howitt, CEO, Thaiwala
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9:40 AM
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10:00 AMStrategy Breakdown Q and A
In this panel discussion, Davies joins our presenters to add ideas around their strategies, as well as other paths forward for beverage brands seeking a move toward profitable growth.-
Sharelle Klaus, CEO, Dry Soda
Sharelle Klaus
CEO, Dry Soda
As the visionary behind DRY, Sharelle Klaus has always had a passion for the culinary world and celebrating each part of a meal – including the beverages. After having four children and not being able to enjoy wine or cocktails with her meals, Klaus recognized the need for a refreshing, elevated, non-alcoholic option in the market that was worthy of pairing with a great meal. In 2005, Klaus crafted the first batches of DRY Soda in her home kitchen and officially launched DRY. For the last 17 years, Klaus has made it her mission to establish a culture of social drinking for everyone. Klaus brings nearly three decades of entrepreneurial, financial, and technology industry experience to her role as CEO at DRY. As an advocate for advancing the sober curious movement, she also spearheaded DRY’s investment stake in Austin-based sober bar, Sans Bar, and co-authored a, “The Guide to Zero-Proof Cocktails,” in November 2020. Prior to founding DRY, Klaus worked as a consultant for Infrastructure Management Group and Price Waterhouse. She also served as president of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, where she drove strategic development of programs, events and fundraising for the organization’s 250+ Seattle-area members. Klaus has been featured in numerous publications including Huffpost, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Bon Appetit, and Imbibe, as well as has spoken at various beverage industry events, including BevNET Live and Lo and No Beverage Summit. She was also honored by Seattle Business Magazine as one of its 2018 CEOs of the year. Sharelle is a mother of four and currently lives and works from the road in a converted SUV camper.
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Heather Howitt, CEO, Thaiwala
Heather Howitt
CEO, Thaiwala
Heather would go to any length for a great business idea, in some cases, even as far as the Himalayas. Heather discovered Chai while trekking in India and brewed the first batch of Oregon Chai in her kitchen in 1994. The company grew to 35 people and was distributed in all 50 states, Canada and Europe, growing to over $32 million in sales. Within 10 years, the company sold for $75 million. Heather has been featured in numerous national business publications, including Forbes and Inc. Oregon Chai was consistently featured as one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the United States, capturing over 80 percent of the Chai category and topping the list as the fastest growing company in the tea category. For her next business idea, Heather’s travels took her to Thailand, where she found the most pristine tea farm where she learned the mysterious Thai art of tea brewing; decoding the secrets behind pandan leaf; tracking down impeccable sources for ingredients. Since introducing Thaiwala in 2019, Thaiwala is now a national brand in over 5000 retailers. As a serial entrepreneur, Heather is well-established in the tea concentrate category and has years of experience managing and growing teams into successful businesses. She has strong knowledge from research and development, brewing, and co packing to the supply chain, distributors and retailers. Awards 2003: Outstanding Women Entrepreneurial Award by U.S. Small Business Administration, the office of Entrepreneur Development.
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Claire Davies, Managing Director, LEK
Claire Davies
Managing Director, LEK
Claire is a Managing Director and Partner in L.E.K.’s Consumer Practice based out of Los Angeles. Focusing on Food and Beverage, she has over 14 years’ experience leading corporate and business unit growth strategy, value creation projects and has supported over 150 transactions with Commercial Due Diligence. She has supported a broad range of private equity, portfolio companies and leading retailers / consumer brands across the US and Europe. Within Beverage specifically, she has advised with a range of businesses across alc and non-alc included branded players and contract manufacturers. Claire regularly publishes on trends in the food and beverage sector and the role of data analytics in improving business value. Claire moved to the US in 2016 from the UK and has a Master of Engineering degree from University of Cambridge.
