ACG San Diego | Natural Foods Symposium

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Natural Foods Symposium

Event Details

When:

April 16, 2024 3 PM - 6:30 PM PDT

Where:
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Overview

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Join us for ACG San Diego’s Natural Foods Symposium featuring industry leaders and experts sharing their experiences, insights, and strategies for funding, scaling, and selling natural foods brands.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable perspectives on navigating capital challenges, the journey from startup to exit, and the state of M&A in this growing industry. Network with the founders and C-level executives operating the brands, as well as the private equity firms and M&A professionals creating investment and exit environments in the industry. Walk away with best practices and actionable strategies to drive success in the dynamic world of Natural Food brands.

Register Now to secure your spot. Sneak peak of what to expect:

1. Opening Discussion: Food and Beverage Industry Outlook from a Capital Allocator

An exclusive outlook on investments and market trends from McCarthy Capital. Discover key insights into capital allocation strategies and the current landscape of consumer brands.

Guest Speaker:

  • Justin Disch, Vice President, McCarthy Capital

 

2. Panel: In the Trenches - Scaling Consumer Brands

Delve into the trenches with industry veterans as they discuss scaling consumer brands over the last 5 years. Explore capital challenges, go-to-market strategies, breakout moments, and product launches. Learn from their mistakes and gain valuable insights on how to avoid them in the future.

Discussion Points:

  • Challenges and opportunities in scaling brands
  • Capital constraints and go-to-market strategies
  • Breakout moments and product launches
  • How to spot pitfalls and avoid mistakes

Panelists:

  • Chuck Casano, Founder and CEO, Pitaya Foods
  • JR Simich, Co-Founder & VP of Sales, Vive Organic
  • Sean Lake, Co-Founder & CEO, Bubs
  • Ari Raz, CEO, The Coconut Cult

 

3. Keynote Discussion: Selling a Brand – Perfect Bar 18-Year Journey from Startup to Exit 

Embark on the remarkable journey of Perfect Bar, from startup to successful exit. Gain firsthand insights from Leigh Keith, Co-Founder, and Chief of Brand & Mission, as she shares the ups and downs of building and selling a brand, including their journey to acquisition by Mondelēz International. Explore the strategies behind building a category and navigating the challenges along the way.

Discussion Points:

  • The Perfect Bar Journey
  • Selling to by Mondelēz International
  • Building Category
  • Bumps Along the Way - Wins & Losses

Guest Speaker:

  • Leigh Keith, Co-Founder & Chief of Brand & Mission, Perfect Snacks

Speakers

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Matt Clifford

Matt Clifford

Ampersand Growth Partners
Partner

Matt Clifford is a Partner at Ampersand Growth Partners, a boutique strategy agency focused on scaling CPG brands. Previously Matt was the CEO of CanDo, a premier manufacturer of protein bars and healthy foods. He is the Co-Founder & COO of Barnana. A certified B-Corp, Barnana sustainability up-cycles organic bananas to reduce food waste and provide healthier snacking options to the community.  Matt is a Founding Board Member of Naturally San Diego and the Upcycled Food Association. Matt is an occasional endurance athlete, dad joke expert and father of two beautiful boys convincing himself daily that he is doing everything right but really has no idea what he is doing.

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Chuck Casano

Chuck Casano

Pitaya Foods
Founder & CEO

Chuck Casano is the Founder & CEO of Hi-Touch Libations, a premier Southern California direct store distributor specializing in perishable foods. Hi-Touch services Whole Foods locations in the retailer’s Southern Pacific Region, all the leading independent natural retailers, key 7-11s, and will launch Vons, Albertsons, and Pavilions in the next few months.

He is also the founder of Pitaya Foods, a frozen brand of Superfruits fruits with a mission to promote sustainable farming, create new job opportunities, and positively impact the communities they source from. We have since expanded our line to a full portfolio of tropical fruits, which can be found in over 20K locations at amazing retail partners like Costco, Whole Foods, Walmart, Kroger, Target, Publix, and juice bars all around the country. 

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Justin Disch

Justin Disch

McCarthy Capital
Vice President

Justin Disch joined McCarthy Capital in 2014. His responsibilities include originating and evaluating new investment opportunities, structuring and executing private investments, and managing oversight of portfolio investments.

