May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and our spotlight is on Theresa Motter of Van’s Kitchen.
In 1966, Theresa’s parents, Van & Kim Nguyen, left Vietnam to make a new life in the United Sates, eventually settling in Dallas. 20 years later, they founded Van Oriental Food. When Van and Kim retired in 2014, they turned company operations over to Theresa and her husband, Carl, who continue their tradition of product and customer service excellence. Visit Van’s Kitchen online to learn more about this local family success story!
Other local Asian-run member businesses include Chi Nguyen of Purpose Tea,Chef Minu Amatya and her son (Leezen Amatya) of Momo Shack, QT Truong of QT Cook Shop and Nikky Phinyawatana of Asian Mint.
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Know of an innovative brand with an up-and-coming product? Great news! 7-Eleven’s ‘Brands with Heart’ is returning for the fourth time and the convenience retailer is inviting all brands to make their case for why they deserve a spot on the shelves of 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores. Whether a product is ready to go to market or is still up-and-coming, all brands are invited to apply. Applications are LIVE through the end of May!
Impact Ventures has partnered with Santander Corporation’s Cultivate Small Business Program for food-industry or food-adjacent businesses, taught by Babson College. The program will have a focus on women-, immigrant-, and BIPOC-owned businesses and includes a FREE 12 week (September-November) mini-MBA for eligible food entrepreneurs. Apply here through June 15th.
The Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show is returning to the Javits Center in NYC, June 12-14. Promoted as the largest B2B gathering of U.S. specialty food makers and buyers, tens of thousands of products will be on exhibit. The show will also focus on everything from supply chain remedies to trending brands to new research, providing incredible insights into the state of our industry. Learn more here.
Our own DFWCPG Ambassador, Kathy Guzmán Galloway, kgalloway consulting, will be speaking on mission, purpose, and vision at BevNET Live on June 15-16 in New York City. BevNET Live is the beverage industry’s opportunity to initiate conversations that lead to partnerships, have your toughest questions answered by leaders who have been in your shoes, learn from expert talks on-stage, and sample the latest beverage innovations. Register here.
If you’re in the natural food space, consider attending NOSH Live in conjunction with BevNET on June 15-16 in New York City. With speakers coming from the industry’s top brands, investors, retailers, and service providers, NOSH Live will provide attendees with two days of learning and networking opportunities designed to help you grow your business. Register here.
Applications are open for SKU Dallas. SKU is looking for founders of innovative emerging brands for their 12-week program that kicks off Aug. 23rd, supported by DFW CPG. The curriculum covers topics important to CPG startups, including Mission + Vision, Branding, Channel Strategy, Supply Chain and Innovation. Apply here by May 30.
Anu Goel, President – Client Growth Solutions at SPINS, gave a fascinating talk, The Data Behind the Story, at our in-person Main Event on Wednesday, May 11at Four Corners Brewing Company. Thanks also to Jay Desai, Partner at DFW’s Kainos Capital, who helped with the very informative and data-loaded presentation.
If you have something you would like to share with the DFW CPG community, send us an email.