BevNET Live Winter 2023 (2024)

For more than a decade, the CPG industry has turned to BevNET Live to discover the latest trends and network with the beverage community. Our signature two-day event for the beverage industry brings together thought leaders, trailblazers, and the next generation of brand founders to help beverage industry professionals thrive.

This December 3-5, the beverage industry will gather in-person in Marina Del Rey, CA to learn and take action.

Please note: All times US Pacific Time

• 12:00 PM
  -
  3:00 PM

  Beverage School Presentations + Networking

  Location: Bayview Ballroom - Rooftop
  The day before BevNET Live, industry newcomers can learn the basics of running a beverage business and jumpstart their networking at Beverage School. Experts will present on the 5 topics early-stage beverage brands need to know, including finance, sales, marketing, design, and operations.

  Following the presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to sit down with the experts and ask them their toughest questions.

• 12:05 PM
  -
  12:30 PM

  Beverage School: Understanding Retail Channels

  • Bill Sipper

    , Managing Partner, Cascadia Managing Brands

    

    Bill Sipper

    Managing Partner, Cascadia Managing Brands

    BILL SIPPER is a food and beverage industry leader who has guided numerous brands from concept to commercialization to category leadership. He held senior and C Level positions at leading brands, including Evian, Nantucket Nectars, Fresh Samantha/Odwalla, Naked Juice, and Clearly Canadian. Bill’s strategic expertise and execution focus helped those brands succeed and can help your brand succeed. Bill has supported several brands through the process by consulting closely with client leaders as they consider a sale or acquisition. (Naked Juice was sold to PepsiCo, Fresh Samantha/Odwalla was sold to Coca-Cola, and Nantucket Nectars was sold to Ocean Spray). Bill has significant international experience and works with clients in Asia, Europe, South America, and the Middle East. He draws on this expertise to help international brands establish a presence in the US and to help US brands expand internationally. Bill is active in philanthropic causes: He served as president of Robert Kennedy Jr.’s clean water charity, Tear of the Clouds; was an advisor to The Walden Woods Project; and served on the Board of Directors of the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Bill has been featured on Food Network’s “Unwrapped” and the PBS documentary “The Water Wars.” He has been a featured speaker at the Columbia University School of Business, The Bottled Water Congress (Torino, Italy), the Pan Arab Congress on Osteoporosis (Tunisia), and at virtually every major US food and beverage show, including Natural Products Expo, BevNet, Nosh Live and more. His articles have appeared in leading trade publications, and he is frequently quoted in media, including The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and the New York Times.Cascadia Managing Brands has helped launch startup brands, including Liquid Death, Hint Water, Zico Coconut Water, C2O Coconut Water, Too Good Gourmet Keto Cookies, and more. Cascadia also provides consultancy services to the leading soft drink and beer companies.

  • Bill Sipper, Managing Partner, Cascadia Managing Brands

• 12:30 PM
  -
  1:00 PM

  Beverage School: Financial Instruments for Growth

  • Jeremy Halpern

    , Partner, Nutter, McClennen & Fish LLP

    

    Jeremy Halpern

    Partner, Nutter, McClennen & Fish LLP

    Jeremy Halpern is a Partner at Nutter, McClennen & Fish, LLP and the Co-Chair of its Emerging Companies Group and its Food and Beverage Practice Group. Jeremy’s practice focuses on emerging and mature operating companies, private equity, venture capital and angel financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, executive and team compensation matters, and general support for high growth and privately held companies in technology, life sciences, and consumer products. Concurrently, Jeremy is a member of the board of Naturally New England, a non-profit serving the natural and organic consumer product industry, and is a member of the Advisory Board for the UCLA School of Law Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy. Previously, Jeremy served on the Board of Directors and the Investment Committee of MassVentures, an early stage venture capital fund geared toward technology companies in Massachusetts, and as the founder of Edible Ventures, the nation’s first angel group specifically investing in high growth food and beverage companies. Jeremy was also previously a Director and the Executive Chairman of The Capital Network, a Boston-based nonprofit serving entrepreneurs seeking high growth capital. Jeremy was previously the co-founder of a company in the mobile technology synchronization space. Jeremy is a prior recipient of the Boston Business Journal’s 40 under 40 Award. Jeremy spent nine years teaching entrepreneurial leadership at Tufts University and has guest lectured at Babson, Harvard, Boston University, Tufts, MIT and Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Jeremy received his B.A. from U.C. Berkeley, summa cum laude; phi beta kappa, and his J.D., from the UCLA School of Law.

  • Jeremy Halpern, Partner, Nutter, McClennen & Fish LLP

• 1:00 PM
  -
  1:20 PM

  Beverage School: Trademarks

  • Amanda Roach

    , Officer, Greensfelder

    

    Amanda Roach

    Officer, Greensfelder

    Amanda Roach strategically advises clients in a variety of intellectual property matters including brand selection, portfolio strategy, trademark application prosecution, brand enforcement and defense, due diligence, anti-counterfeiting measures, and trademark maintenance. She has extensive experience in working on the trademark lifecycle with companies in more than 140 countries.Amanda has a reputation for building strong relationships with clients and using creative thinking to achieve their business goals. She recognizes how the needs of a Fortune 100 company are different from a start-up or non-profit and tailors her counsel to reflect appropriate strategies for each. During her career, Amanda has had the opportunity to work with clients in a variety of industries including food, dietary supplements, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, water reclamation, oil and gas, household goods and fixtures, employment, and entertainment.Amanda previously worked as an IP attorney at other Chicago-based law firms. In her most recent role before joining Greensfelder, she served as head of trademark prosecution.

  • Angela Kalsi

    , Officer, Greensfelder

    

    Angela Kalsi

    Officer, Greensfelder

    As a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property group, Angela Kalsiadvises businesses and individuals on a wide array of trademark,copyright, artificial intelligence (AI), design, trade secret, and licensingissues.Angela’s experience includes working with artists, start-ups, andFortune 100 companies. No matter the client, she adapts her skill set totailor an appropriate and robust IP protection strategy. Additionally,Angela has helped her clients enforce and defend their IP rights all overthe globe, including in cases before the Trademark Trial and AppealBoard and before numerous international IP offices.When it comes to growing companies, Angela guides her clients indeveloping strong IP portfolios to best position them for their next stageof growth, whether it is a next round of funding or an M&A deal. Fromthe buyer’s side, Angela is experienced in conducting thorough duediligence to identify all possible IP issues.Finally, Angela advises clients on the evolving IP issues implicated bynew technologies, including NFTs, artificial intelligence (AI), and largelanguage models.

  • Amanda Roach, Officer, Greensfelder

  • Angela Kalsi, Officer, Greensfelder

• 1:20 PM
  -
  1:40 PM

  Beverage School: Beverage Design Basics

  • Derek Springston

    , Chief Creative Officer, Moxie Sozo

    

    Derek Springston

    Chief Creative Officer, Moxie Sozo

    Derek Springston leverages more than a decade of design and brand building experience in his role as Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Moxie Sozo. Under his leadership, the Senior Creative Team has developed innovative, disruptive, inspired work for startups and global brands like Boston Beer Company, Campari America, Danone, and Suja. His portfolio includes projects across virtually every industry and media, from natural foods to luxury apparel and from packaging design to interactive. Derek got his start earlier than most, going to work in his parents’ small, family-owned print company at the age of 12. He has loved all things paper and ink ever since.

  • Derek Springston, Chief Creative Officer, Moxie Sozo

• 1:40 PM
  -
  2:00 PM

  Beverage School: Distribution Q&A - Inside DSD with Classic Beverages

  • Matt Lukich

    , Director of Brand Development, Classic Distributing & Beverage

    

    Matt Lukich

    Director of Brand Development, Classic Distributing & Beverage

    Matt Lukich is Vice President of Brand Strategy for Classic Distributing & Beverage. He has more than 18 years of CPG beverage experience. He’s spent the last 10 years at Classic Beverage and before that worked at Boston Beer Company. In his role with Classic, Matt is responsible for all Brand Management, Pricing, National/Regional Account Call Points, working with the sales team on focus periods, prioritizing key selling objectives and benchmarking, building and sharing sales reporting to identify opportunities by category and class of trade, and driving strategy and long-term planning across a portfolio of products.Matt partners with field and execution teams to ensure the plans, tools and measurements are in place to deliver category and brand growth. He is responsible for building tools to drive trade standards for a portfolio of Classic’s brands, and oversees the implementation of marketing plans and campaigns, ensuring alignment with brand messaging at store level. He’s also responsible for margin enhancement and analysis of brands/skus.

  • Matt Lukich, Director of Brand Development, Classic Distributing & Beverage

• 2:00 PM
  -
  2:20 PM

  Beverage School: Early Stage Tinkering and Iterating

  Ways founders can monitor feedback from consumers and customers to look at product or design changes or repositioning to find a pathway to a successful brand foundation.

  • Neil Kimberley

    , Consultant,

    

    Neil Kimberley

    Consultant,

    Neil Kimberley is an expert, who has been swimming with the beverage industry sharks over the past two decades. His background includes roles in Executive Management, Sales, Marketing, and Strategy at beverage companies of varying sizes, and a variety of beverage categories.Over the past 20 years, Neil’s work has included the rebirth of Snapple in the late 90s, the development of what is now the KDP distribution system, exploration of Protein beverages, and the growth of Essentia Water from being a niche health food to becoming a mainstream Premium Water – and the brand’s sale to Nestle in 2021. He has recently been involved with the start-up of a new Sparkling Water brand and was involved with Electolit’s change to KDP distribution.