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Sharelle Klaus, CEO, Dry Soda
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Heather Howitt, CEO, Thaiwala
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Claire Davies, Managing Director, LEK
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10:00 AM
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10:20 AMSelf-Care Two Ways: Bolstering Brands, Bolstering Founders
Self-Care might be a hot brand sector, but it's also a key to entrepreneurial survival. Quentin Vennie, an author, activist and the co-founder and CEO of Equitea and Gwyneth Paltrow, the Founder and CEO of goop, will join us for this one-time only discussion. (Note: There will be no rebroadcast of this session)-
Gwyneth Paltrow, Founder & CEO, goop
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Quentin Vennie, Co-Founder & CEO, Equitea
Quentin Vennie
Co-Founder & CEO, Equitea
Co-Founder & CEO of The Equitea Co., Quentin Vennie is a celebrated wellness expert, international keynote speaker, advocate for mental health and author of the bestselling memoir, Strong In The Broken Places. Quentin has been recognized as one of Black Enterprise magazine’s 100 Modern Men of Distinction and by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, for his work in mental health and addiction recovery. He also appeared as the wellness keynote speaker for Colin Kaepernick’s “Know My Rights” Camp in Quentin’s hometown of Baltimore, MD. Quentin serves on the advisory board for the Partnering for Student Wellness program, a mental health research study conducted by The University of Maryland and the University of South Carolina and has also served on the advisory council for Lineage Project, a non-profit that teaches trauma-informed mindfulness practices to youth in New York City. Through his work with Equitea, Quentin is bringing his years of experience in wellness and mental health to the beverage industry, intersecting his love and passion for tea with his desire to increase equity in wellness and destigmatize mental health, one sip at a time.
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Gwyneth Paltrow, Founder & CEO, goop
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Quentin Vennie, Co-Founder & CEO, Equitea
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10:20 AM
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10:45 AMNetworking, Sampling & Taste Radio Studio
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10:45 AM
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11:15 AMNew Beverage Showdown Finals - Round I
Our first three finalists have polished their pitches. What will the judges think? -
11:15 AM
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11:40 AMThe Nearest Masterpiece
Uncle Nearest founder and CEO Fawn Weaver will discuss the beverage business, entrepreneurship, investment and share her story as the founder of Uncle Nearest, Inc., the largest Black-owned distillery in the U.S.-
Fawn Weaver, CEO & Founder, Uncle Nearest
Fawn Weaver
CEO & Founder, Uncle Nearest
Fawn Weaver has been a serial entrepreneur for more than 25 years. As the CEO and founder of Grant Sidney, Inc., a privately held investment company, Weaver is often active in her investments, overseeing strategy from behind the scenes. She is also the CEO of Uncle Nearest, Inc. which she founded in 2016 and has become the fastest-growing American whiskey brand in U.S. history and the most awarded Bourbon of 2019, 2020 and 2021. Weaver is the founder of the Nearest Green Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering full scholarships to every descendant of Nearest Green, the world’s first known African-American master distiller. In 2021, Weaver created the Uncle Nearest Venture Fund, to invest in minority founded, owned and led brands with the greatest potential to grow into legacy brands. Weaver is a popular TED speaker, as well as a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author who has appeared on 100s of popular radio, morning and television talk shows, including NPR, FOX Business, the TODAY Show, CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, CNBC, Bloomberg, Fast Company, Washington Post and The New York Times. She is a regular contributor to Inc. Magazine and her revealing How I Built This segment with Guy Raz on NPR had the internet abuzz for weeks. She is certified as a Corporate Director by Harvard Business School and in March 2021, was named to the Endeavor Group Holdings (NYSE: EDR) board of directors, alongside Elon Musk, where she also serves on its audit committee.
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Fawn Weaver, CEO & Founder, Uncle Nearest
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11:40 AM
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12:05 PMRetailer Deep Dive: Crushing It in Kroger
Wins in Kroger and its huge family of banners can lead to exponential growth for beverage companies -- but what does it take to rack up those wins? And how are Kroger consumers changing? Finley and Trott share insights into succeeding in Kroger, and what its customer base is looking for.-
Cassie Finley, Director of DSD Beverage Merchandising, Kroger
Cassie Finley
Director of DSD Beverage Merchandising, Kroger
As Director of DSD Beverage Merchandising, Cassie leads a team of 25+ associates for The Kroger Co. She is responsible for merchandising for all shelf stable non-alcoholic Beverage for DSD & CSD. Cassie began her Kroger career in 2019 as the Merchandising Coordinator in Adult Beverage supporting the Beer commodities. She was promoted to Director of DSD Beverage in June of 2020. Prior to joining Kroger, Cassie spent eighteen months as a Change Leader for Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods Market. Before this time, Cassie spent fifteen years at Walmart covering different roles from Store Manager, Buyer and Regional Merchandise Director. Cassie graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in Business Administion. Cassie currently lives in Kentucky with her partner, Henry, and their son and daughter.
