Nicole Bernard Dawes is a pioneering entrepreneur with a lifelong mission to prove that organic products can taste just as good as, if not better than, their conventional counterparts. She has built multiple award-winning, nationally distributed brands that have redefined what better-for-you food and beverage can be. Growing up on the counter of her mother's natural food store in the 1970s and the factory floor of her father's company, Cape Cod Potato Chips, Nicole was inspired to create brands that combined the best of both worlds. In 2003, she founded Late July Snacks, one of the first brands to carry the USDA Certified Organic seal. And in 2019, she founded Nixie — the most delicious zero-calorie, zero-sugar beverages on the market. With more than 30 years of product development experience, Nicole launched Nixie to shake up the beverage category with a bold mission: to eliminate sugar, single-use plastic bottles, and toxic forever-chemicals from consumers' favorite beverages - without sacrificing flavor or fun. Nixie quickly became one of the fastest-growing sparkling water brands, leading to its 2024 expansion into organic, zero-sugar sodas in nostalgic, classic flavors that rival mainstream diet sodas. Nixie Organic Zero Sugar Soda and Sparkling Water is sold in over 11,000 retailers nationwide and continues to grow. Nicole's leadership has earned her recognition from Food & Wine and Fortune as one of the "Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink," and from Forbes as one of the "Top Five Women Breaking Barriers in Food and Beverage." In 2007, she testified before Congress in a historic hearing on behalf of the Organic Trade Association. She's also spoken at industry events, including Expo West, NOSH Live, plus the Hirshberg Entrepreneurship Institute.

Ryan Fagan is a Deal Partner at Gryphon Investors, a $10 billion middle-market private equity firm. He focuses on growth investments in Consumer Health & Wellness and Better-For-You Food and Beverage. Most recently, Ryan led Gryphon’s investment in Spindrift in partnership with Founder and Chairman Bill Creelman and CEO Dave Burwick. He also serves on the boards of Metagenics and Mechanix Wear, and has supported prior Gryphon investments including Zicam and Dessert Holdings. He began his career at Gryphon in 2007, after earning a J.D. from Columbia Law School and a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Originally from Philadelphia, he now lives in the Bay Area with his wife and two daughters.

Kim Route is a Category Manager at INFRA, where she curates strategic promotions and identifies emerging trends across snacks, candy, chocolate, and beverages. With experience spanning both conventional and natural grocery, she is passionate about helping independent retailers thrive and advancing a more sustainable food system. Outside of work, Kim enjoys time with her three dogs, trying new recipes, exploring local breweries, and serving on the Advisory Board for Minnesota State University’s Women in Leadership program.

Nate Cooper is the founder & Managing Partner of Barrel Ventures, a seed-stage venture fund based in Chicago that supports category-defining companies innovating in throughout the food ecosystem. He launched Barrel after founding L3 Hospitality Group and Wise Apple—an early venture aimed at reinventing kids’ lunch. An early investor in companies such as Olipop, Nowadays, Helaina, Jumbotail, Confido & many more, Barrel focuses on companies where they can add a disproportionate amount of value. An Emory University graduate from the Goizueta School of Business, Nate earned his MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management as a Kellogg Scholar and Zell Fellow. At home, he's supported by his wife Ariel and 3 young kiddos Sadie (5), Chase (3), and Maddy (1).