  • Neil Kimberley, Consultant,

• 2:20 PM
  -
  3:00 PM

  Beverage School: Expert Round Tables

• 3:00 PM
  -
  5:00 PM

  RTD Spirits Entrepreneurial Track + BevNET co*cktail Showdown

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  On Sunday, December 3rd, from 3PM to 5:00 PM PT, the BevNET team will kickstart BevNET Live with a spotlight on spirits and RTD co*cktails. The program will include an investor panel and the co*cktail Showdown pitch competition, featuring the most promising new RTD co*cktail brands on the market. Attendees will be able to sample the products of all participants, as well as continue their networking at the BevNET Live Welcome Reception.

  Our spirits coverage will carry over to day 1 of BevNET Live with a morning main stage presentation and afternoon breakout session track. Registered attendees of BevNET Live are invited to attend the Sunday spirits program.

  If you're looking to dive deeper into beverage alcohol, stick around for Brewbound Live on December 6th and 7th to boil down all aspects of the beer and beyond business so you can keep up (and stay ahead) between batches.

• 3:00 PM
  -
  3:30 PM

  The Ready-to-Drink Spirits Revolution: Data and Statistics

  In an exclusive presentation from NIQ's Beverage Alcohol Vertical, we'll break down the details and future of this fast-growing spirits movement, analyzing brand-level data to understand the category's evolving conventions around brand values, momentum, premiumization, and other key characteristics.

  • Jon Berg

    , Thought Leadership VP, Beverage Alcohol Vertical, Nielsen IQ

    

    Jon Berg

    Thought Leadership VP, Beverage Alcohol Vertical, Nielsen IQ

    Jon started his career working in sales for Pfizer but moved over to the Beverage Alcohol industry where he has been for the last 20 years. His recent work history has been with MillerCoors, Bacardi USA and Moet Hennessy. Jon’s roles have been focused on commercial insights development, category management, shopper research, and retail pricing design. His investigative work and primary consumer research has taken him to all the major US and Canadian markets, as well as global projects in Europe. Now within the Thought Leadership framework at NielsenIQ, Jon is working across BevAl segments to develop insights material that can support and help define NIQ client success. NielsenIQ is a global measurement and data analytics company providing the most complete and trusted view of consumers and markets in 90 countries covering 90% of the world’s population. Focusing primarily on consumer packaged goods manufacturers and fast-moving consumer packaged goods retailers, NielsenIQ gives customers the power to defy what’s possible.

  • Kaleigh Theriault

    , Director of Thought Leadership, NIQ Beverage Alcohol Vertical

    

    Kaleigh Theriault

    Director of Thought Leadership, NIQ Beverage Alcohol Vertical

    Kaleigh has 8 years of NIQ experience and considerable background working with clients in multiple categories. She has been involved with the Beverage Alcohol category for the last four years working on Thought Leadership and client specific business questions and projects. Kaleigh brings a unique skillset of analytic capabilities, as well as commercial selling story creation, and has significant background in bringing consumer insights to the forefront in support of sales trends. She has been pivotal in the NIQ strategy and tactics for Beverage Alcohol as the industry changes and develops.

  • Jon Berg, Thought Leadership VP, Beverage Alcohol Vertical, Nielsen IQ

  • Kaleigh Theriault, Director of Thought Leadership, NIQ Beverage Alcohol Vertical

• 3:30 PM
  -
  4:00 PM

  The State of Spirits Investment

  • Taylor Foxman

    , Partner, Alethia Ventures

    

    Taylor Foxman

    Partner, Alethia Ventures

    Taylor Foxman - Veteran beverage alcohol expert with over a decade of experience, having worked for globally recognized wine, beer and spirit companies including most recently Pernod Ricard in addition to others such as Gruppo Campari, Boston Beer, Edrington Americas, Sidney Frank, Patron Spirits and Stoli Group. Currently Foxman serves as the Founder & CEO of The Industry Collective, the leading beverage and cannabis advisory firm for 55 emerging brands in these sectors as well as a co-host of two beverage and CPG podcasts and contributor for Rolling Stone on the convergence of culture, beverage and cannabis. She is also a Board Advisor for six venture capital firms investing in beverage, cannabis, underrepresented communities and beyond. As of Sept 2023, joined as Partner of Alethia Ventures (Stealth F&B Fund; 1st fund) and Associate Partner of MacArthur Capital – only female in both funds.

  • Giuseppe Infusino

    , Chief Investment Officer, InvestBev

    

    Giuseppe Infusino

    Chief Investment Officer, InvestBev

    Giuseppe Infusino is a Managing Partner and the Chief Investment Officer at InvestBev, a multimillion dollar private equity firm that deploys growth capital to brands in the beverage, barrel, and beverage tech categories. He leads InvestBev’s investment sourcing, diligence, and structuring processes, and partners with portfolio companies to increase their likelihood of success. Prior to InvestBev, Giuseppe spent over a decade managing multi-billion-dollar portfolios on behalf of prominent institutional investors. He has successfully deployed over $1 billion across private equity and venture capital strategies.Giuseppe is on the boards of CANN, Speakeasy, and L’Uva Bella. He holds an MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a B.S. in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

  • Mike Solow

    , Founding Partner, 99 Proof Partners

    

    Mike Solow

    Founding Partner, 99 Proof Partners

    Mike is a Founding Partner at 99 Proof Partners, a boutique private equity group providing capital and revenue enhancement solutions to high growth brands in the beverage alcohol industry. 99 Proof has become a thought leader in the space; trusted by brands, advisors, and investment groups alike. Mike and his partners leverage an extensive industry network, brand-building advisory background, and M&A experience to fuel capital deployment, brand growth, and exceptional returns for investors. Mike brings 20 years of business development leadership with a relentless focus on growth and scale, sales strategy, and customer retention to help organizations drive top line revenue growth. He has started and grown several companies, trained high performing sales teams, and successfully sold products and services for startups and Fortune 500 companies. Mike serves on a number of boards, and volunteers for several non-profits in Dallas. He also acts as a mentor to entrepreneurs across the US and has been an advisor to over 200 entrepreneurs as they established, capitalized, and grew their companies.

  • Taylor Foxman, Partner, Alethia Ventures

  • Giuseppe Infusino, Chief Investment Officer, InvestBev

  • Mike Solow, Founding Partner, 99 Proof Partners

• 4:00 PM
  -
  5:00 PM

  BevNET Live co*cktail Showdown

  Designed to support and showcase new products and promising founders, the BevNET co*cktail Showdown focuses on the innovators and entrepreneurs designing the products of tomorrow. The competition provides a platform for the hottest new RTD co*cktail brands to gain awareness amongst the industry.
  Judges Include:

  • Giuseppe Infusino

    , Chief Investment Officer, InvestBev

    

    Giuseppe Infusino

    Chief Investment Officer, InvestBev

    Giuseppe Infusino is a Managing Partner and the Chief Investment Officer at InvestBev, a multimillion dollar private equity firm that deploys growth capital to brands in the beverage, barrel, and beverage tech categories. He leads InvestBev’s investment sourcing, diligence, and structuring processes, and partners with portfolio companies to increase their likelihood of success. Prior to InvestBev, Giuseppe spent over a decade managing multi-billion-dollar portfolios on behalf of prominent institutional investors. He has successfully deployed over $1 billion across private equity and venture capital strategies.Giuseppe is on the boards of CANN, Speakeasy, and L’Uva Bella. He holds an MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a B.S. in Finance and Real Estate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

  • Grace Venus

    , President, Venus Research and Development

    

    Grace Venus

    President, Venus Research and Development

    Grace Venus is a leading independent product development consultant. Her expertise lies in formulation, concept development and custom ingredient sourcing. With over 20 years of experience in the food and beverage sector, Grace brings a vast knowledge on all aspects of this industry. Grace has supported hundreds of successful brand launches. Grace and her husband, Sean Venus, also opened a distillery in 2013 Venus Spirits. Although she is still dedicated working with her own clientele at Venus R&D, being a brand co-founder has allowed her the ability to have first-hand knowledge of the many challenges new brands face.

  • Taylor Cathala

    , Senior Category Merchant – Spirits (US & Canada), Whole Foods Market

    

    Taylor Cathala

    Senior Category Merchant – Spirits (US & Canada), Whole Foods Market

    Taylor has worked in the adult beverage retail space for over 12 years and is currently the Spirits Senior Category Merchant at Whole Foods Market covering all US & Canada stores. When not reviewing fun and innovative products at work he enjoys spending time with his wife and son exploring all Sonoma County has to offer with its beautiful parks and running trails.

  • Giuseppe Infusino, Chief Investment Officer, InvestBev

  • Grace Venus, President, Venus Research and Development

  • Taylor Cathala, Senior Category Merchant – Spirits (US & Canada), Whole Foods Market

• 5:00 PM
  -
  6:30 PM

  BevNET Live Welcome Reception

  Location: California Ballroom Prefunction Area
  Join us for beverages, light appetizers and networking. BevNET Live registration and a valid ID are required to attend.

Please note: All times US Pacific Time

• 7:30 AM
  -
  9:00 AM

  Breakfast, Presented by Saint James Iced Tea; Registration Open

  Location: Promenade Ballroom - Lobby Level
  Breakfast, coffee and beverages are served from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM PT and are included with registration. Registration and badge pick up opens for the day at 7:30 AM PT.

• 8:00 AM
  -
  9:30 AM

  New Beverage Showdown Semifinal Round

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  The New Beverage Showdown, presented by Coca-Cola North America New Revenue Streams, serves as a platform for beverage entrepreneurs to gain exposure, receive feedback, and secure partnerships or investments. Watch the semi-finalists pitch and vote for your favorite to help them make it into the finals!
  Judges include:

  • Jenny Dowdy

    , President - Red Tree Beverages, The Coca-Cola Company

    

    Jenny Dowdy

    President - Red Tree Beverages, The Coca-Cola Company

    Jenny Dowdy is President of Red Tree Beverages, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company focused on the Alcohol Ready-to-Drink (ARTD) category. In this role, she leads strategy and operations for the North America ARTD portfolio, including Fresca MIXED, Simply Spiked, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer, Topo Chico Spirited, Peace Hard Tea and Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola. Dowdy also facilitates new business deal flow and oversees brand marketing for the ARTD portfolio. The 16-year Coca-Cola system veteran has worked across multiple categories and functional areas, including brand commercialization, operations, revenue growth management and marketing. Most recently, she served as Vice President, South Zone Operations, and Vice President, Revenue Growth Management, Stills Business Unit. Dowdy earned an undergraduate degree in Marketing from Miami University of Ohio, and an MBA from the University of Georgia. She recently served on the Board of Directors for Girls on the Run Atlanta. Dowdy currently resides in Atlanta with her family.

  • April Asico

    , Group Manager, Beverage Innovation, Starbucks

    

    April Asico

    Group Manager, Beverage Innovation, Starbucks

    April Asico is a Group Manager of Beverage Innovation Design at Starbucks. In this role, she leads a forward-thinking team whose mission is to imagine and realize the world’s most captivating beverage experiences that drives sustainable business growth. Prior to Starbucks, April worked in brand management at The Hershey Company where she grew their better-for-you salty snack portfolio, which included beloved brands like SkinnyPop and Pirate’s Booty. She also brings a wealth of experience from Deloitte Consulting where she mobilized teams on global large-scale transformation projects in the Food & Beverage industry. April holds an MBA with a concentration in Marketing from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and a B.S. in Operations in Information Management from Georgetown University.

  • Dan Gasper

    , CEO, The Ardent Company

    

    Dan Gasper

    CEO, The Ardent Company

    Dan Gasper is founder and CEO of The Ardent Company – a proudly independent accelerator that fuels founder-led businesses at the nexus of drinks to build the boldest version of their vision. The Ardent Company supports pioneering founders focused on the future of drinks, including low and no alcohol offerings. Dan started coaching founder-led drinks businesses in 2009, after nine years of working for some of the largest multinational drinks corporations. Dan later co-founded Distill Ventures in 2013 and spent 4+ years as COO, where he was early to see the potential of the NA space and brands like Seedlip. Energized and inspired by founders, who've become the driving force in drinks innovation, Dan has since coached over 100 drinks entrepreneurs.

  • Mike Schneider

    , CMO, BevNET / NOSH / Brewbound

    

    Mike Schneider

    CMO, BevNET / NOSH / Brewbound

    Mike Schneider is BevNET’s CMO and the co-host of Taste Radio podcast. Mike has over 20 years of experience building products and brands. Mike loves soccer and will talk your ear off about the Arsenal. His favorite holidays are St. Totteringham’s Day and Michael Thomas Day.

  • Jenny Dowdy, President - Red Tree Beverages, The Coca-Cola Company

  • April Asico, Group Manager, Beverage Innovation, Starbucks

  • Dan Gasper, CEO, The Ardent Company

  • Mike Schneider, CMO, BevNET / NOSH / Brewbound

  Watch Video

• 8:15 AM
  -
  9:30 AM

  Sponsored Workshop: Harnessing the Power of the Human Microbiome: Revolutionizing Functional Beverages with Biotics and Biotechnology

  Location: Palisades - Lower Level
  In this presentation, we explore the innovative and promising role of next generation biotics when added to functional beverages, with a particular emphasis on how biotechnology and advanced science are driving new formats and differentiated health benefits in the beverage industry.

  • Todd Beckman

    , Chief Executive Officer, Verb Biotics

  • Noah Zimmerman

    , Chief Technology Officer, Verb Biotics

  • Lilian Mayor

    , Director of Product Development, Blue Pacific Flavors

  • Diane Alexander

    , Director of Sales, Verb Biotics

  • Todd Beckman, Chief Executive Officer, Verb Biotics

  • Noah Zimmerman, Chief Technology Officer, Verb Biotics

  • Lilian Mayor, Director of Product Development, Blue Pacific Flavors

  • Diane Alexander, Director of Sales, Verb Biotics

• 9:30 AM
  -
  10:00 AM

  Networking Break & Taste Radio Studio

• 10:00 AM
  -
  3:30 PM

  One-to-One Meetings with Albertsons Companies

  Location: Outdoor Sinder Lounge - Lobby Level
  Prior registration is required and meeting times are sent individually. Please check in at the One-to-One Help Desk before to heading to your meeting room. Meetings will be 10 minutes each and the complete schedule is posted at the Help Desk.

• 10:00 AM
  -
  10:30 AM

  Welcome + State of the Market Discussion

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  Taking the stage on the cusp of a new year, we break down what just happened and forecast what's to come. Capital availability, consumer decision making, the battle for line time at copackers and the battle in the sales trenches are all on the table as our subject-matter specialists give a comprehensive view of the beverage marketplace.

  • Sheryl Salazar

    , SVP Marketing & Merchandising, Albertsons/Vons/Pavilions

  • Mike Burgmaier

    , Managing Director, Whipstitch Capital

    

    Mike Burgmaier

    Managing Director, Whipstitch Capital

    Mike Burgmaier is a Co-Founder and Managing Director with Whipstitch Capital, the largest independent investment bank in the US solely focused on emerging consumer brands. The Whipstitch Capital team has completed over 170 transactions over the years on behalf of clients, including for notable beverage brands such as Essentia Water, KeVita, Core Water, Spindrift, Uncle Matt’s Organics, Flying Embers and more. After an early career in non-profit/public policy work, Mike worked as consultant at Bain & Company, Inc. Since early 2004, Mike has been active in the M&A and private equity/venture capital and investment banking consumer space. In 2008, he was named as a “40 Under 40” leader in the Natural Products Industry by Natural Foods Merchandiser. Mike has an MPP from Duke University, an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and an undergraduate degree in Economics from Boston College. He works out of Yarmouth, Maine where he lives with his enthusiastically supportive partner Rachel, who runs a non-profit organization they started in 2022 to assist individuals in their local area in the process of seeking asylum called the New Mainers Assistance Program. He has three children. Mike is an avid baseball player, guitar enthusiast, bike rider (in his basem*nt), former runner (those knees…), T-shirt wearer, massive Foo Fighters fan and semi-health food nut.

  • Shannon Deary-Bell

    , President, Manna Beverages & Ventures, CA, Nor-Cal Beverage Company

    

    Shannon Deary-Bell

    President, Manna Beverages & Ventures, CA, Nor-Cal Beverage Company

    Ms. Deary Bell serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Nor-Cal Beverage, a position she has held since 2010. She has held several positions in her more than thirty-year service at Nor-Cal Beverage, including positions in the food service and vending divisions, Assistant Manager of the Sacramento Vending Department, Branch Manager of the Stockton facility, and Executive Vice President of Operations. Ms. Deary-Bell has been an active member of the Women Business Leaders of Sacramento since 2015, and she is a member of the Sacramento Host Committee, as well as a member of Vistage (Leadership Chief Executive Organization) since 2013. Ms. Deary-Bell serves on the board of directors for Nor-Cal Beverage, has served on the Jesuit High School board of directors, and since 2020 is currently serving on the Board of Directors for Five Star Bank. In addition to her duties at Nor-Cal Beverage and Board responsibilities, Shannon finds time to be involved in our community. She has been Chairperson for the American Heart Association Heart Walk in 2011 and 2012, setting new fundraising records despite a less than ideal economic climate at the time. She has also participated in the Capital Cup, an annual golf tournament where various area business leaders compete to raise funds for their chosen charities. This one event is the second largest fundraising event in the Sacramento area. In 2013 Shannon was named one of the “Women Who Mean Business” by the Sacramento Business Journal, and in 2016 Nor-Cal Beverage was certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and is the largest Women Owned Business in the Sacramento Region. Shannon was named Businesswoman of the Year in 2018. Shannon has been happily married to her husband Brad for more than 31 years, and together they are the proud parents of Connor, 27 a graduate of Boise State University, and Riley 22, a graduate of San Diego State University. She can often be found taking walks along the river with her beloved golden retriever Boomer, and her German Shepard Whiskey or spending time at her favorite spot in Lake Tahoe.

  • Jessica Pratt

    , CSO, Pop & Bottle

    

    Jessica Pratt

    CSO, Pop & Bottle

    With a sincere passion for nurturing emerging brands and two decades of experience in CPG, Jessica specializes in strategic planning and executing sales initiatives that drive rapid revenue growth and foster brand adoption. Her extensive background includes leadership in sales strategy, implementation, business development, and innovation, coupled with a keen eye for compelling branding and packaging design.Currently spearheading the sales efforts at POP & BOTTLE, a company known for its premium and organic coffee/tea beverages, Jessica has achieved significant milestones since joining in 2019. Under her sales leadership, the brand secured national multi-channel distribution, experienced triple-digit year-over-year growth, and transitioned from infancy to category leader. Beyond her role at POP & BOTTLE, Jessica serves as an industry advisor for Silverwood Partners Investment Bank and mentor at The Founder Institute.In her prior role, Jessica was a founding team member and VP of Sales at SUJA JUICE, leading cold-pressed juice brand in the US. Over seven years with the company, she contributed to its growth from inception to partial acquisition by Coca-Cola, ultimately culminating in a full acquisition by Paine Schwartz Partners in 2021.Before her time at Suja, Jessica garnered experience as a natural food and beverage broker at both Presence Marketing and Dynamic Presence. She also made valuable contributions to the marketing team at Clif Bar and served as an In-Store Specialist and Product Educator Lead for Trader Joe's.

  • Sheryl Salazar, SVP Marketing & Merchandising, Albertsons/Vons/Pavilions

  • Mike Burgmaier, Managing Director, Whipstitch Capital

  • Shannon Deary-Bell, President, Manna Beverages & Ventures, CA, Nor-Cal Beverage Company

  • Jessica Pratt, CSO, Pop & Bottle

  Watch Video

• 10:30 AM
  -
  11:00 AM

  The Power of Focus in Brand and Business

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  Having a brand foundation means you don't have to pivot and squirm to find your audience. In this presentation, Zevia CEO Amy Taylor will share ways for founders to find that foundation, giving them their unique, ownable position and avoiding overextension. Attendees will learn tactics for simplifying, focusing, and feeding brands through operations and quality sales teams to create repeat purchases, and open the door to growth.

  • Amy Taylor

    , CEO, Zevia

    

    Amy Taylor

    CEO, Zevia

    Amy Taylor is a 30-year marketer, creator, leader and lifestyle brand-builder with over two decades of experience in the beverage industry, serving as CEO for Zevia PBC since August 2022. She joined the operating team in June of 2021 as President and also serves on the Board of Directors. Prior to Zevia, Amy spent 20 years at Red Bull North America, most recently as its President and Chief Marketing Officer. She was responsible for the brand marketing, sports marketing and culture marketing departments, the US arm of the global Red Bull Media House and the field operations across 12 US Regions. In previous roles, Amy has served as Executive Vice President/General Manager for the East Business Unit (2012-2017) and as Vice President, Marketing (2007-2012) for North America among others. Prior to beverage and brand marketing, Amy logged six years in sports and entertainment, holding positions with the National Basketball Association’s Atlanta Hawks and producing events for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. Amy is a Director and Vice Co-Chair for Board of The Trevor Project, sits on start-up advisory boards and serves as an advisor, mentor or active member at several advocacy groups with a focus on social responsibility, human rights and equality. Amy is a former Division I NCAA / USA Track and Field athlete and a current weekend warrior. She is a “professional appreciator” of many forms of art and music, and an avid global traveler. She and her wife Emma live in Los Angeles, CA, with frequent trips back to Emma’s homeland of Northern Ireland and with stops along the way in Amy’s ‘other home,’ New York City.

  • Amy Taylor, CEO, Zevia

  Watch Video

• 10:30 AM
  -
  12:30 PM

  Sponsored Workshop: Formulating for Beverage Success; Delivering Taste and Texture

  Location: Palisades - Lower Level
  Join Ingredion for a hands-on workshop showcasing solutions to beverage formulation challenges. During the workshop, we'll highlight methods to reduce sugar and boost flavor while delivering a desirable drinking experience that contributes to repeat purchases.

  • Adams Berzins

    , Senior Manager Sugar Reduction Lead, Ingredion

    

    Adams Berzins

    Senior Manager Sugar Reduction Lead, Ingredion

    Adams (he/him) is an experienced R&D professional with over 18 years in the food and beverage industry. He has a strong background in R&D and applications and specializes in Sugar Reduction solutions. In his current role leading Global Sugar Reduction Applications and the Customer Agility team, he’s working to expand access to the best tasting, plant based sugar reduction tools for customers and consumer across the globe. Adams also sits on Ingredion's global and USCAN DEI councils and has had the good fortune to build diverse teams throughout his various roles with Ingredion.

  • Robert Wansor

    , Principal Technologist, Beverage Applications, Ingredion

  • Jason Wang

    , Manager Beverages Applications, Ingredion

  • Adams Berzins, Senior Manager Sugar Reduction Lead, Ingredion

  • Robert Wansor, Principal Technologist, Beverage Applications, Ingredion

  • Jason Wang, Manager Beverages Applications, Ingredion

• 11:00 AM
  -
  11:30 AM

  Distributors and Brands: Refining the Relationship

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  Top KeHE executives will share the ways distributors and brands can work to grow and succeed together. The two executives bring wide-ranging distribution experience, including expertise in the beverage category, to the stage, as well as an understanding that the distributor/supplier relationship is at a fluid point.

  • Katie Paul

    , SVP, Merchandising, KeHE Distributors, LLC

    

    Katie Paul

    SVP, Merchandising, KeHE Distributors, LLC

    Currently serving as a Senior Vice President of Merchandising, Katie Paul has 14 years of experience with KeHE Distributors. Katie leads a team that develops supplier and retailer solutions based on analytics, profitability, consumer insights, and category trends. Katie held positions in analytics, pricing, integration, category management and growth solutions. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Food & Consumer Packaged Goods from Western Michigan University along with an Executive Master of Business Administration in Food Marketing from Saint Joseph's University. In 2015, Katie was named one of Griffin Report's Food Marketing "40 Under 40". Katie serves as a KeHE Cares committee member, WMU advisory board member, Naturally Network national board member, and Naturally Chicago executive committee and board member.

  • Tim Dornfeld

    , Director of Category Management, KeHE Distributors, LLC

    

    Tim Dornfeld

    Director of Category Management, KeHE Distributors, LLC

    Tim Dornfeld is a Director of Category Management at KeHE Distributors. Tim oversaw the company's shelf stable beverage product assortment from 2021 through 2023. During that time, he curated an on-trend and innovative portfolio that was ever evolving for KeHE's retailer partners. Tim joined KeHE in 2019 as a Category Manager. Awarded the 2019 Merchandising and Growth Solutions Rising Star award, Tim was recognized for his work in expanding distribution and driving top line growth.Prior to joining KeHE, Tim spent 11 years with Nestle Purina PetCare in Sales, Account Management, and Analytics. With over 15 years of experience in the CPG industry, Tim’s work on both the Supplier and Distributor sides of the business gives him a unique perspective of the CPG landscape.

  • Katie Paul, SVP, Merchandising, KeHE Distributors, LLC

  • Tim Dornfeld, Director of Category Management, KeHE Distributors, LLC

  Watch Video

• 11:30 AM
  -
  12:00 PM

  Humble Growth and the Founder/Investor Partnership

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  Two of the co-founders of newly launched fund Humble Growth will sit down with us to discuss their new investment vehicle, and share the wisdom that comes from years of involvement in the emerging food and beverage business. Both men have been successful operators, investors, and board members – as well as highly respected members of the CPG community.

  • Dr. Andrew Abraham

    , Managing Partner, Humble Growth

    

    Dr. Andrew Abraham

    Managing Partner, Humble Growth

    After being diagnosed with an aggressive form of muscular cancer in high school, Andrew Abraham took his health into his own hands. Upon realizing the amount of artificial ingredients that were in his hospital prescribed nutritional shakes, Andrew was inspired to go into the medical field. While working as a physician years later, Andrew found himself craving a way to make a larger impact on the general public's health. Driven by the hope of disrupting the nutrition industry, he remembered his own nutrient-dense smoothies he made during his days of chemo. As a result, Andrew shifted careers to that of an entrepreneur with the launch of Orgain, which eventually became the leading nutritional supplement company valued at over $2B in 2021.In February 2022, Nestle Health Science purchased a majority stake in Orgain, leaving Andrew as CEO of the brand while remaining eager to lend his entrepreneurial insights to emerging purpose-driven brands. With the launch of Humble Growth, Andrew looks forward to guiding founders of purpose-driven CPG and wellness brands to find success in their own right.

  • Nick Giannuzzi

    , Managing Partner, Humble Growth

    

    Nick Giannuzzi

    Managing Partner, Humble Growth

    As the leading provider of legal services to the consumer products sector for nearly 30 years, Nick Giannuzzi’s expertise sits at the nexus of brands, investors, manufacturers, distributors, marketing companies, and strategics. Nick has represented well over 1,200 founders, and has a clear view of the impact experienced investors can have on an emerging company’s success.Since founding his firm in 1993, Nick has worked with clients in over 500 financing transactions and in nearly 50 exits to strategics and PE funds, including sales to co*ke, Pepsi, Kellogg, Unilever, General Mills, Group Danone, Hershey’s, Bacardi, FCF Co. Ltd, Hain Celestial, Boulder Brands, Amplify, White Wave, and many other national and international companies. Notably, Nick has overseen the acquisitions of RXBAR by Kellogg, Chameleon Cold Brew by Nestle, Sir Kensington’s by Unilever, and Siggi’s by Lactalis, and has assisted in the financing of companies like Rebbl, Spindrift, Vital Proteins, Koia, Owl’s Brew, and GEM&BOLT.Nick has established himself as one of the most prominent M&A lawyers in the space, having represented, supported, advised, and battled for the founders of many of the most well-known and successful consumer brands, with more than $20B in M&A transactions and over $2B in equity transactions throughout his career.Nick attributes his massive success, first as a CPG lawyer/strategist and now as a Humble Growth co-founder, to the fear of failure. Sitting on the same side of the table as countless cash strapped founders, Nick carries the worries of each company on his shoulders and allows that fear to propel him forward. Over the last twenty years, Nick has seen thousands of CPG companies thrive or belly flop, and is now ready to provide a revolutionary, founder-led hand to promising startups.

  • Dr. Andrew Abraham, Managing Partner, Humble Growth

  • Nick Giannuzzi, Managing Partner, Humble Growth

  Watch Video

• 12:00 PM
  -
  12:15 PM

  Best of Awards + New Beverage Showdown Finalists Announced

  Watch Video

• 12:15 PM
  -
  1:45 PM

  Lunch Presented by CELSIUS, Sampling & Taste Radio Studio

  Lunch is served in the Bayview Ballroom on the rooftop level and in the outdoor Sinder Lounge. Lunch is included with registration. Sampling continues in the Promenade Ballroom and Taste Radio Studio livestream interviews take place in the Peninsula room on the lower level.

