The Innovation Series returns in 2020 with a breakfast at Fifty Gazelles to kick off the new year, tackling "Innovation" through the lens of product launch - on both a big and small scale!
Launching and scaling new products can take you down many different paths depending on the tools in your pack. Where big food & beverage companies have legacy brands and capital, smaller companies have agility and authenticity. February’s Innovation Breakfast will feature a conversation with innovation gurus with experience working for companies, big and small. They will shed light on the experiences, challenges, and successes that come with launching new products to market by bringing their unique perspectives to the table.
Our panel will feature:
Brian Evangelista, VP of Marketing, Farmhouse Culture
Brian is the VP of Marketing at Farmhouse Culture where he is building a team to continue the success of a strong emerging brand. Brian has had a range of experiences with both emerging brands at big food companies and holding leadership positions with smaller startups. Brian’s past includes leadership roles at both ConAgra and Kitchfix.
Mari Lee, Local Marketing Leader, Most Recently CMO at High Brew Coffee
Mari is an experienced marketing leader and has had a wide range of experience across different food and beverage companies, big and small. Mari has held traditional marketing roles and has also done co-branded innovations with companies like Vosges and New Belguim. Mari is starting a new endeavor and is excited to share her array of experiences. Mari’s past includes marketing leadership roles at High Brew Coffee, KIND, and glaceau.
Michelle Lorge, VP of Marketing, Simple Mills
Michelle Lorge is the Vice President of Marketing of Simple Mills, a Chicago-based company at the forefront of a clean food movement that is shaping the next generation of natural foods. Winner of the 2017 Chicago Innovation Awards, Simple Mills was founded in 2013 to provide a cleaner alternative to the natural baking mixes then on the market. Today, despite a crowded market space with long-established competitors, Simple Mills ranks as the #1 largest natural baking mix brand, the #1 largest natural cracker brand, and the #3 largest natural cookie brand by dollar volume.
At Simple Mills, Michelle has been responsible for leading the company’s marketing organization and spearheading the company’s product introductions since 2015. Prior to joining Simple Mills, she spent 12 years with Kraft Foods in Brand Management & Innovation spanning products such as A.1. Steak Sauce, Grey Poupon, Cool Whip, Philadelphia, Kraft MilkBite and Cracker Barrel cheese. She holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, a BA from Michigan State University and a Health Coaching certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.
Jeremy Anderson (Moderator), Founder, Fifty Gazelles
Jeremy is a business development professional with a passion for getting new ideas into market. Fifty Gazelles’ practice focuses on building long-term contract manufacturing partnerships and adding capacity and external expertise to commercialization teams.
Join us for this launch event for the 2020 Innovation series! Coffee and light morning refreshments will be provided by our host.
Want to make sure you don't miss a conversation? This year, we are offering a special discount for pre-registration for the full Innovation Series - pre-register and reserve your seat for all TEN (10) Innovation events on the calendar and receive a discount from list price. Pre-registration for the series is available to CFBN members for $250 (a minimum of a $100 savings from the full series pricing)! This includes access to all 5 breakfast events, as well as all 5 specialty off-site events (including Taste of Innovation and the fall Innovation: Cannabis events)! If you would like to be pre-registered for the series, please email us for assistance!
The Innovation Series is sponsored by, and all Innovation Breakfast events are hosted by Fifty Gazelles:
