Startup CPG

New episode is live — Investor Spotlight: Denise Lambertson, Constellation Capital Denise Lambertson started her career as Madonna's executive assistant, went on to build one of the earliest celebrity and influencer marketing agencies, and eventually founded Constellation Capital, a CPG venture fund unlike anything else in the industry. Her path to investing reflects every step of that journey, and it shows in how she thinks about founders, marketing, and what it actually takes to build a brand that lasts. Denise joins host Hannah Dittman to talk about what a marketing-first, follow-in investor actually brings to the table and what she is seeing founders consistently get wrong when they walk into a pitch. A few things that really stuck with us from this conversation: - "Not spending anything on marketing" is not a flex. Organic buzz is great, but it does not prove scalability. It proves you have not tested yet. - AI literacy is now a diligence criterion for Fund 2. The right AI stack can add 12 to 18 months of runway off the same check, and investors are starting to notice who gets that and who does not. - Influencer marketing needs to be built like a performance channel and a distribution network, not just a moment you capture and move on from. - Most importantly: celebrity alone does not make a business. It takes operators, capital partners, and a real team to get from zero to exit. This one is worth a full listen if you are building a CPG brand or thinking about how to structure your next raise. Listen to the full episode: https://lnkd.in/eq2PdQxq #StartupCPG #CPGPodcast #ConstellationCapital #InvestorSpotlight #CPGInvesting #VentureCapital #CPGFounders #FoodAndBeverage #EmergingBrands #Fundraising

What does it actually take to impress a VC in 10 minutes? 👀 On the latest Startup CPG Podcast episode, Inside Founders & Funders, host and founder Daniel Scharff sits down with Alex Michaelsen, Leisure Hydration, and Alex Malamatinas, Melitas Ventures, for a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most impactful investor events of the year. They break down what it’s actually like to be in the room, from 10-minute speed meetings to investor dinners, panel conversations, and the real fundraising lessons founders need to hear early on. If you’re preparing for investor conversations, trying to better understand what VCs are looking for, or building a brand designed to scale, this episode offers practical insights you can apply right away. 🔗Watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/ew-m8jgn #FoundersandFunders #StartupFunding #ConsumerBrands #CPGFounders #StartupPodcast #StartupEvents

Attention DMV: we're hosting a Grocery Run with Giant Food at their Landover HQ! Join us for brand sampling, a panel with Giant Food, networking with your favorite CPG community, and VIP guests galore. Giant Food operates 166 stores across Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and Washington D.C. If you’re a brand in the region or looking to break in, this is your chance to get in front of their entire buying team in one room. Meet the Giant Food Category Managers in the room: Jason Bidart , Jessica Printy Groves, Matthew Tetro, Megan McCawley, John Dunkin, Donna Souris, Allison Cesta, Stepan Belov, Madeline Rice, Ryan Coyle, Sam Roberts, Scott Wigle, Greta T Stankovich, Katherine Bousson, Marcus Walker, Josh Hardester, Juliana Havrilko, Danielle Mumpower, Jeremy S., Elizabeth Willey, Catherine Alabi, Meg MacAvoy, John Trainor III, Shamim A., Darian Dove-Settles, Allison Rizzo Want a sampling spot? Sampling at a Grocery Run is one of the most effective ways to get your product directly in front of buyers. Spots are limited and granted by application only. Apply to sample here: https://lnkd.in/gK2pdwgi Grab your ticket here: https://lnkd.in/gCbZr7rH #GiantFood #StartupCPG #GroceryRun #CPGCommunity #FoodandBeverage #HealthandWellness

New Podcast Episode — Founder Feature: Stuffed Dates, Celebrity Fans, and the Art of Going Viral Without Trying with Gabriella Labi + Tonya Reznikovich of Gato Dates What happens when the best dessert at a Shabbat dinner becomes a luxury confection brand with celebrity fans and major grocery accounts? You get Gato Dates: dark chocolate covered, nut butter stuffed Medjool dates so good that host Caitlin B. handed them out to coworkers before trying one herself and immediately regretted it. This episode unpacks Gato Dates journey from home kitchen to farmers markets to retail, and what it takes to build a premium brand that earns its way into people’s lives and gift bags organically. Other things they cover: ✨ Quality ingredients aren’t a talking point, they’re the product. Customers who say “I make these at home” try one and immediately get it. ✨ Farmers markets are the cheapest, most honest focus group. Five months in LA gave them proof of concept, real-time feedback, and a loyal base before retail. ✨ Organic discovery beats gifting. LeAnn Rimes bought them on Shopify, shared with Kristin Cavallari, who mentioned them in *Glamour*. No pitch required. ✨ The gift is the strategy. Premium packaging and a highly shareable product built a channel across dinner parties, baby showers, and corporate gifting. ✨ Go full-time when growth demands it. They knew the moment and haven’t looked back since January 2025. Listen to the full episode: https://lnkd.in/e7urrpgj #StartupCPG #CPGPodcast #GatoDates #FounderFeature #CPGFounders #EmergingBrands #MedjoolDates #PremiumSnacks #GiftableFood #NaturalFood