• 1:30 PM
  -
  3:30 PM

  Sponsored Workshop: Double Your Beverage Business in 2024

  Location: Palisades - Lower Level
  Join SPINS for an exciting workshop where they will first discuss how the Beverage category is doing overall, what functional ingredients, sweeteners and health focuses are driving purchase decisions, and more. Following this presentation, workshop participants will participate in three break-out sessions with SPINS, focused on how to double their sales in 2024.

  • Joanie Merriman

    , Client Insights Manager, SPINS

    

    Joanie Merriman

    Client Insights Manager, SPINS

    Joanie has dedicated her career to the CPG industry, concentrating on strategically leveraging data to help brands succeed. Her experience includes past roles at Nielsen, and now SPINS where she has worked for 3+ years. At SPINS, Joanie manages two services dedicated to supporting small and emerging brands in the market. Outside of work, Joanie loves to attend CorePower classes and explore new and innovative restaurants in Chicago.

  • Kaitlin Morgan

    , Client Insights Manager, SPINS

    

    Kaitlin Morgan

    Client Insights Manager, SPINS

    Kaitlin’s journey in the CPG industry has been marked by her commitment to using data to empower brands. Her work at Nielsen and now at SPINS has allowed her to support a wide range of brands in achieving their goals through data-driven recommendations and strategies. At SPINS,Kaitlinmanages the Client Insights service across the Beverage and Snacking segments. During the past 3+ years at SPINS,Kaitlinhas found a unique intersection of her professional motivations and personal passions. Her commitment to wellness, coupled with a firsthand understanding of the challenges of food allergies, has inspired her to help purpose-driven brands. Outside of work,Kaitlinloves staying active and exploring nature with her dog Louie.

  • Joanie Merriman, Client Insights Manager, SPINS

  • Kaitlin Morgan, Client Insights Manager, SPINS

• 1:45 PM
  -
  2:15 PM

  Innovation Tactics: Building Revenue through Portfolio Expansion

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  Harmless Harvest CEO Ben Mand will give attendees an outline of the decision making process around portfolio expansion, as well as guidelines and tactics that can lead to successful innovation around core products. An innovator and cultural leader, Mand will explain the ways that beverage companies can best time iteration for success when they broaden their product horizons.

  • Ben Mand

    , CEO, Harmless Harvest

    

    Ben Mand

    CEO, Harmless Harvest

    Ben Mand is the CEO of Harmless Harvest, a pioneer in U.S. refrigerated premium coconut water and plant-based dairy products. Harmless has been built on a fundamental belief in “constructive capitalism” – an ecosystem-based approach to business that integrates all the stakeholders to deliver better products and outcomes for all. As CEO at Harmless Harvest, Ben has successfully transformed Harmless Harvest from a brand solely focused on coconut water in the U.S. to a leader in premium functional beverages and plant-based dairy available internationally. After only five years, he has nearly tripled sales, with new beverages and plant-based dairy products representing well over 20% of the company’s sales. He radically streamlined Harmless Harvest’s supply chain, reducing manufacturing costs in Thailand and the U.S. by 50% per unit, ultimately transforming an unprofitable business into a profitable and scalable company. Importantly, employee turnover is well below the gold standard benchmarks and engagement is high, an incredible reversal versus 5 years ago.Perhaps most importantly, Ben’s passion and commitment to the company’s mission-led objectives has resulted in assistance to >38k people in Thailand via Fair For Life initiatives, a transition to >50% regenerative organic farming, conversion to 100% rPET bottles, and bringing Harmless Harvest dramatically closer to its goal of 100% zero-waste. As a testament to the strength of the business, Ben also led the successful acquisition of Harmless Harvest by Danone, structuring the deal so it preserves the autonomy and entrepreneurial culture of Harmless Harvest, while setting it up for strong financial foundation, support and continued success.Over the past 20 years, Ben has garnered extensive experience building and leading responsible businesses. Ben’s career started in the late 90’s when he took a sabbatical from consulting to volunteer at an organic coffee farm in Costa Rica, where he discovered a passion for the food he grew by working closely with local farmers. Since then, Ben has worked in various brand marketing and innovation roles at leading companies including General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, and Interbrand. He has made an impact as a change agent, driving improvements in health, sustainability, and social impact while delivering consistent sales and profit growth. Prior to joining Harmless Harvest, Ben oversaw all marketing, innovation and creative strategy for Plum Organics, a leading organic baby food brand. Under Ben’s tenure, the brand quickly accelerated from #3 to #1 in the category. Ben is a seasoned speaker and has been featured at industry events including SXSW, Natural Products Expo and Advertising Week, speaking about everything from socially-minded business practices to marketing with empathy.

  • Ben Mand, CEO, Harmless Harvest

  Watch Video

• 2:15 PM
  -
  2:40 PM

  Retailer Profile: Inside Albertson’s

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  We meet with key decision-makers at Albertson's, the 2nd-largest supermarket chain in the country, to find out how entrepreneurial brands can succeed in their stores, and to understand their outlook for the business going forward.

  • Kevin Curry

    , President, Albertsons/Vons/Pavilions

  • Buster Houston

    , VP National Merchandising, Albertsons Companies

    

    Buster Houston

    VP National Merchandising, Albertsons Companies

    Buster oversees the Ready-to-Eat Center of Store Categories for the Albertson's Companies. They are beverage, salty snacks, cookies/crackers, cereal, nutrition, candy, front ends, tobacco, jams, jellies, spreads and books and magazines. He is based in Boise, ID and has been with Albertson's/Safeway for 34 years.

  • Sean Heryet

    , National Category Director, Albertsons Companies

  • Kevin Curry, President, Albertsons/Vons/Pavilions

  • Buster Houston, VP National Merchandising, Albertsons Companies

  • Sean Heryet, National Category Director, Albertsons Companies

  Watch Video

• 2:40 PM
  -
  3:05 PM

  Panel: Cannabis Unleashed - Delta 9 Hemp Shifts the Market

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  The move by cannabis beverage brands to embrace hemp-derived Delta-9 THC has upended the retailing and growth practices for this emerging category, taking it out of the dispensary and into a growing number of stores. Our panel digs into the implications of this massive shift in the cannabev retail environment.

  • Cassia Furman

    , Partner, Vicente LLP

    

    Cassia Furman

    Partner, Vicente LLP

    Cassia Furman is an equity partner and Executive Board member of leading cannabis law firm Vicente LLP. In addition to her firm management role, she leads the firm’s California Practice Group based in Los Angeles, where she counsels clients on a wide range of transactional, regulatory, and land use issues related to the cannabis industry.Cassia specializes in the intersection of local and state regulation and private industry, having worked on both public and private sides of the negotiating table. Her background in public finance, land use planning, local government law, and commercial real estate provides insight into all phases of cannabis permitting and licensed operations. In addition to regulatory work, she focuses on cannabis supply chain transactions, working tirelessly to help her clients meet and exceed their business goals in an ever-changing landscape. Bringing her considerable industry experience to bear, she collaborates closely with licensed operators, brands, investors and landlords to anticipate new market forces and impacts before they occur. She favors a practical, results-oriented approach to the law and understands the nuances of creative problem-solving in heavily regulated industries.Prior to joining Vicente LLP, Cassia worked with a noted public finance firm where she oversaw the organization and operations of dozens of special districts created to finance and develop complex public infrastructure projects. Cassia also assisted in the representation of numerous Colorado municipalities, where her duties included the drafting and implementation of comprehensive medical marijuana ordinances. She attended the University of Colorado School of Law and Hamilton College.In addition to client advocacy, Cassia plays an active role in multiple California and national cannabis industry groups and speaks and writes frequently on cannabis legal issues. She is the co-author of “The Cannabis Business: Understanding Law, Finance and Governance in America’s Newest Industry” available in print from Routledge Press. Cassia has been recognized by the prestigious Chambers and Partners as one of the top cannabis lawyers in the United States in 2021 and 2022.

  • Michael Ramirez

    , President of Distribution, ILLA Canna

    

    Michael Ramirez

    President of Distribution, ILLA Canna

    Michael Ramirez has 7+ years’ experience in the cannabis industry serving multiple states across the US, as well as international markets. He founded MARS Walkers, INC which has multiple divisions, including MARS Distribution that specializes in mainstream cannabis products with an additional concentration on the cannabis drink market. MARS also is in the international cannabis market base in Costa Rica exporting cannabis to several countries. Recently, Michael became one of the owners and the President of Distribution for Sulo, a DBA of Illa Canna. Many of the partners and C-Level members are former members Golden Road, a division of Anheuser-Busch, connecting large alcohol experience to THC beverages.Michael believes in the drink market and has been fortunate to work with all the top brands in multiple states including CANN, Tinley’s, Wunder, SIP, KIVA, Originals, and Mary Jones. He’s also an active member in the Cannabis Beverage Association, which strives to drive awareness to the cannabis and hemp beverage categories while implementing quality standards and regulation that results in safe products being more accessible to consumers.