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Alexandra Trott, Director, Insights, 84.51
Alexandra Trott
Director, Insights, 84.51
As a Director of Insights, Alex Trott, is responsible for ensuring 84.51°’s CPG clients are getting value and insights out of Kroger data by enabling 84.51° Stratum, 84.51° Collaborative Cloud, 84.51° In-Queries and other data capabilities. Alex was promoted to her current role after serving 10 years with the company in a variety of roles. In her longest tenured role as Senior Client Lead, Kroger Merchandising, she created and led the multi-disciplinary, customer-focused strategy for the Natural Foods Department at Kroger. Under her guidance, she helped Kroger become a leader in the natural and organic space and spoke on the retailer’s behalf at Expo West, The Wellness Your Way Festival, The Nexty Awards, BevNet and NoshLive. She also spearheaded the creation of the Natural Foods Summit, which was an innovation platform that promoted discussion about natural food trends and allowed emerging brands to showcase their products directly to Kroger. Alex began her career at 84.51°, previously dunnhumbyUSA, in the grad program as an associate client lead in Communications & Media. A native Cincinnatian, Alex graduated from Miami University with Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a minor in entrepreneurship. She sits on the Network of Executive Women Cincinnati Regional leadership team and has tutored 3rd grade math and reading at the Oyler School for 9 consecutive school years.
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Cassie Finley, Director of DSD Beverage Merchandising, Kroger
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Alexandra Trott, Director, Insights, 84.51
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12:05 PM
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12:30 PMGHOST World: Community, Content Strategy, Constant Growth
Since launching an energy drink in 2020, GHOST has quietly settled into the express lane of the energy/fitness nexus to reach more than 50,000 points of distribution. Lourenco will discuss the ways that Ghost maintains the brand’s deep focus on its community, how it cultivated its target consumer group and how it targets that group through content.-
Dan Lourenco, CEO and Co-Founder, GHOST
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Dan Lourenco, CEO and Co-Founder, GHOST
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12:30 PM
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1:30 PMLunch, Sampling & Taste Radio Studio
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1:30 PM
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2:00 PMNew Beverage Showdown Finals - Round II
Better get your seat back after lunch, because the last three finalists are ready to pitch! -
2:00 PM
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2:25 PMInside the Mind of the Beverage Investor
We'll hear from a group of investors who are interested in the beverage business on the specifics of their partnership ambitions, with an eye toward the macro environment: How is uncertainty about global economic health affecting the ability of beverage brands to find investors? How are investors' expectations changing with regard to company growth?-
Nick Mindel, Founder & CEO, Amberstone
Nick Mindel
Founder & CEO, Amberstone
Nick co-founded Amberstone in 2019. Nick has extensive experience in both consumer finance where he has held roles in investment banking, credit financing, growth investing and venture investing, as well as consumer operations. Prior to co-founding Amberstone, Nick ran Trail Post Ventures (TPV), a consumer focused fundless sponsor based in San Francisco. At TPV, Nick participated in the Series A investment in nutpods, a clean ingredient, non-dairy coffee creamer; the Series A investment in Rumpl an outdoor, technical blanket company; the Series A investment in Naadam, a DTC cashmere company; and the Series Seed investment in JuneShine, an alcoholic kombucha company. Prior to TPV, Nick was an Associate in Piper Jaffray’s Investment Banking division where he covered the consumer vertical. Before joining Piper Jaffray, Nick was an investing partner and General Manager of a high-end, Mexican restaurant concept where he ran finance and operations, and helped determine expansion plans, while simultaneously operating the restaurant on a day to day basis. Nick also held an Associate role with THL Credit, focusing on management buyout and leveraged buyout transactions in the consumer space. Nick began his career in investment banking at North Point Advisors where he focused on the consumer vertical. Nick earned Bachelor of Arts in both Economics and Political Science from The University of Southern California. Nick also earned a Master of Business Administration from The University of Southern California where he graduated Dean’s List and was chosen in his second year as the recipient of the Provident Investment Counsel Endowed Scholarship.