Applications for the 2026 Shelfie Awards open April 14th - here’s everything you need to know to enter 👇 The Shelfies are the largest FREE awards program built exclusively for emerging CPG brands. No fees. No barriers. Just recognition for exceptional products. If you’ve got standout innovation, a compelling story, or packaging that turns heads, start prepping now. Here’s how it works: ↗️ Fill out the application form when applications open in April ↗️ Ship your product samples to arrive between April 16-30 (shelf-stable products) or May 4-6 (refrigerated/frozen products) ↗️ Send only 1 product per SKU, up to 3 SKUs max — brands that send more will be disqualified ↗️ Our team will taste and evaluate all submissions during our May tasting sessions ↗️ Finalists announced: Early August 2026 ↗️ Winners announced: Late August 2026 We’re looking for products that make us stop mid-bite, brand stories that give us chills, and packaging we can’t stop staring at. Start prepping now - April 14th will be here before you know it ✨ #ShelfieAwards #StartupCPG #CPGInnovation #FoodAndBeverage #BrandRecognition

📰 Newswire Roundup is here! It’s been a busy yet exciting time for our emerging brand community, and these latest press releases are seriously worth celebrating. From nationwide launches to award-winning moments, there’s no shortage of big wins happening in CPG right now. See below for a peek at some of the headlines: ✨Wheywater Announces May 2026 Launch of Sparkling Protein Beverage. ✨ Birdie Bakes Co Launches on Good Eggs. ✨Wishing Well Wins Laundry Category in the 2026 Clean House Awards from Better Homes & Gardens. ✨Cartwheel health’s Nit Happens, A New Clinically Proven Non-Toxic Lice Treatment Now Available at Walgreens. ✨FaveMixes, a Better-for-You Alternative to Conventional Powdered Drink Mixes, Makes Its Debut Into Market. ✨Bellycious Launches Premium Gut-Friendly Italian Meal Kits across the U.S. ✨Hallava Foods Introduces Slow-Churned Halva Spreads. Got a milestone worth sharing? The Startup CPG Newswire is a FREE publishing service for emerging brands to get their news in front of the entire CPG community. Submit today: https://bit.ly/3WC9jsS #StartupCPG #NewswireRoundup #CPGNews #PressRelease #EmergingBrands #CPGCommunity #BrandAnnouncements #CPGFounders #CPG #HeathandWellness #FoodandBeverage

Sunnyside Egg Co. has received a KeHE Distributors Trend Finder Golden Ticket! Our mission is simple: make regenerative mobile pasture raised eggs available nationwide. Customers want eggs from chickens truly raised outdoors, and this is a HUGE step in making that possible by increasing our distribution network. Tori and I started Sunnyside with 300 chickens in a mobile coop on our small farm just over a year ago. Now we have partnered with dozens of small farms to heal the land and nourish communities. If you’re looking to replace greenwashed products with eggs that match what customers want, we’d love to connect. Also huge thanks to Startup CPG for helping us get our foot in the door through their Denver Grocery Run! P.S. Don’t ask me how long it took to get the chicken to pose for a photo.

We are still not over our Expo West Kickoff Dinner! We kicked off with an amazing dinner at the Anaheim White House, bringing together buyers, founders, and VIPs. This is what community looks like. . . . #StartupCPG #ExpoWest2026 #ExpoWest #CPG #KickoffDinner #FoodandBeverage #HealthandWellness

We're doing another Grocery Run with Thrive Market! And we're bringing the Startup CPG x Thrive Choice Award back! The ENTIRE corporate team from Thrive Market will be there, so don’t miss this opportunity. 🛒 🗓️Thursday, June 4th ⏰11:30 am to 1:30 pm 40+ Thrive Market employees will try all the sampling brands and vote on their favorites. The brand with the most votes wins the award, which includes: -The chance to be sold on Thrive Market’s online marketplace (pending standard quality and compliance checks). -The Thrive Market team guiding you through the onboarding process and providing mentorship to set you up for success. -A complimentary marketing package valued at $5,000 to help introduce and promote your brand to our member community. To be eligible to win the Thrive Choice Award, you *must* sample at the Grocery Run. Apply to sample and grab your ticket now: https://lnkd.in/eTC3eHM6 #StartupCPG #GroceryRun #CPGCommunity #FoodandBeverage #HealthandWellness #ThriveMarket

The latest R&D Radio is live, and this one dives into trade-offs, fiber trends, and functional chocolate. In this episode, Adam Yee sits down with Brian C. of Chau Time. His number one piece of advice for founders is simple but critical: write down your parameters, with ranges. Before a food scientist can help, they need to know what you are optimizing for. The best flavor is not always the best cost. The best nutrition is not always the best shelf life. Those trade-offs are yours to define. A few insights from Brian that stood out: fiber is on track to surpass protein within the next decade. Fiber stacking can help reach 1g per 10g of chocolate while supporting gut health. Lactoferrin supports iron absorption, not iron content. And when supply chains break, going smaller and building direct sourcing relationships can make all the difference. Brian also shares how startups and enterprise companies approach trade-offs differently, and why upcycled ingredients like cocoa husks, pomegranate shells, and date seeds are becoming valuable tools for formulators. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/eYkRPiWZ #StartupCPG #RDRadio #FoodScience #ProductDevelopment #CPGFounders #FiberTrend #HealthandWellness #CPGPodcast