The Master Series is back!

This week we are welcoming on 3 distinct and awesome entrepreneurs who are running their own CPG brands or have run brands in the past. This includes:

Will Nitze

Founder - IQ Bar

Jeff Church

DreamMakers and Previous Suja Co-Founder

Steve O'Dell

Founder - Tenzo Tea

This episode is sponsored by Power Full Energy Distribution and Robert Cogan

This week we are doing an 'Ask Us Anything' where no topic is off-limits. Any questions you have, list them LIVE in the chat and we will answer them on the spot.

If you're lucky, we may actually even bring you on to share your story and brand!

Also, Alex Bayer is an expert and has an agency specializing in crowdfunding consulting, so if you're thinking of raising capital online via Wefunder or Start Engine, he can walk you through it!

This episode is sponsored by Philosopher Foods and their Wefunder campaign is live at http://www.wefunder.com/philosopherfoods

This week we are focusing on hot trends out the gate for 2025, everything from data gathering, AI, innovations, supply chain, and more.

We will also cover the daily changes and updates on tariffs and how they will continue to impact CPG Brands.This episode is sponsored by Kif & Co and Caroline Brain and they are currently raising a capital round at www.wefunder.com/kifandco

Join us for our special edition show bringing on guests from reputable organizations and companies based in Canada.

As many know, CPG is alive and well in Canada with many brands that are growing in their home country and many entrepreneurs choose to expand to the United States and abroad.

We will be bringing on (in no particular order)

Sonia Parmar - VP of Reg Affairs & Gov Relations for CHFA

Jules Gorham - Director of Regulatory Affairs & Policy for CHFA

Steve Dontigny - Foundry President

Megan Silk - Co-Founder of GingerBug

Robert Cogan - Owner of Power Full Energy DistributionThis episode is also sponsored by Power Full Energy Distribution.

The newly announced Trump Tariffs will have a major impact on many manufacturers and consumers. On top of this, CPG brands will be facing higher costs for their raw materials and finished goods if sourced internationally, which will result in higher retail prices.

We wanted to talk about it, review what's going to happen, get community input and comments, and give our opinion on the short and long-term effects of these tariffs.

We are going to discuss something very real this week. What is it like to be a founder and HAVE TO shut down their own brand.

It is painful and traumatizing.We are bringing on a founder who has been through this (Erica Rankin - Former Founder of Bro Dough) and also a CPG editor and journalist who covers these types of stories. (Andrea Popova Owner of CPGD)

This is an episode you don't want to miss, and know if you are struggling as a CPG founder, you are NOT alone!

This episode is sponsored by Rich Nuts.

Here's the latest CPG news happening right now on April 3rd, 2025 including Trump Tariffs Goes Into Effect, Huge Series A with Lucky Energy, Acquisitions Galore with Lesser Evil and Mela, and More Investment Action

On April 2nd, (yesterday) Trump has announced reciprocal tariffs on essentially all goods, unless otherwise noted. Some details will emerge on what is exempt. For food and beverage people, this will deeply impact cost of goods sold for bottles, caps, labels, cans, and just about every type of packaging that is manufactured outside of the United States, typically in Asia. Also, companies sourcing raw materials and ingredients will be subject to tariffs. This will undoubtedly affect brands and their margins, forcing them to raise their wholesale pricing to retailers and distributors. And ultimately will affect the everyday consumer, paying more for goods, even more than the inflationary costs right now.

We will watch this closely, but our opinion is this will disrupt the market, cause margin compression, and force manufacturers to re-think how they source their product.

Lucky Energy, a simpler, better-for-you energy drink, announced today that it has successfully closed a $14.2 million oversubscribed Series A1 round, bringing its total funding to over $40 million. The round is led by Maveron, with backing from DMG Ventures, Second Sight Ventures, and existing investors: Imaginary Ventures, Brand Foundry Ventures, Sapphire Ventures, and Sugar Capital. The capital secured will fuel the brand's growth, enabling it to accelerate distribution, introduce new products, support strategic partnerships, and recruit in key business areas. Additionally, the company welcomed Dan Ginsberg, former Chief Executive Officer of Red Bull NA and CEO of Dermalogica®, to its Board of Directors.

Lucky Energy has experienced explosive growth, entering 10,000 new doors with plans to expand to an additional 15,000 before the end of the year. The brand has also surpassed 400,000 followers across its social channels. The product is designed for individuals seeking to enhance performance with a natural, functional drink. It is currently available in six flavors: Son of a Peach, Orange Drizzle, Red Ryder Punch, OG Luck, Tropical Thrill, and Bodacious Berry. It has zero sugar and zero calories, ensuring a healthier choice for consumers.