  • Diana Eberlein

    , Chair, Cannabis Beverage Association

    

    Diana Eberlein

    Chair, Cannabis Beverage Association

    Diana Eberlein serves as VP of Marketing & Business Development at SoRSE Technology and Chair of the Cannabis Beverage Association. With an emphasis on thought leadership and experiential marketing in her roles, Diana has generated the strategy behind all digital and experiential marketing for SoRSE including event sponsorship & production, public relations, and advertising. Diana brings 15+ years of experience, including 7+ in the cannabis industry, and a passion for the plant and infused beverages to her work at SoRSE. She has spoken on cannabis at SXSW (Inaugural Cannabis Track 2019), Adweek NY (2022), both the Chicago and San Francisco Cannabis Drinks Expos (2023), and MJ Unpacked (Detroit 2023). Diana was also featured in this year’s Marijuana Venture’s 40 Under 40. In Fall 2022, Diana was elected President of the Cannabis Beverage Association (CBA) for 2023. The CBA is a national non-profit trade organization created to represent and support the rapidly growing cannabis beverage industry by uniting stakeholders and advancing the industry’s collective interests through advocacy and education. The Association’s goals for the year include growing membership through expansion across the US for all cannabinoid-infused beverages, establishing standards for testing and regulatory templates for legal markets, educating regulators on the infused beverage category, and providing opportunities for networking and collaborating on issues that impact the infused beverage industry.

  • Jake Bullock

    , Co-Founder & CEO, CANN

    

    Jake Bullock

    Co-Founder & CEO, CANN

    Jake is currently the Co-Founder & CEO of Cann, the cannabis-infused social beverage company based in California, which develops a range of micro-dosed beverages with simple, all- natural ingredients that provide an alternative to alcohol. Prior to Cann, Jake was an associate at Bain Capital’s North American Private Equity fund evaluating potential investment opportunities across a variety of industries with a specific focus in the consumer space. Prior to joining Bain Capital, Jake worked at Bain & Company in the San Francisco office on strategy and due diligence projects across industries, including technology, healthcare, private equity, and hedge funds. Prior to that, he worked as an investment banking analyst at Allen & Company in New York providing M&A advisory services to companies in a variety of industries. Jake graduated sum cum laude from Duke University with a B.S. in Economics and Political Science and received his M.B.A. from Stanford University.Jake is passionate about the potential for cannabis products to replace abuse of alcohol and Rx drugs and has made a number of cannabis venture investments.

  • Cassia Furman, Partner, Vicente LLP

  • Michael Ramirez, President of Distribution, ILLA Canna

  • Diana Eberlein, Chair, Cannabis Beverage Association

  • Jake Bullock, Co-Founder & CEO, CANN

  Watch Video

• 3:05 PM
  -
  3:30 PM

  Pronghorn's Progress: Thoughts on Growing the Next Generation

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  Observations, Insights, and thoughts on a year of investment in and operation of early stage spirits and NA brands from Pronghorn's CEO and Managing Director, longtime beverage entrepreneur Jomaree Pinkard.

  • Jomaree Pinkard

    , CEO & Managing Director, Pronghorn

    

    Jomaree Pinkard

    CEO & Managing Director, Pronghorn

    Jomaree Pinkard is the CEO and Managing Director of Pronghorn. He currently leads the company’s overarching mission to develop a template for how to effectively diversify any industry for any underrepresented group. In his role, Pinkard leads Pronghorn’s initial efforts to cultivate the next generation of Black entrepreneurs, employees, and executive leaders within the U.S. Spirits Industry through sustainable investment, incubation, and recruitment. More specifically, Pinkard’s goals include leading Pronghorn to invest in 57 spirit brands, adding 1,800 spirits industry roles from the Black community, and generating $2.4 billion dollars in economic value by 2032.Prior to joining Pronghorn, Pinkard served as the decade-long Co-Founder, CEO and now Chairman of the minority-owned craft beverage company, Hella co*cktail Co., where he developed several strategic brand iterations and groundbreaking product innovations to grow the brand into a national, multi-million-dollar venture. At Hella co*cktail Co., Pinkard brokered powerful, national brand partnerships with partners such as Whole Foods, Southern Glazers’ Wine & Spirits, TGI Fridays, Disney, and Delta Airlines, amongst others.Before his time at Hella co*cktail Co., Pinkard developed The Salvation Army's September 11 World Trade Center Recovery Program, held a Vice President role at Marsh & McLennan, and served as an independent consultant for the National Football League. Pinkard graduated from the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce and earned his MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Pinkard was also a Morgan Stanley Fellow and was named to the Specialty Food Association Board of Directors in 2021.

  • Jomaree Pinkard, CEO & Managing Director, Pronghorn

  Watch Video

• 3:30 PM
  -
  5:30 PM

  BevNET Live Happy Hour

  Location: Marriott Lobby
  The BevNET Live Happy Hour will take place on-site in the Marina del Rey Marriott lobby on Monday night, December 4th, from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM PT. BevNET Live registration and a valid ID is required.

• 6:00 PM
  -
  8:00 PM

  BevNET Live Official Party, Presented by ForceBrands

  Location: Bayview Ballroom - Rooftop
  Head to the rooftop ballroom of the Marriott for additional networking! Enjoy the views, try out the 360 degree photo booth, listen to live music and enjoy the great atmosphere.Cycling Frog, DIO co*cktails, High Rise Beverage will also be sampling their latest products.

Please note: All times US Pacific Time

• 8:00 AM
  -
  9:30 AM

  Breakfast, Presented by Saint James Iced Tea; Registration Open

  Location: Promenade Ballroom - Lobby Level
  Breakfast, coffee and beverages are served from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM PT and are included with registration. Registration and badge pick up opens for the day at 8:00 AM PT.

• 8:00 AM
  -
  3:00 PM

  One-to-One Meetings with Albertsons Companies

  Location: Outdoor Sinder Lounge - Lobby Level
  Prior registration is required and meeting times are sent individually. Please check in at the One-to-One Help Desk before to heading to your meeting room.Meetings will be 10 minutes each and the complete schedule is posted at the Help Desk.

• 9:00 AM
  -
  9:30 AM

  The Data Behind Category Disruption

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  This SPINS presentation will offer data galore, focused on emerging beverage categories and the characteristics of disruptive brands, as well as market trends indicating where new companies can find room to grow.

  • Scott Dicker

    , Market Insights Director, SPINS

    

    Scott Dicker

    Market Insights Director, SPINS

    Scott seamlessly blends nutrition expertise with data analytics. With a foundation in sports nutrition, he leverages data to unearth emerging wellness trends and consumer behaviors. Recognized as an industry thought-leader in the beverage space, he is a regular speaker at industry events like Natural Products Expo and Sports & Active Nutrition Summit, he's also contributed to major industry publications. He is a board member for MOVE Nutrition and Nutritional Outlook. Past experiences include entrepreneurial ventures in Nutrition.

  • Scott Dicker, Market Insights Director, SPINS

  Watch Video

• 9:30 AM
  -
  10:00 AM

  Just One More Shot at Tea, Honest!: Lessons from the Second Time Around

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  It might not be Honest, but Seth Goldman is back in the beverage business with Just Ice Tea. While times have changed -- there are a number of organic brands in stores now, marketing strategies have shifted -- he's found early momentum. This conversation will be filled with advice about what still works in beverage, what works in beverage now, and what doesn't work anymore.

  • Seth Goldman

    , Co-Founder and CEO, Eat the Change

    

    Seth Goldman

    Co-Founder and CEO, Eat the Change

    Seth Goldman is Co-Founder of Eat the Change®, a planet-friendly snack and drink company that recently launched Just Ice Tea, a line of organic bottled tea to go along with the company’s Cosmic carrot snacks. Seth and his co-Founder, Celebrity Chef Spike Mendelsohn are also co-founders of PLNT Burger, a plant-based quick-serve restaurant that offers delicious burgers, fries, and soft-serve. Seth is also the Co-founder of Honest Tea and Chair of the board of Beyond Meat. In 2023 he took on a new role as Chair of the Mission Guardians for Tony’s Chocolonely, an international chocolate company committed to creating an exploitation-free supply chain. He has been widely recognized for his entrepreneurial success and impact, including the Washington DC Business Hall of Fame, Partnership for Healthier America’s CEO of the Year, and EARTHDAY.ORG’s Climate Visionary of the year.He is a graduate of Harvard College (1987) and the Yale School of Management (1995). Seth and his Honest Tea co-founder, Barry Nalebuff are the authors of The New York Times bestselling comic book, Mission in a Bottle.

  • Seth Goldman, Co-Founder and CEO, Eat the Change

  Watch Video

• 10:00 AM
  -
  10:30 AM

  Retail Strategy: Moving from Click to Brick

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  The panel will give the audience insights on channel strategy, different digital marketing and sales strategies, approaches to omnichannel, and the ways brands build teams and capabilities as they begin to adopt broader sales pathways. By following these brands as they go click-to-brick, we’ll gain knowledge into the challenges facing dozens of beverage companies that have launched in the past five years.

  • Rosa Li

    , CEO, Wildwonder

    

    Rosa Li

    CEO, Wildwonder

    Rosa is a food fanatic and former investor-turned-food entrepreneur. She’s a believer in “food as medicine” but doesn’t believe you need to give up taste for health. Inspired by the healing tonics her Chinese grandma brewed for her while growing up, she’s on a mission to make wellness accessible by combining ancient nutrition with modern flavors. Prior to embarking on her entrepreneurial journey and founding wildwonder, Rosa was a private equity and venture investor at Warburg Pincus and investment banker at Morgan Stanley. Rosa holds a MBA from Stanford University. She is also a Fulbright Scholar and Tory Burch Fellow.

  • Jordan Bass

    , CEO, HOP WTR

    

    Jordan Bass

    CEO, HOP WTR

    Jordan Bass co-founded HOP WTR after seven years at The Wonderful Company where hewas Head of eCommerce and rapidly scaled the business to become leaders in CPGeCommerce. Jordan also held roles in corporate strategy and worked in venture capital.After garnering more than a decade of strategic experience spanning technology, managementconsulting, finance and CPG, Bass, who comes from a long line of entrepreneurs and has thisDNA in his blood, was eager to get back to it. Losing his drinking partner (when his wife gotpregnant) and wanting to lose his beer gut, he saw a need for a functional healthy beeralternative and partnered with Taranto to bring it to life. Jordan lives in Los Angeles with hisamazing wife, two daughters and dog, Hamilton, who has more Instagram followers than he does.

