Headlines

CB Insights has dubbed 2019 “the year of getting closer to the consumer,” predicting that the next year will see brands and corporations seek a more direct connection with consumers through e-commerce platforms and personalization.

PepsiCo North America announced today that CEO Albert P. Carey will retire at the end of March. Frito-Lay North America president and COO Vivek Sankaran and North America Beverages president and COO Kirk Tanner have accepted CEO positions in their respective units.

Sharelle Klaus, founder and CEO of DRY Soda, Vanessa Walker, founder of Millennial Brands, and REBBL CEO Sheryl O'Loughlin looked to identify the underpinning issues that limit opportunities for women to advance in business, but also sought ways to affect gradual positive change.

The Coca Cola Company’s Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) unit announced the departure of president and general manager Scott Uzzell this morning, as the 18-year company veteran will leave next month to become president and CEO of footwear and apparel company Converse, a division of Nike, Inc.

The former members of shared kitchen space Pilotworks were dealt another blow this week as Nursery, the incubator set to reopen in the space, ultimately decided to not move forward with its plans.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced new mandatory disclosure requirements for labelling genetically modified foods that will take effect in 2020.

The Coca-Cola Company announced today it has taken a minority stake in Iris Nova, the parent company of functional beverage brand Dirty Lemon, leading a $15 million investment round that also included former baseball star Alex Rodriguez.

Novamex has acquired Tio Gazpacho for an undisclosed sum, the company announced today, more than a year after the Hispanic-focused beverage marketer first invested in the drinkable soup brand. Primarily an importer of Mexican brands such as Jarritos and Mineragua, Novamex said in the announcement that it is focusing on becoming a growth platform for natural and organic beverages, such as the organic certified Tio Gazpacho.

Peet’s Coffee has taken a majority stake in California-based kombucha brand Revive, giving the growing company a single long-term partner with which to build upon its existing growth. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Anheuser-Busch InBev yesterday announced a partnership with Canadian cannabis company Tilray that is aimed at researching non-alcoholic beverages infused with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol).