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Every year at Natural Products Expo, attendees are on the hunt for the newest natural product innovation. Our Natural Products Business School Pitch-Slam is proud to highlight the best emerging brands at Natural Products Expo West 2017. We’ve outlined here how we chose the 10 semifinalists to pitch onsite.
The Process
• Applications were open from December 1, 2016 to January 27, 2017. Over 100 companies applied!
• Applicants were asked to highlight basic details about their company such as founding date, product description, management description and sales history and projection.
• We integrated two new features into the application process. This year, we asked applicants if their company integrates a focus in access, stewardship or nutrition into its core values as the Natural Products Business School is focusing on business as a force for good. We also asked every applicant to submit a video to show the personality of the brand and its founders that may not come through a written application.
• Selection Committee/Mentors reviewed every application based on the following critera: uniqueness, value proposition of product, product branding, packaging, presentation and market viability, in equal measure. The Selection Committee/Mentors watched over 200 minutes of video footage and spent numerous hours reviewing applicants. Every application was scored from one to five.
• The Selection Committee/Mentors discussed the top scoring companies and some of their standout favorites. They then decided on 10 semifinalists and decided who to mentor.
• All semifinalists were assigned a Mentor from the Selection Committee to help coach them in the three weeks leading up to the Semifinals. Ten semifinalists will give a 3-minute pitch and have a short Q&A portion.
• The Judges will choose three semifinalists and the audience will choose one semifinalist to move onto the Finals.
• Semifinals will be 5-6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8, and closed to the public. The Finals will be 4:30 p.m.-5:45 p.m., Thursday, March 9, in the Marriott, Grand Salon F, and is open to the public.
The People
Selection Committee/Mentors:
Bob Burke, Natural Products Consulting
Eric Schnell, BeyondBrands
Mike Dobvish, Nutrition Capital Network
James Tonkin, Healthy Brand Builders
Lauren Sandberg-Clardy, NutriMarketing Group
Nick McCoy, Whipstitch Capital
Shari Wynne Ressler, SKU
Tera Johnson, Food Finance Institute
Pete Speranza, 301 INC
Genevieve Gilbreath, SKU
Onsite Judges:
Errol Schweizer, Demeter USA/Beyond Brands
Sue Heilbronner, MergeLane
Mark Rampolla, Powerplant Ventures
Allison Hagey, BraunHagey & Borden LLP/Legal
Danielle Vogel, Glen’s Garden Market
The Prizes
1st Place
Expo West 2018 booth – New Hope Network ($6,555)
Branding & Package Consultation – Interact on Shelf ($5,000)
Certification – NSF/QAI free one-year GF or non-GMO certification ($4,000)
Investment Consultation - P2Bi ($2,500)
Consulting – BeyondBrands ($2,500)
Data – Moss Adams – Personal Review of the Food & Beverage benchmarking study ($2,500)
Legal – Faegre Baker Daniels ($2,500)
Gift Pack – Burt’s Bees ($TBD)
2nd place
Brand Consulting Healthy Brand Builders ($2,500)
Branding & Package Consultation – Interact on Shelf ($2,500)
Investment Consultation – P2Bi ($1,000)
The Semi-Finalists
2. Sol Simple
5. Frau Fowler
6. Cocoburg LLC
8. Sherpa Power
9. LoveTheWild
When: 4:30 p.m.-5:45 p.m., Thursday, March 9, 2017
Where: Marriott, Grand Salon F
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