Giuseppe Infusino is a Partner and the Chief Investment Officer at InvestBev, a private equity firm that invests in consumer brands, support services, and hard assets in the beverage space. He leads InvestBev’s investment strategy development, sourcing, diligence, and structuring processes. Prior to InvestBev, Giuseppe spent over a decade managing multiple private market investment portfolios on behalf of prominent institutional investors. He has successfully deployed over $10 billion across various strategies. Giuseppe is on the boards of CANN, Speakeasy, and L’Uva Bella. He holds an MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a B.S. in Finance and Real Estate from University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Jon Halper is the Owner and CEO of Top Ten Liquors, one of the Twin Cities’ fastest-growing independent liquor retailers. Since acquiring the business in 2013, Jon has expanded Top Ten into a leading presence across Minnesota, recognized for its innovative retail approach and commitment to community. In addition to building one of the state’s most successful liquor businesses, Jon has emerged as an industry leader in the THC and cannabis market. He has played a pioneering role in advancing usage, shaping regulatory policy, and fostering collaboration across the country. His work as a network builder and advocate has helped position Minnesota at the forefront of this rapidly evolving industry. Jon and his wife, Jill, are also deeply committed to philanthropy. They are longtime champions of the Children’s Cancer Research Fund (CCRF) and continue to give back through numerous local charities and community initiatives. With a career spanning law, retail, and entrepreneurship, Jon brings a unique perspective on growth, responsible innovation, and the future of both the liquor and cannabis industries.

Brad partners with leading growth-stage food and beverage companies as an active Board member working with high performance CEOs to optimize their leadership effectiveness across all business dimensions in order to build/scale dynamic brands and create high value, category winning companies effectively positioned to sustainably drive strong, profitable growth and/or exit to strategic acquirers. Current Boards: Country Archer, Gimme Foods, Biena and Barney Butter. Prior Boards from early/growth stage through to Company Exit: Kevita (Pepsi), Simple Mills (Flowers Foods), Krave (Hershey), Flying Embers (JuneShine), Health Warrior (Pepsi), RightRice (Planting Hope), Zola (Karp Reilly), Fishpeople (Bornstein Seafood), Chameleon Cold Brew (Nestle), Red’s All Natural (Bansk Group) and Aura Bora (Next in Natural) … with cumulative exit value surpassing $1.5 billion. After time spent in management consulting and investment banking, Brad’s food/bev journey began over twenty-five years ago as the Founder/CEO of the Fantasia Fresh Juice Co. which he built into a leading superpremium fresh juice/smoothie brand culminating in a merger with Naked Juice and subsequent acquisition by Pepsi. He holds an MBA from the Stanford GSB and a true passion for unlocking the power of human transformation and possibility in life and leadership.

Jomaree Pinkard brings 15 years of experience scaling startup businesses, spanning multi-channel expansion, market analysis, and strategic business planning. Most recently, Pinkard led Diageo's $200M Venture Impact Fund, Pronghorn as CEO and Managing Director, where he spearheaded the company’s overarching mission of diversifying the spirits industry by cultivating and investing in the next generation of founders, executives, and entrepreneurs.  Before joining Pronghorn, Pinkard spent a decade as the Co-Founder, CEO, and now Chairman of Hella Cocktail Co., a minority-owned craft beverage company. During his tenure, Pinkard spearheaded numerous strategic brand evolutions and introduced groundbreaking product innovations that propelled the company into a national enterprise. At Hella Cocktail Co., Pinkard forged impactful partnerships with major brands such as Southern Glazers’ Wine & Spirits, TGI Fridays, Disney, Delta Airlines, and others. Prior to his leadership at Hella Cocktail Co., Pinkard made significant contributions to various sectors. He played a pivotal role in developing The Salvation Army's September 11 World Trade Center Recovery Program, held a Vice President position at Marsh & McLennan, and offered independent consulting services to the National Football League. Pinkard is an alumnus of the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce and holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, he was appointed to the Specialty Food Association Board of Directors in 2021-2024, and is a founding member of :INCLUDED CPG, a nonprofit supporting 600+ diverse founders across the consumer products industry. 