  • Chris Gallant

    , CEO, Chamberlain Coffee

  • Rosa Li, CEO, Wildwonder

  • Jordan Bass, CEO, HOP WTR

  • Chris Gallant, CEO, Chamberlain Coffee

  Watch Video

• 10:30 AM
  -
  11:00 AM

  Networking, Sampling & Taste Radio Studio

• 11:00 AM
  -
  11:30 AM

  New Beverage Showdown Finals - Round I

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  Our first three finalists face the judges!
  Judges include:

  • Kristen Bareuther

    , President, Head of Investment, Asahi Group Beverages & Innovation

    

    Kristen Bareuther

    President, Head of Investment, Asahi Group Beverages & Innovation

    Kristen Bareuther is the President and Head of Investment for Asahi Group Beverages & Innovation, LLC, an investment fund launched in 2023 by Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd., a global leader offering a diverse collection of brands centered on beer, alcohol and non-alcohol beverages, and food. Located in San Francisco, California, Asahi Group Beverages & Innovation provides funding to US startups that have attractive beverage brands with significant future growth potential. Kristen is a venture investor focused on growth strategies for start-up entrepreneurs in the beverage space. Passionate about early-stage brands that tap into evolving consumer preferences with a strong knowledge of what’s required to succeed in the US beverage landscape, Kristen joined Asahi earlier this year from First Beverage Group.Prior to joining First Beverage, Kristen served as the Vice President of Corporate Development for The Charmer Sunbelt Group, one of the nation’s leading distributors of spirits, fine wines, and beer. In addition to leading profit-enhancing initiatives across the 13-state enterprise as a member of the executive team, Kristen advised the team on growth and acquisition strategies during a period in which the group acquired partner interests in five companies, and executed an industry-changing merger resulting in one of the largest wine & spirits distributors in the country, Breakthru Beverage Group. Additionally, during her tenure at The Charmer Sunbelt Group, Kristen served as an elected board member of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America’s Council for Leadership Development. She is a graduate of the University of California Los Angeles, where she received both a BA in Political Science/International Relations from UCLA and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management.

  • Dan White

    , Chief of New Revenue Streams, The Coca-Cola Company North America

    

    Dan White

    Chief of New Revenue Streams, The Coca-Cola Company North America

    As the leader of New Revenue Streams, Dan drives new business models and opportunities beginning with category expansion and the evolving access to beverages across the consumer journey. This includes the leadership of the Company’s efforts with brands in beverage alcohol, enhanced hydration, premium sparkling waters, and home dispensing systems.

  • Ken Sadowsky

    , Sr. Advisor, Verlinvest

    

    Ken Sadowsky

    Sr. Advisor, Verlinvest

    Ken Sadowsky is a beverage industry veteran whose career started in a family distribution business in Massachusetts. While being an operator, he was a student of the better for you beverage trends and became an early distributor of brands like Snapple, Red Bull, SoBe, and Vita Coco. He was also fortunate to be included on the vitaminwater team (as a Director). Today he serves as an Advisor in the USA for Verlinvest, the Belgian InBev family’s investment vehicle as well as serving as a Director at Vita Coco, Hint, and LifeAID.

  • John Craven

    , CEO & Founder, BevNET.com

    

    John Craven

    CEO & Founder, BevNET.com

    As founder and CEO of BevNET, John Craven is a widely-recognized authority on the beverage industry and he is frequently cited in mainstream media. His vision shapes the editorial, publishing, and positioning of all of BevNET's properties, including BevNET.com, NOSH.com, BevNET Magazine, Brewbound.com and their associated conferences. John is a graduate of Boston College with a BS in Marketing and Computer Science.

  • Kristen Bareuther, President, Head of Investment, Asahi Group Beverages & Innovation

  • Dan White, Chief of New Revenue Streams, The Coca-Cola Company North America

  • Ken Sadowsky, Sr. Advisor, Verlinvest

  • John Craven, CEO & Founder, BevNET.com

  Watch Video

• 11:30 AM
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  12:00 PM

  Investment Outlook: The New Exit Environment

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  That "the focus of strategic M&A has moved toward higher revenue partners" and "investors seem less risk-tolerant" are phrases that have been oft-repeated in 2023; what does that mean for the way entrepreneurs should plan, operate, and think about seeking growth capital? Our expert panel breaks it down.

  • Caroline Levy

    , Founder, CLAS

    

    Caroline Levy

    Founder, CLAS

    Caroline Levy is the founder of CLAS, an advisory firm in the consumer space. Ms. Levy serves as a public and private company Director on the boards of Celsius Holdings (CELH), Health-Ade Kombucha, and Athletic Brewing Company. She is a member of the Audit and Nominating/Governance committees at Celsius and the Strategy Committee at Health-Ade. She is an advisor to Nirvana Water Sciences. Ms. Levy had a renowned career as a consumer stock analyst for over thirty years, covering large and small companies across soft drinks, alcohol, cosmetics, household products, food, restaurants, and hotels. She was ranked by both the Institutional Investor and Wall Street Journal surveys as one of the top analysts in her sector. Her tenure has included senior analyst roles at Lehman Brothers, UBS, CLSA and Macquarie. At UBS, Caroline was promoted to COO of US research, where she chaired the investment review committee, directed the vetting process for investment banking transactions, and oversaw the over 100-person associate analyst team. Caroline is a member of Extraordinary Women on Boards (EWOB), an organization dedicated to educating and furthering the success of women on private and public for-profit boards. She is the mom of two daughters, and a golden doodle called Lulu.

  • Mark Rampolla

    , Co-Founder & Managing Partner, GroundForce Capital

    

    Mark Rampolla

    Co-Founder & Managing Partner, GroundForce Capital

    Mark Rampolla is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of GroundForce Capital, a $500M AUM investment firm that backs high-potential companies seeking to improve the health and longevity of people and the planet. GroundForce’s investments include Liquid Death, Bobbie, Beyond Meat, Thrive Market, Miyoko’s, OWYN, and Vive Organics.Prior to starting GroundForce, Mark was the Founder and CEO of ZICO Beverages, one of the pioneers of today’s $10B global coconut water category. Under Mark’s leadership, ZICO delivered nine years of explosive growth, became one of the fastest growing beverage brands in the world and was acquired by The Coca-Cola Company in 2013. In 2021, GroundForce, formerly known as PowerPlant, acquired ZICO from Coca-Cola. Over Mark’s career, he has invested in more than 50 companies across food & beverage, health & wellness, climate, and consumer tech; served on more than 20 boards; raised over $1B; and been a part of multiple billion-dollar IPOs, numerous strategic exits, buyouts, turn arounds, and more failures than he cares to admit.Mark was Bevnet’s 2010 Beverage innovator of the Year. He has also been featured in major media outlets such as the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Forbes, Fortune, Bloomberg, CNBC, and Conscious Company. Additionally, he authored the book “High Hanging Fruit: Build Something Great by Going Where No One Else Will.” Prior to launching ZICO, Mark served in various management roles for International Paper, including running a 300-person beverage packaging business in Latin America. He started his career as a small-business development volunteer for the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, graduated from Marquette University and has an MBA and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University.

  • Jeremy Halpern

    , Partner, Nutter, McClennen & Fish LLP

    

    Jeremy Halpern

    Partner, Nutter, McClennen & Fish LLP

    Jeremy Halpern is a Partner at Nutter, McClennen & Fish, LLP and the Co-Chair of its Emerging Companies Group and its Food and Beverage Practice Group. Jeremy’s practice focuses on emerging and mature operating companies, private equity, venture capital and angel financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, executive and team compensation matters, and general support for high growth and privately held companies in technology, life sciences, and consumer products. Concurrently, Jeremy is a member of the board of Naturally New England, a non-profit serving the natural and organic consumer product industry, and is a member of the Advisory Board for the UCLA School of Law Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy. Previously, Jeremy served on the Board of Directors and the Investment Committee of MassVentures, an early stage venture capital fund geared toward technology companies in Massachusetts, and as the founder of Edible Ventures, the nation’s first angel group specifically investing in high growth food and beverage companies. Jeremy was also previously a Director and the Executive Chairman of The Capital Network, a Boston-based nonprofit serving entrepreneurs seeking high growth capital. Jeremy was previously the co-founder of a company in the mobile technology synchronization space. Jeremy is a prior recipient of the Boston Business Journal’s 40 under 40 Award. Jeremy spent nine years teaching entrepreneurial leadership at Tufts University and has guest lectured at Babson, Harvard, Boston University, Tufts, MIT and Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Jeremy received his B.A. from U.C. Berkeley, summa cum laude; phi beta kappa, and his J.D., from the UCLA School of Law.

  • Caroline Levy, Founder, CLAS

  • Mark Rampolla, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, GroundForce Capital

  • Jeremy Halpern, Partner, Nutter, McClennen & Fish LLP

  Watch Video

• 12:00 PM
  -
  12:30 PM

  The Road to Victory for the NA Category

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  There's been more discussion of non-alcoholic spirits than just about any category in the past year, but it's still relatively tiny compared to both the soft drink and the beverage alcohol market. So what does it look like at buildout? What are the ways brands and retailers can position these products for success, and what has to go right for founders to realize their bull case? Investor and brand advisor Dan Gasper presents.