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Alyssa Ferenz, CFO, Alliance Consumer Growth
Alyssa Ferenz
CFO, Alliance Consumer Growth
Alyssa Ferenz is CFO of Alliance Consumer Growth (ACG) and where she is responsible for firmwide financial management, operations, compliance, and investor relations. In addition, she participates in the firm’s investment activities and is actively involved in portfolio company oversight. Alyssa co-led ACG’s investment in Athletic Brewing Company, and is also involved in overseeing the firm’s investment in Betty Buzz. She currently serves as a Board Member of Athletic Brewing, The Honest Kitchen and Clio Snacks. Alyssa has over 20 years of experience with entrepreneurial consumer, food and beverage brands. Prior to joining ACG, she served as Vice President of Finance at Boulder Brands, parent of the Udi’s, Glutino and EVOL brands. Previously she served as Chief Financial Officer of EVOL Foods and played an integral role in helping to grow EVOL and in consummating its successful sale to Boulder Brands. Prior to EVOL, she was an early team member at Bear Naked granola, which grew significantly before being acquired by Kashi (Kellogg’s). Alyssa holds an M.B.A. from New York University’s Stern School of Business with a dual concentration in Finance and Entrepreneurship, and a B.A. with honors in Mathematics and Art from Lafayette College.
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Ara Abrahamian, Investment Director, ONCE Ventures
Ara Abrahamian
Investment Director, ONCE Ventures
Ara leads sourcing, diligence, and deal execution for ONCE Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Otsuka Holdings. Focused on finding innovation that has a positive impact on human health, Ara is always looking to meet with founders who have an eye on efficacy and the wellbeing of consumers. In addition to his responsibilities at ONCE Ventures, Ara is also a leader within Otsuka’s corporate development team where he leads acquisition efforts in North America for Otsuka’s Nutraceuticals segment. Prior to joining Otsuka, Ara was a member of the Strategy and Corporate Development team at Pharmavite, which is Otsuka’s supplements subsidiary and parent company of Nature Made and MegaFood. Before that, Ara was a member of the Distressed Opportunities fund at Oaktree Capital and, prior to that, worked across M&A and leveraged finance at UBS Investment Bank. Outside of the office, Ara loves to travel, camp, and spend time with his wife and two young boys.
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Nick Mindel, Founder & CEO, Amberstone
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Alyssa Ferenz, CFO, Alliance Consumer Growth
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Ara Abrahamian, Investment Director, ONCE Ventures
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2:25 PM
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2:50 PMRetailer Deep Dive: Succeeding in Sprouts
With nearly 400 stores, a discerning customer base, and an interest in innovation, Sprouts has emerged as one of the most influential stores for entrepreneurial beverage brands. Brian Albert will discuss what it takes to get in and succeed as a partner with this prime retail customer.-
Brian Albert, Sr. Category Manager, Grocery, Sprouts
Brian Albert
Sr. Category Manager, Grocery, Sprouts
Brian Albert manages the merchandising and assortment for non-alcoholic beverages at Sprouts Farmers Market. Over a 30-year career, Brian has had various positions in marketing, merchandising, and product development with stops at Campbell’s, Coors, Wild Oats, Giant Eagle, Sprouts, and iMC2, a pioneer in digital marketing. Those experiences coupled with his marketing and entrepreneurial management degrees from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and the University of Colorado, Brian has a strong knowledge base on what it takes to create and maintain a successful beverage brand.”