In 2011, Dr. Aaron Hinde made what many would call a bold move: he walked away from a thriving sports-chiropractic practice and dove head-first into the cutthroat world of beverage…where one year’s failure rate hovers around 95 %. Partnering with fellow Santa Cruz native Orion Melehan, he co-founded LIFEAID Beverage Company (aka FITAID) with a clear mission: offer clean, function forward lifestyle drinks as healthier alternatives to the sugar- loaded, artificially enhanced energy and sports beverages dominating the market. To prove his commitment, Aaron relocated his family into a minimalist, off-the-grid 400-square- foot home and turned “entrepreneur” into a full-time lifestyle. Their flagship product, FITAID, swiftly found favor among the CrossFit crowd as the go-to for clean recovery. Today LIFEAID’s lineup includes FITAID Recovery, FITAID Energy, FITAID Creatine, FOCUSAID, PARTYAID, IMMUNITYAID and powder stick formats of Hydrate and Creatine products that dominate niche fitness channels and shelf space in mainstream retailers such as Whole Foods, Sprouts, HEB and Vitamin Shoppe. Aaron holds a B.A. in Economics (minor in International Business) from Saint Vincent College and a Doctor of Chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic West. He served professional athletes and CrossFitters for a decade in Santa Cruz, then entered public service: elected to the Santa Cruz County Board of Education as a trustee in 2008 and re-elected in 2010. Ultimately, he sold his practice, stepped away from politics and put his full energy into turning FITAID into a household name. Beyond his leadership at LIFEAID, Aaron is a business advisor and investor in consumer-goods ventures. He’s married to his wife Ramah for 23 years and is father to Trinity (21) and Bronson (19), two outspoken FITAID fans and part-time taste-testers.

Angela Bozo is the Director of Member Programs at INFRA, joining the team in late 2021 with extensive experience in grocery retail, customer experience and training.  Angela was part of the leadership team that grew New Seasons Market to 20+ locations operating in 3 regions, managing a specialized culinary team at all stores that focused on elevating customer service and increasing overall product knowledge. She is proud to have contributed to New Seasons Market becoming the world’s first B Corp grocer. In 2018, she transitioned to IDDBA where she led the creation of the Charcuterie Professional Certification as well as oversaw the IDDBA-IRI partnership that resulted in Integrated Fresh, a data-based hierarchy for perishable departments. Angela is a lifelong learner, self-described grocery nerd and finds joy in ideating and creating resources and education to continue to evolve the grocery shopping experience for retailers and customers. And yes, her last name is pronounced exactly as you think it would be. 

Jorge Espinoza is the Beverage Merchant at Sprouts Farmers Market, he is a forward thinking merchant with an eye for new product innovation. He leads with passion to drive business forward rooted in consumer and market insights. His ability to plan multi-year strategies with supplier partners positions categories he manages to be in market-leading positions. Through his natural curiosity on the "what if" of categories, he works towards providing consumer-centered solutions they didn't expect to need and to offer a different on-shelf experience in the retail marketplace. Jorge brings a uniquely well-rounded perspective to category management with experience in merchandising across hard goods, dry grocery and salty snacks prior to Sprouts.

Mason began his career with Sprouts Farmers Market in 2015, where he developed a strong foundation in the natural foods industry through roles as a Department Specialist and Merchandise Planner. During that time, Mason gained valuable experience in category management, product strategy, and the fast-paced world of natural grocery retail. Now, as a Forager Manager with Sprouts, he is focused on discovering and supporting innovative, emerging brands that bring fresh ideas and high-quality products to market. Mason loves to help small businesses grow and connect with customers on new and exciting items that make Sprouts one of the fastest-growing natural foods retailers in the country. Mason is passionate about the ability for innovation, entrepreneurship, and better-for- you foods, and is always looking for what’s next in the natural products space.

Hilary Brammer is the Non-Alcoholic Beverage Buyer at Bristol Farms, where she curates one of the most forward-thinking specialty sets in the premium grocery space. With a professional foundation in wine selection, education, and category management, she brings a sommelier’s palate and a merchant’s eye to the rapidly evolving NA category. Hilary is known for identifying emerging brands early, balancing innovation with approachability, and creating thoughtful assortments that resonate with Bristol Farms’ culinary-minded shoppers. Her background in wine informs her nuanced understanding of flavor, craftsmanship, and storytelling — helping her champion products that deliver depth, complexity, and a true elevated drinking experience, without the alcohol. At the intersection of trend, taste, and retail execution, Hilary continues to shape one of the most dynamic beverage categories in modern grocery.