Justin began his career at McCarthy Capital as an Associate and previously held a variety of finance roles at a regional bank, most recently as director of treasury. He earned an MBA from Creighton University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

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Leigh Keith

Leigh Keith

Perfect Snacks
Co-Founder & Chief of Brand and Mission

Leigh Keith is the Co-Founder and Chief of Brand & Mission at Perfect Snacks, makers of fresh-from-the-fridge protein snacks, including Perfect Bar: The Original Refrigerated Protein Bar™. In 2005, Leigh — alongside co-founder and older brother Bill — launched Perfect Bar, the brand that would later go on to revolutionize the $9B protein bar category and build an entirely new set of grab-and-go Fresh Snacking options. Leigh Keith led Perfect Bar to be and remain the #1-selling Refrigerated Protein Bar in the U.S. and is now available in more than 35,000 fridges nationwide, including Whole Foods, Costco, Target, Walmart, Starbucks, 7-Eleven, and more.

Since launching the brand at just 19 years old, Leigh has played an integral role in Perfect Snacks’ growth and success, spanning all facets and functions of the company while remaining grounded in the family culture on which the brand was founded. Still today, she remains steadfast in building healthy communities from the inside out, which is evident by the Perfect Snacks’ clean ingredient labels, industry accolades, employee volunteer and benefits package, and regular donations/volunteer hours provided to hundreds of community organizations each year.

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Sean Lake

Sean Lake

BUBS Naturals
Co-Founder & CEO

Sean Lake grew up in Winchester, Massachusetts, before moving to Utah to become a professional snowboarder and general ski bum. Once he got that out of his system, he graduated from the University of Utah, using that degree to join Burton Snowboards, work as Shaun White’s Team Manager, and land a spot as the Director of Sports Marketing at DC Shoes. After decades in action sports marketing, Sean co-founded BUBS Naturals, a line of collagen peptides and other all-natural supplements that help athletes at all levels perform and feel their best.

Sean named BUBS Naturals after his childhood best friend Glen “BUB” Doherty, a Navy SEAL who was killed in Benghazi, Libya, on 9/11 in 2012. In addition to remembering Glen for the patriot he is, the BUBS ethos centers around Glen's passionate and adventure-seeking life. Sean and the BUBS Naturals family further honor “Bub” by donating 10% of all profits to charities that support veteran causes.

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Ari Raz

Ari Raz

The Coconut Cult
CEO

In 2014, Ari began a small business delivering freshly made glass jarred baby food to families because he believed there was a massive opportunity to improve the nutritional value of packaged food for kids across the country. This experience led him to discover the benefits of cold pressure technology, find his dream business partners, and help build the fastest-growing kids' nutrition company in the United States, Once Upon a Farm. Today, he is the CEO of the Coconut Cult, the fastest-growing Plant-Based Yogurt brand in the Natural channel.

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JR Simich

John Ryan “JR” Simich

Vive Organic
Co-Founder & VP of Sales

As a Sales Leader, Strategist, and Co-founder, JR believes each day is an opportunity to inspire and make a difference. He is passionate about providing value to our customers every day. By drawing from a wide range of experiences, including as an ocean lifeguard/EMT, founding an organic farming company, and as a sales manager for startups, JR is able to think out of the box and provide real solutions. As a team member, He is committed and believes that fostering a culture of passion and joy is the key to success.

Most recently, JR co-founded and scaled "Vive Organic" from a start-up with his two friends from the University of San Diego, Wyatt Taubman and Kyle Withycombe.

Event Secondary Body

REGISTER TODAY!

  • ACG Members: $95
  • Non-Members & Guests: $145

 

Non-members who do not yet have an ACG account can sign up for free by following the 'Create Account' prompt after clicking on the red 'Register Now' button. 

Questions? Contact acgsandiego@acg.org.

 

Please Note: Your registration for this event acts as an audio/video release and includes your permission for ACG San Diego to use your image and comments captured on audio, video or photographic formats while attending the event for marketing and promotional purposes. For further information please contact acgcsandiego@acg.org.


Hosted by: ACG
Chapter
San Diego
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