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Brian Albert, Sr. Category Manager, Grocery, Sprouts
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2:50 PM
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3:15 PMBootstrapping Biolyte: The Entrepreneur’s Journey
Jesslyn Rollins started selling a new kind of electrolyte drink from her trunk in 2016. Now it's in more than 20,000 stores, and that growth has brought with it some key lessons as Rollins has gone from founder to leader. She'll share what she's learned as a founder/CEO as Biolyte has expanded.-
Jesslyn Rollins, CEO, Biolyte
Jesslyn Rollins
CEO, Biolyte
In 2016, Jesslyn Rollins was approached by her father, Atlanta-based anesthesiologist Dr. Trey Rollins about his new product BIOLYTE, that was supposed to simulate an IV but in drinkable form. It was created as a remedy for his wife and Jesslyn’s mom, Jeannine, who was battling breast cancer at the time and suffering from severe dehydration from the chemo treatments. Insistent on discovering for herself if this product really worked, Jesslyn immediately jumped into sales mode and – with a background in theatre and performing arts – started collecting data from her own experiences and moved onto high school athletic departments and college fraternities via a cooler of the liquid supplement from the back of her car! Throughout this time, she single-handedly sold, packaged, shipped and even delivered BIOLYTE personally to anyone who purchased, before landing her first big account: Kroger. Since the brand’s inception, she has held every position in the company from director of sales, chief sales and marketing officer to now, CEO (at age 30), managing the sales, marketing, operations, finance and production teams. BIOLYTE is now a multi-million-dollar company, and was just named to the Inc. 5000: earning the 605th spot on the list of America’s fastest-growing private companies. Each bottle mimics an IV bag – offering 6.5 times the electrolytes as leading sports drinks, and 1/3 of the sugar: an efficient, effective remedy to dehydration and associated symptoms, like nausea, headaches, body aches and the overall feeling of being rundown.
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Jesslyn Rollins, CEO, Biolyte
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3:15 PM
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3:30 PMNew Beverage Showdown: Judges’ Remarks and Winner Announcement
The judges are ready to rule! Hear what they liked about the brands, where there's room for growth, and who is ultimately the winner of our latest New Beverage Showdown.
Gold Sponsors
Sample the Latest Beverage Innovations
Pitching your product is great, but sometimes taste just speaks for itself. To move conversations forward and set you up for potential partnerships, beverages from attending brands are showcased in sampling fridges throughout the event. This makes it easier for brands and industry executives to connect and do business. Go beyond your pitch and form more meaningful relationships with industry investors, retailers, suppliers and service providers.
You must be a registered attendee of BevNET Live Winter 2022 to sample.
Learn How to Grow Your RTD Spirits Company
Starting the Sunday prior to BevNET Live, and continuing through Monday, we will dive into the world of ready-to-drink spirits.
RTD volumes have been growing faster than any drinks category since 2018, according to drinks data company IWSR*. There are nearly 650 RTD brands on beverage retailer Drizly, up from 450 in 2021, which was a 45% increase over the previous year, and a whopping 170% increase over 2019.
At BevNET Live we’ll explore the category's explosive growth, and provide important information, resources and connections.
*IWSR includes hard seltzers in its definition of RTDs
New Beverage Showdown: Put Your Brand in the Spotlight
Pitch your brand and your product to a panel of expert judges in front of our audience of retailers, investors, distributors, and other influential industry partners. New Beverage Showdown participants are the celebrities of BevNET Live. Be the center of attention among hundreds of industry executives and decision makers, receive instant feedback from an expert panel of judges, and compete for a prize valued at $10,000.
Beverage School: Education to Get You Started
The day before BevNET Live, industry newcomers can learn the basics of running a beverage business and jumpstart their networking at Beverage School. Experts will present on the 5 topics early-stage beverage brands need to know, including finance, sales, marketing, design, and operations.
Following the presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to sit down with the experts and ask them their toughest questions.
Beverage School helps lay the foundation for success. If you're just getting started in the natural packaged food industry, we recommend you attend the segment.
Beverage Decision Makers Attend BevNET Live
Stay at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel
BevNET Live's winter event takes place at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. Enjoy the SoCal weather, magnificent sunsets, views of the Santa Monica Pier, and superior accommodations at the famous beachfront hotel. From standard rooms to oceanfront suites, the discounted room block rates are half the standard rate. All rooms are available on a first come, first served basis for registered attendees. All past room blocks have sold out. Register today to have first access to the room block.