  • Dan Gasper

    , CEO, The Ardent Company

    

    Dan Gasper

    CEO, The Ardent Company

    Dan Gasper is founder and CEO of The Ardent Company – a proudly independent accelerator that fuels founder-led businesses at the nexus of drinks to build the boldest version of their vision. The Ardent Company supports pioneering founders focused on the future of drinks, including low and no alcohol offerings. Dan started coaching founder-led drinks businesses in 2009, after nine years of working for some of the largest multinational drinks corporations. Dan later co-founded Distill Ventures in 2013 and spent 4+ years as COO, where he was early to see the potential of the NA space and brands like Seedlip. Energized and inspired by founders, who've become the driving force in drinks innovation, Dan has since coached over 100 drinks entrepreneurs.

  • Dan Gasper, CEO, The Ardent Company

  Watch Video

• 12:30 PM
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  1:45 PM

  Lunch Presented by CELSIUS, Sampling & Taste Radio Studio

  Lunch is served in the Bayview Ballroom on the rooftop level and in the outdoor Sinder Lounge. Lunch is included with registration.Sampling continues in the Promenade Ballroom and Taste Radio Studio livestream interviews take place in the Peninsula room on the lower level.

• 1:45 PM
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  2:15 PM

  New Beverage Showdown Finals - Round II

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  Our second three finalists pitch to the judges!

  Watch Video

• 2:15 PM
  -
  2:35 PM

  Executive to Entrepreneur - What We’ve Learned

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  After helping build Rockstar into one of the biggest energy drink brands in the country, Jason May and Joey Cannata couldn't get the beverage bug out of their system. Here they discuss what they've learned while in startup mode, and what tips and tricks from their last organization are serving them well now that they're each out on their own.

  • Jason May

    , CEO, Weird Beverage Co.

    

    Jason May

    CEO, Weird Beverage Co.

    Jason May is the CEO and Co-Founder of Weird Beverages, manufacturer of Weird Tea, Weird Yerba, and Weird Water. Jason has over 25 years’ industry experience and has worked within the pressure cooker environments of Rockstar Energy and Skyy Vodka; he now leads his own chaos with Drink Weird. Jason has led the fundraising initiatives for Weird, he joins BevNet Live to discuss the challenges of moving from acting as one component of a highly successful brand build to taking on the CEO role for a startup. “I like making drinks. It is the closest exercise I have to a truly creative act. That 10% of gratification is worth the 90% of torture that comes with it.

  • Joey Cannata

    , President & Co-Founder, Daytrip Beverage Co.

    

    Joey Cannata

    President & Co-Founder, Daytrip Beverage Co.

    Joe “Joey” Cannata was part of the original team that launched Rockstar Energy Drink in 2001 and is currently Co-Founder and President of Daytrip Beverage Company. During his 18-year tenure at Rockstar, Joe was the Executive Vice President of Sales and Distribution - overseeing Distributor relationships, the internal Rockstar sales organization, and National Account coverage. Some of the larger distributor partners he worked with and negotiated national distribution agreements with include Southern Wine & Spirits, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (now Keurig Dr. Pepper / KDP), Coca-Cola Enterprise and Pepsi Bottling Company. Prior to the beverage industry, Joe was involved in various political campaigns and initiatives including Campaign Manager for current California Governor, Gavin Newsom’s 2001 San Francisco Supervisor Campaign. Before politics, Joe was involved in the entertainment industry working for Don Johnson as an Executive Assistant for the television show Nash Bridges. He is a current and former investor of multiple beverage companies, was on the advisory board of 21 Seeds until sale to Diageo and currently on the board of G.O.A.T. Fuel Energy.

  • Jason May, CEO, Weird Beverage Co.

  • Joey Cannata, President & Co-Founder, Daytrip Beverage Co.

• 2:35 PM
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  3:00 PM

  Foodservice Sales: Fountains of Riches

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  Tractor Beverage Co., has built one of the most interesting and wide-ranging plays in the organic beverage space, fountain by fountain. How can entrepreneurs hitch a ride on Tractor and plow their own line in the foodservice field?

  • Luke Emery

    , Chief Customer Officer, Tractor Beverage Co.

    

    Luke Emery

    Chief Customer Officer, Tractor Beverage Co.

    Luke Emery is Chief Customer Officer at Tractor Beverage Company, the first and only certified organic, non-GMO beverage company dedicated to foodservice. Emery generates a positive impact on the lives of others by building relationships with like-minded pouring partners to support sustainability and organic choices. He and his purpose-driven team connect with consumers who are looking for wellness through simple, clean, and real ingredients. A 20-year veteran of the Coca-Cola Company, a meeting with Tractor Founder Travis Potter inspired Emery to leave Corporate America to build a brand that aligns with both his values and the values of the consumers he serves.

  • Luke Emery, Chief Customer Officer, Tractor Beverage Co.

• 3:00 PM
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  3:15 PM

  Looking Forward & Back with NorCal Beverage

  Location: California Ballroom - Lobby Level
  For one last bit of vision, we bring up NorCal's Shannon Deary-Bell and Pete Grego to discuss the growth of the entrepreneurial beverage business through the lens of this innovative manufacturer, one that has evolved by taking cues from the industry and continuing to serve it.

  • Shannon Deary-Bell

    , President, Manna Beverages & Ventures, CA, Nor-Cal Beverage Company

    

    Shannon Deary-Bell

    President, Manna Beverages & Ventures, CA, Nor-Cal Beverage Company

    Ms. Deary Bell serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Nor-Cal Beverage, a position she has held since 2010. She has held several positions in her more than thirty-year service at Nor-Cal Beverage, including positions in the food service and vending divisions, Assistant Manager of the Sacramento Vending Department, Branch Manager of the Stockton facility, and Executive Vice President of Operations. Ms. Deary-Bell has been an active member of the Women Business Leaders of Sacramento since 2015, and she is a member of the Sacramento Host Committee, as well as a member of Vistage (Leadership Chief Executive Organization) since 2013. Ms. Deary-Bell serves on the board of directors for Nor-Cal Beverage, has served on the Jesuit High School board of directors, and since 2020 is currently serving on the Board of Directors for Five Star Bank. In addition to her duties at Nor-Cal Beverage and Board responsibilities, Shannon finds time to be involved in our community. She has been Chairperson for the American Heart Association Heart Walk in 2011 and 2012, setting new fundraising records despite a less than ideal economic climate at the time. She has also participated in the Capital Cup, an annual golf tournament where various area business leaders compete to raise funds for their chosen charities. This one event is the second largest fundraising event in the Sacramento area. In 2013 Shannon was named one of the “Women Who Mean Business” by the Sacramento Business Journal, and in 2016 Nor-Cal Beverage was certified by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and is the largest Women Owned Business in the Sacramento Region. Shannon was named Businesswoman of the Year in 2018. Shannon has been happily married to her husband Brad for more than 31 years, and together they are the proud parents of Connor, 27 a graduate of Boise State University, and Riley 22, a graduate of San Diego State University. She can often be found taking walks along the river with her beloved golden retriever Boomer, and her German Shepard Whiskey or spending time at her favorite spot in Lake Tahoe.

  • Pete Grego

    , VP of Contract Manufacturing & New Business Development, Nor-Cal Beverage Company

    

    Pete Grego

    VP of Contract Manufacturing & New Business Development, Nor-Cal Beverage Company

    Pete has over 48 years' experience in the beverage industry, the past 25 years with Nor Cal Beverage Co. He started in the Soft Drink Sales Division as a Sales Supervisor, and quickly made his way to Sales Mgr. and Branch Mgr. in charge of Sales and Operations. When that division was being sold Pete was instrumental with the sale and liquidation of 6 branch locations covering 11 counties in Northern California. He was selected to move to the corporate offices as Director of Co Packing and New Business Development where he has remained for the past 17 years.Prior to joining Nor Cal Beverage Co. he had opportunities to develop insight and in-depth understanding of the beverage business. His entry into this fast-pasted industry was first with Corti Brothers Markets, of Sacramento, Ca, a five-store chain of family-owned imported gourmet specialty food and beverage stores. After 11 years there, Pete decided to pursue wholesale beverage distribution, and joined Markstein Beverage Co of Sacramento, the local Anheuser Busch wholesaler, as a field Sales Rep. He quickly discovered that beverage distribution was his forte. After a brief time spent in Colorado he returned to California and joined Bell Distributing Co of Sacramento, the Miller Brewing Company Distributor. In the spring of 1997 during a change of ownership and consolidation of that distributor he was approached by Nor Cal Beverage and the Deary family to become part of the Nor-Cal team.Pete's career has afforded him many wonderful opportunities, none of which have come without an abundance of hard work and extra effort. His success has been gained and maintained through his self-confidence, ability to influence, knowledge of beverage co-packing, brand development, and the beverage industry. Pete's leadership roles have flourished due to his trustworthy and honest code of ethics, relationship development in this business, and personal life.

  • Shannon Deary-Bell, President, Manna Beverages & Ventures, CA, Nor-Cal Beverage Company

  • Pete Grego, VP of Contract Manufacturing & New Business Development, Nor-Cal Beverage Company

• 3:15 PM
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  3:30 PM

  New Beverage Showdown: Judges’ Remarks and Winner Announcement

Following BevNET Live, on December 6+7, we'll bring together the beer and beverage-alcohol industry to collaborate, make connections, and forge lasting relationships. The event mixes high-profile speakers and informative panels with sampling and networking opportunities.

The Brewbound Live two-day program boils down all aspects of the beer business so you can keep up (and stay ahead) between batches. Take a deep dive into innovation, investment, retailing, and the key opportunities and trends that will enable growth within the beer business and beyond.