 |
Emerging Brands PodcastAuthor: Kelly Bennett Language: en Genres: Business, Entrepreneurship Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
Expo West Recap: Part 1 - The Power of Community
Sunday, 15 March, 2026
This week on Emerging Brands Podcast®, I am kicking off a high-energy, 3-part recap of Natural Products Expo West 2026. To dive into the highlights, I'm joined by my friend and co-host Danielle Calabrese, founder of It's All Happening, to pull back the curtain on the community moments that defined the show. In Part 1, we're recapping the activations we helped bring to life in Anaheim—from high-stakes pitch competitions to the return of our favorite community tradition. We explore how 75+ women showed up for a networking activation at the Innovation Summit with only 12 hours of notice and why the energy behind this year's events is proof that the CPG industry is hungrier than ever for real, human connection. Inside the Episode: How a last-minute networking activation for women in CPG turned into a massive community win, proving that the desire for connection outweighs the need for long lead times. Behind the scenes of emceeing the Expo West Pitch Slam and the emerging brands that caught our eye, including Folkland Foods, Good Wolf, pi00a, Farmwell Drinks, Ulu Foods, Sweeter Collective, Blueshift Nutrition, and Better Together Foods. Highlights from our panel of experts—Jamie Borteck, Lauren Ressel Castro (CVS Health), and Jessie Kimsey (Misfits Market)—on what it takes to stand out in a crowded market. Recapping our pizza happy hour with 500+ RSVPs, featuring a La Rossi Pizza topping bar with Fishwife, Cotto, and Showoff, plus treats from Wobble and Cravings by Chrissy Teigen. A look at the beverage partners who fueled our community moments, including the sophisticated flavors of Ghia and Esprizio. I hope you enjoy this first look into the best of Expo West! Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3. This podcast episode was made possible by Glimpse — the AI-powered deduction management tool helping CPG brands recover lost revenue from invalid retail deductions. With in-house experts and custom-built AI, Glimpse saves founders time, money, and countless hours so they can focus on scaling. Try it free for 30 days at tryglimpse.com/trial.
