These emerging brands will take the virtual stage to pitch for a chance to win more than $40,000 in New Hope Network services during Expo West Virtual Week.

11 Slides

With just a few weeks left until Natural Products Expo West Virtual 2021, it's that exciting time again; New Hope Network has selected the top standout brands who will pitch at the Expo West Virtual Pitch Slam.

This year, we received an amazing group of applications and the caliber of products were top notch, which made it extra tough to determine which brands would dance through to the semifinals. From organic sourcing and sustainable packaging to mission-forward magic, these 11 early stage brands really rose to the top.

After hours of careful consideration and taste-testing, the New Hope Network content team and a group of 10 industry experts determined who will pitch for the chance to snag more than $40,000 in New Hope Network services—including a free booth at Natural Products Expo West 2022.

These emerging brands model true innovation within the natural products industry, and we’re excited to shine a spotlight on each.

The Pitch

Semifinals Competition May 25, 2021
2:30 p.m.  – 4:30 p.m. MT

Sponsored by: Zipline Logistics
Presented by: BrandHive, Creative Alignments, dicentra, FONA, SPINS, Whipstitch Capital

  • 3-minute pitch

  • 3-minute Q&A

Finals Competition May 26, 2021
2:30 p.m.  – 4 p.m. MT

Sponsored by: Zipline Logistics
Presented by: BrandHive, Creative Alignments, dicentra, FONA, SPINS, Whipstitch Capital

  • 3-minute pitch

  • 5-minute Q&A

Judges select one grand prize winner, as well as two rising stars. Attendance to both competitions are open to all registered attendees of Natural Products Expo West Virtual.

The Selection

The Selection Committee and Mentors below will be partnered up with the brands over the next few weeks to help them perfect their Expo West Virtual pitch.

Expo West Virtual Mentor and Selection Committee

Trevor Knoflick, P2R
Ainsley Moir, Healthy Food & Beverage Group
Pete Brennan, The Town Kitchen
Brandon Hernandez, Whole Brain Consulting
Alicia Potter, Faven Creative
Dianna Tremblay, ICA
Betsy McGinn, McGinn eComm Consulting
Jennifer Bryman, Heart Creative
Kirk Visola, Mind the Font
Daniel Karsevar, Plantbased Solutions
Jenny Cathon, TIG
Denver Lewis, Sr. Community and Conference Content Manager, New Hope Network
Claire Koch, Marketing Manager, New Hope Network 
Jenna Fitch, Community and Conference Content Director, New Hope Network
Hannah Esper, Content Producer, New Hope Network
Adrienne Smith, Sr. Food Business Reporter, New Hope Network

Expo West Virtual Pitch Slam Judges

Rajesh Babu, Birch Benders
Karen Howland, CircleUp
Corinne Shindelar, All Natural Strategies
Vanessa Toy, Cultivate Creations

Click through to see the Natural Products Expo West Virtual Pitch Slam Semifinalists.

About the Author(s)

Denver Lewis

Community and Conference Content Manager, New Hope Network

As Community and Conference Content Manager, Denver is passionate about educating and supporting the growth of early stage natural products brands, strengthening understanding of the investment landscape and providing a platform for storytelling, with a focus on mission-driven business.

Hannah Esper

Managing Editor, New Hope Network

Hannah Esper is the Managing Editor for New Hope Network’s Nutrition Business Journal. She’s an editorial professional with more than 10 years’ experience of creating content strategies and overseeing their implementation process.  

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