Changes are afoot at The Coca-Cola Company’s Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) unit, with an internal memorandum detailing structural changes set to take effect in the new year, including staff reductions and a shifting of select brands into the broader Coke system.

Adam Melonas, CEO of innovation lab Chew, announced his intention this week to take over the kitchen space and offices of Pilotworks’ former Brooklyn location. The new venture, known as Nursery, will serve as an incubator for emerging brands.

With an eye towards capturing consumers from outside the traditional energy drink space, natural energy drink MATI is rolling out a series of changes for the brand, including organic certification, new sugar-free SKUs, and a redesigned package for its cans.

Coca-Cola president and CEO James Quincey was today named the company’s new chairman, assuming the role from his predecessor as chief executive, Muhtar Kent. Kent, a 40-year veteran of the company, will remain as chairman until April when he will formally retire following the company’s 2019 annual meeting.

The second day of BevNET Live Winter 2018 explored shifts in the modern beverage landscape by taking a deep dive into raw data, sharing personal insights from investors and entrepreneurs, and drawing lessons from case studies.

Vietnamese-inspired coffee brand Copper Cow Coffee today announced the close of a $2 million round of funding today. The round was led by Silverton Partners, which contributed half of the capital, with CRCM Ventures, Montage Ventures and Social Starts also taking part.

Hoplark HopTea claimed victory today in New Beverage Showdown 16 at BevNET Live Winter 2018, as the non-alcoholic hop-infused tea earned bragging rights and a $10,000 prize package.

Adam Lowry explored the development of both Method and Ripple and how lessons from the former factored into the foundation for the latter. He also shared his perspective on how the funding environment for CPG brands has changed, why it was important to hire a CEO early into Method’s life cycle, discussed Ripple’s mission and its innovative technology, and why he believes that “raising money is not an indicator of success.”

Entrepreneurship is a journey, and the speakers on stage during the first day of BevNET Live Winter 2018 shared their personal stories of traversing the beverage industry. Speaking today in Santa Monica, Calif., industry leaders from emerging and established companies shared their insights into building a thriving beverage business in the current landscape.