In a set of presentations that will illuminate the challenges facing entrepreneurial beverage companies as they try to build new categories, BevNET Live will feature emerging CEOs Daniel Sullivan of TumericALIVE and Chris Campbell of Chameleon Cold Brew for in-depth strategy discussions.
At TumericALIVE, Sullivan has fused a trendy ingredient with innovative high-pressure processing technology to create a brand that is growing in key cities like New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Denver and more. Still grounded solidly in the incubation channels offered at Whole Foods and other natural and specialty retailers, TumericALIVE is an edgy product that has won converts interested in incorporating turmeric’s healthful properties into their lives.
Ingredient-based beverage plays are not new but the way that Sullivan has been able to extend the reach of a product that has rarely been thought of as more than part of a spice blend and build a brand around it is a remarkable combination of marketing and the founders’ own enthusiasm for the product. He will discuss ways of extending personal passion and a rising tide of consumer interest in an ingredient into a brand-building opportunity when he speaks with BevNET Live attendees on Wednesday, May 14.
After Sullivan’s talk, the BevNET Live audience will have the opportunity to join in a cocktail party and networking session sponsored by NIDA – (Northeast Independent Distributors Association), a collection of more than 20 of the most important independent beverage distributors on the East Coast.
The following morning, Campbell will take attendees inside the fast growing cold-brewed coffee category, where the pressure to innovate and build brands has increased immensely over the past year. While Austin-based Chameleon had been gaining momentum behind the coffee concentrates that have governed the category thus far, earlier this year the company moved into the ready-to-drink single-serve arena as more consumers and retailers expressed interest in adapting the product to new formats. The increased retailer attention – and commensurate addition of competitors in the category – has resulted in an acceleration of the category’s growth rate and a decrease in the amount of time coffee makers have to make strategic decisions.
In a talk that will be valuable to entrepreneurs in any growing category, Campbell will walk BevNET Live attendees through the ways that Chameleon has reacted to the changing strategic environment in the coffee category, as well as the reasoning behind those reactive efforts. In a classic case study, he will discuss ways brands can both retain focus and adjust their goals as the race to market gets faster.
Strategic discussions and easygoing networking are the hallmark of the kinds of knowledge and connection that are featured at BevNET Live, and represent a fantastic opportunity for both emerging and established beverage brands to grow and thrive. Seats are limited, so register now.
About Daniel Sullivan
The visionary behind TumericALIVE’s cold-pressed multi-functional beverage line, Daniel Sullivan is a classically trained artist, who travelled the world studying cultures, languages and philosophy. Inspired by a passion for yoga, Ayurveda, and pranayama, Sullivan traveled to India, where turmeric had existed for thousands of years as an integral thread of the cultural fabric and daily life. Sullivan was introduced to organic biodynamic turmeric
About Chris Campbell
Campbell is Co-Founder, President and CEO of Chameleon Cold-Brew, the nation’s leading maker of cold-brewed coffee. Founded in 2010, the first bottle of Chameleon’s cold-brewed coffee concentrate hit shelves in early 2011, followed by additional flavors in 2013 and a line of ready to drink coffees launched in 2014. The company has grown from its base in Austin, TX and is now available in over 20 states through retailers such as Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Markets, Wegman’s, HEB and Kroger’s family of stores. Campbell has helped lead Chameleon to triple digit compound annual growth, successfully raised capital from Private Equity firm Fortitude Capital, expanded distribution to include UNFI, KeHE, Nature’s Best, DPI and several DSD houses, and successfully launched concentrated products, a ready to drink line and food service offerings.
Prior to co-founding Chameleon, Campbell served as a Vice President at Capital Hotel Management serving clients such as the National Park Service, and spent 8 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers specializing in real estate finance for the hospitality industry. Campbell holds an MBA from the Jesse H. Jones School at Rice University and an undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin.