March is Women’s History Month and a great time to recognize some of the female CPG leaders in the area such as Purpose Tea founder, Chi Nguyen, Paula Lambert of Dallas’ Mozzarella Company, Sarah Zubiate of Zubi’s, Merrilee Kick of Buzz Balls, Susan O’Brien of Hail Merry Snacks, Hima Pal, founder of Tin Star Foods, Lynn Scarborough, President of Cheeza Pleeza, Ayo Aigbe of Hangio, Nichelle and Nicole Nichols founders of The Guilty Grape (fun fact, their aunt was the infamous Nichelle Nichols from Star Trek), Elisabeth Varondi of Yatab Mandazi African beignets, Abena Foli of POKS Spices, Derin Raji of Green Sahara Foods, Mary Porter of Delightful Sweets by Mary, as well as Psyche Terry of Urban Hydration, Veronica Westlake of La Casita Hot Sauce, India Hearne of Whiski Designs, Diane Seimetz Duncan, founder of A Joy Forever, and this writer, Andrea Ridout of White Rock Granola. Of course, we mustn’t forget our own amazing Executive Committee members, Jenica Oliver of BluePrint Marketing, Kathy Guzman Galloway of kgalloway consulting and Genevieve Poirier-Richards at The Marketing Spectrum. We salute you!
Vida bowls founder and owner, Elijah Ruiz, was recently featured on NBC DFW sharing more about his mission to bring nutritious food to everyone with his healthy acai bowls. Vida Bowls are now available thru the company’s website but Elijah hopes to eventually place his products on store shelves. It’s great to see him getting some local TV exposure! Learn more about Vida Bowls here.
Looking for Brand E X P O S U R E ? We’re on the look-out for a few highly-motivated Brand Founder/CEOs who are in need of free publicity. Are you interested in sharing your company’s journey? How you got to where you are and where you’re headed? If so, answer these 5 EASY QUESTIONS and spend a few moments talking to our very own in-house PR Guru Charles Nicolas and he’ll work his magic to create a high-impact Brand Profile of your dynamically-growing company.
The H-E-B Supplier Diversity Team is hosting a free virtual Table Talk: “Show me the Money!”, which will take place on March 15, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM. Conversation will be moderated by Crystal Royal, Supplier Diversity Manager, and the themes that will be discussed are Business Ventures, Small Business Lending, and Capital Investments. Register here.
H-E-B is also accepting entries for the 10th Annual H-E-B Quest for Texas Best, thru April 6. Participants will compete for $70,000 in cash prizes and the opportunity to feature their product on H-E-B shelves across the state. To prepare for Quest, virtual info sessions will be held March 8, 9, 16, & 30. Registration is required and space is limited to competitors only. To apply, reserve your info meeting space, review details, and learn more about the video requirement, please visit heb.com/quest.
You’re invited to the best party of the year! Join The DEC Network’s State of Entrepreneurship presented by Bank of America, in person at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco on March 29th from 6:00-8:30 pm. The event will be the official kick-off to Dallas Startup Week sponsored by Capital One. Register here and be sure to mention that you heard about it from Richard RIccardi and DFW CPG!
Startup CPG has launched the Shelfies Awards with the goal of giving exceptional small CPG brands the recognition they deserve. As the first and only awards program specifically for emerging CPG brands, the Shelfies eliminate the typical hurdles involved in awards applications and create opportunity for brands in their earliest stages. Learn more here.
SMU’s Caruth Institute is presenting a Women’s Panel on Investing and Perspectives, Thursday, March 23, at 7:00 AM. Angel investor and family fund manager, Laura Baldwin with Golden Seeds, will be the moderator. Cost is $50 including breakfast. Register to attend.
Take a break from Expo West in Anaheim to enjoy the sights, sounds and flavors of Austin. SKU and BeyondSKU have partnered with Topo Chico to bring Austin to Anaheim. The party will celebrate SKU’s Austin roots as well as the iconic sparkling beverage that Austinites have adopted as their own. If you’ll be at Expo West, be sure to attend, March 9 from 6-10 pm at The Anaheim Hotel.
SKU has selected the six companies for the Food & Beverage 2023 track. This is the first track in SKU’s history focused exclusively on Food & Beverage brands. All of the brands were founded by family members, from spouses and sisters to a father and son. The list includes Dallas-based RoRo’s Baking Co as well as these other brands: Blue Norther, delOrigen, Growth Spurt, Leisure Project, and Wunderkeks. Congrats!
Thanks to Brice McBeth, founder of Reap Commerce, for an amazing and informative Zoom meeting on February 23, “How to double your sales without doubling your ad spend”. Over ?? members received tips and ideas to help improve their social media and conventional advertising impact without expending extra budget dollars. If you missed the meeting, click here for a recap.