SKU

You won't want to miss this incredible DFW CPG Huddle on June 13 with two of our incredible SKU mentors - Paul Beaupre and Monte Ammons. They will be providing tips on how to successfully scale a CPG business, something we're very passionate about at SKU. Michelle Breyer Buff Greebe Brooke Wilson #dfwcpg #dallascpg #scaling #cpgstartup #startups #emergingbrands #cpg #cpgs #consumerpackagedgoods

Several of SKU's mentors have created some of our most beloved products. Mark Crowell, for example, developed the pumpkin scone for Starbucks. Matthew OHayer disrupted the egg category with Vital Farms. And the world can thank SKU Spring '24 mentor Sean Wright assisted in the creation of the mini Reese's Peanut Butter cup. Sean, who was part of the OhhFoods mentor team, loves being impactful and helping companies grow, whether that it's deconstructing complex problems, devising strategic approaches, or hands-on execution of large scale transformations. Sean has spent his career “careening” through multiple industries, functions, and company sizes (from start-up to fully mature) driving change and scalability across a wide range of business functions and context. Sean began his career in CPG with The Hershey Company, progressing through everything from product development, manufacturing capability and business development to global supply chain strategy and margin enhancement with roles across the globe. Sean has spent the last ten years in tech with progressive roles in Apple and then ChargePoint, where he helped lead Operations and then Product Operations as the company grew from a small start-up and through IPO in 2021. Sean currently Head of the Transformation Program Office for The Hershey Company, where is is driving enterprise level changes to enable profitable, scalable, and sustainable transformation. He also runs his own executive advisory firm with a small team of industry experts, Fabrum Advisors, LLC, where he consults with a wide range of clients including start-up CPG, large tech companies, investment firms, and government entities. If you are an industry leader, successful founder, investor or subject-matter expert who would like to be a part of SKU's incredible CPG community, we currently interviewing potential mentors for the Fall '24 Track. We have a limited number of spots available. If you are interested in learning more, please fill out the SKU Mentor Interest Form: https://lnkd.in/grvpPD8e Michelle Breyer Buff Greebe Brooke Wilson Carolina Schulten Steef Schelke Brittany Charlton Christopher Cain Caroline (Cari) Kwong Dan Sorensen, CPA Ali Michel Julie Steinhagen Mathias Ihlenfeld Will Betts #accelerator #cpgaccelerator #cpg #consumerpackagedgoods #startup #cpgstartup #startups #mentoring #mentors #mentorshipmatters #innovativation #industrydisruptor #candy #candyinnovation

More accolades for SKU alum Springer Pets and their Silicone Dog Treat Dispenser! Pet Business Magazine calls it "an essential accessory for walks, training and on-the-go rewards. Simply squeeze to dispense dog treats. To fill, squeeze the dispenser with the slit facing up and add kibble or treats." Shannon Ross Dylan Ross Andy Fogarasi Michelle Breyer Buff Greebe Brooke Wilson #pets #petfood #pettreats #dogtreats #dogaccessories #petindustry #petcare #doglovers

We already miss our mentors from the Spring '24 Track. In addition to our veteran mentors, we welcomed a number of new mentors with incredible backgrounds. Michael T. Thompson leveraged his years of incredible marketing experience to help the I Love Micheladas team. Michael is a full-stack marketer and general manager with a passion for building purpose-driven, community-oriented lifestyle brands. He is a classically trained CPG leader (Kraft Foods) who has thrived in early-stage and growth-phase environments that require adaptability, decisiveness, P&L expertise, and creativity. As a digitally savvy "marketing nerd,” Michael has had repeated success growing brands profitably across DTC, retail, and marketplace channels. He has worked at such brands as Red Bull, The Honest Company, and Pipette. As president Pipette - the fastest-growing baby/kids personal care brand in the country - he oversaw a team of 20-plus people across marketing, sales, and e-commerce with strategic oversight of all areas that touch the brand. Pipette was acquired in January 2024. Michael currently is CMO at Pangaea, which builds innovative personal-care brands. SKU is currently interviewing potential mentors for the Fall '24 Track. We have a limited number of spots available. If you are interested in learning more, please fill out the SKU Mentor Interest Form: https://lnkd.in/grvpPD8e Bricia Lopez Fernando Lopez Rick E. Wittenbraker Jay Turner Paul Beaupre Clara Lahlouh Paye Joy Simpson, MSc, MBA Joe Canterbury Stefano Folli Michelle Breyer Buff Greebe Brooke Wilson #marketing #marketingstrategy #cmo #chiefmarketingofficer #accelerator #cpgaccelerator #cpg #consumerpackagedgoods #micheladas #micheladamix #startup #cpgstartup #startups #mentoring #mentors #mentorshipmatters

Congratulations to SKU mentors Katie Kravit and Julie Steinhagen and partner Ugly Wolf for winning a 1st Place Dieline Award for their design for Kashoo Creamer These prestigious awards celebrate the most innovative designers and agencies, highlighting the best packaging from the last year.

A creative Father's Day gift from SKU alum DUDE Wipes! "Let it rip!" Michelle Breyer Sean Riley Buff Greebe Brooke Wilson #fathersday #fathersdaygift #hygiene #menshygiene #personalcare #menshygiene #toiletpaper #wipes #toiletwipes #personalwipes

What a wonderful feature story about SKU alum SHAZ & KIKS ! Sisters Shaz Rajashekar and Kiku Chaudhuri have created something innovative in the haircare space rooted in centuries-old Ayurved. They recently launched their Ultra Hydrating Turmeric Shampoo. Michelle Breyer Buff Greebe Brooke Wilson #haircare #beauty #beautyproducts #beautyindustry #indiebeauty #hairproducts #beautystartups #ayurveda #ayurvedicproducts

You won’t want to miss SKU alum Laurel Orley, co-founder of Daily Crunch, on Startup to Scale!

We already miss our founders from the Spring '24 Track. Rebekah Jasso Jensen, founder of Sanara Skincare, brought such positivity and passion to the cohort. She was like a sponge with her team of mentors, absorbing all of the expertise they provided throughout the 12-week program. "Sanara was just an idea, seven years ago and I've been working on it ever since bootstrapping and growing it alongside my corporate career. I quit just a few weeks before the accelerator realizing I've got one life to live after battling aggressive breast cancer treatment in 2021 and 2023. I'm so grateful for the SKU team and my mentors as they've turned my idea into a business and impacted me personally more than they'll ever know. Let's goooooo!" We are excited about what the future holds for Rebekah and all the founders in the Spring cohort! Candice St. Pierre, MBA, Ph.D. Tauri Laws - Phillips Tami McGown Christine Mei Benjamin Jacques Salazar Meredith McCune, MPAS, PA-C Lisa Pounds Manu R. Kira H. Michelle Breyer Brooke Wilson Buff Greebe #beauty #skincare #cpgaccelerator #accelerator #startups #beautystartup #indiebrand #indiebeauty #founder #founderstory #mentors #mentoring #mentorship #skincareproducts #spaproducts