Nixie, the better for your sparkling water and now has a soda line that debuted in 2024, has secured $27M in fresh funding to help expand their product nationwide. Wet hydration has also raised $4.5M and brought on the former EVP from Celsius

Hershey has agreed to buy the organic popcorn giant LesserEvil for about $750 million, a figure that could increase if the brand meets certain performance benchmarks, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing anonymous sources. The deal accelerates Hershey's expansion into salty snacks, and aligns with a broader rush by food giants to snap up smaller, more nimble competitors to reach new customers.Last but not least, Mela has been acquired by the beverage company Calypso. Which is under the umbrella company King Juice Holdings - a platform company backed by Mason Wells - a $2B PE firm out of Milwaukee that owns businesses across the CPG value chain

This week we are featuring emerging and fast growing brands on our show in all different categories including hummus, chocolate bars, and energy drinks.

We are bringing on:

Nick Wiseman - Founder and CEO of Little Sesame

Carla Spiruoulo - CEO of Nelly's Organic

Hamid Saify - CMO of Lucky Beverage Co.

We are excited to talk with these brands, hear their stories, and they will share insights and tips on how they have scaled.

We are doing something new and taking 'No Script, Just Chat!' to the next level. Alex and Wade have no subject matter, no topic.

They are going to show up and talk about anything and everything including CPG.Can we fill an hour with random babble?

What will we talk about? Come and find out and join us for the very first volume of the Random Babble Series.This episode is sponsored by Robert Cogan and Power Full Energy Distribution.

Here's the latest CPG news happening right now on March 19th, 2025 including Poppi Acquisition By Pepsi, Poppi Lawsuit Settlement, Trump Tariff Update, New Brand Mark's Snacks Launching

PepsiCo just announced it is acquiring prebiotic soda brand Poppi for $1.95 billion, a major accomplishment for a brand founded less than ten years ago. This transaction echoes the year-on-year growth of the functional drink market, especially the better-for-you soda category, with competitor Coca-Cola launching Simply Pop just a few weeks ago and Olipop raising a $50 million Series C, valuing the rival prebiotic soda brand at nearly $2 billion.

These industry moves might finally convince skeptics that gut-friendly and other healthier soda alternatives are here to stay, forcing traditional players to evolve and adapt to growing demand for less sugary drinks.

As Pepsi was closing the deal on its $1.95 billion acquisition of Poppi (VNGR Beverages), the prebiotic soda maker is wrapping up another deal, this one with a class action group of consumers alleging they were misled by the drink’s gut-health claims.

The group asked the California federal judge presiding over the case to confirm a proposed $8.9 million settlement, a result it described as “exceptional compared with similar misleading beverage cases” in its motion for preliminary approval filed last Friday.

In a statement shared with BevNET this morning, Poppi stated: “The class action suit filed against poppi in May 2024 has been settled. poppi acknowledges no fault, liability, or wrongdoing, and instead, we are focused on bringing consumers the innovation they expect from the brand they love. We’re excited to move forward and continue our passion to modernize soda for the next generation.”

The total settlement, according to the filing, breaks down to 0.75 cents per single 12 oz. can, $3 per 4-pack, $6 per 8-pack, and $9 per 12-pack or 15-pack. The class includes anyone in the U.S. who purchased Poppi between Jan. 23, 2020, and the settlement notice date.

The three complaints lodged against Poppi last year, which were consolidated in September, take aim at one of the brand’s core pillars: gut health, as reflected in slogans like “gut health never tasted this good” and “for a healthy gut.”

The filings argued that the agave inulin Poppi uses as its primary source of prebiotic fiber was far too low to have any meaningful impact on the gut, and that the presence of sugars harms the balance of good bacteria in the digestive system.

President Trump said last week he is doubling tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum in response to Ontario adding a surcharge on its electricity exports to the U.S., hitting Michigan, Minnesota and New York. The latest increase, which brings levies on the goods to 50%, will go into effect Wednesday morning, the president wrote in a social media post. Trump also vowed to “substantially increase” tariffs on Canadian auto parts on April 2, if dairy and other tariffs are not dropped.Mark Samuel, Previous Founder of IWON Organics, is launching a new brand, suitably called 'Mark's Snacks.

On Linkedin, he debuted the news and said "I said I’d never do it again. At the same time, I said I’d never live with regret. So, I’m diving back into CPG, making it even more personal this time around, please follow the journey at MARK'S SNACKS, it should be one heck of a ride!" Go to www.markssnacks.com and sign up for their e-newsletter for more updates on product, packaging, launch date, and more