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Startup CPG
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About Us

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Startup CPG is a national community for emerging brands.

We are a team of passionate people who love to build products that make our bodies happy and our world healthy. We are advocates for change and champions for your success.  We are volunteers who want to see emerging brands succeed against larger household names. With backgrounds ranging from big CPG, big Ag, startups, non-profits, academia, biosciences, and more, our team provides a full 360 approach to helping brands grow.  If we aren’t connecting, learning, and fueling positive change, then we should rethink our approach.  We know that growing pains come with the territory, and we’re committed to finding better ways to make the hard stuff just a little bit easier.


To join our team, email daniel@startupcpg.com. We'll find the perfect role.

Team members

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Daniel Scharff

Amanda Rodriguez

Karina Martinez

Daniel founded Startup CPG to help small brands succeed. 


He spends his days on consumer analytics and insights. Way back when, he did global pricing for Mars, was a consultant for Deloitte, and holds an MBA/MA from The Wharton School. 

Karina Martinez

Karina Martinez

Amanda Rodriguez

Karina Martinez

Karina leads communications and partnerships for Startup CPG. 


She is the founder of Avana Creative and an experienced brand strategist with a huge passion for startups in food & beverage

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Amanda Rodriguez

Amanda Rodriguez

Amanda Rodriguez

Amanda is our Microgrants program manager and hosted Startup CPG Podcast's Season 1.


A strategic ops manager, she loves uncovering the nuanced stories and processes behind our favorite new products.


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Grace Uvezian

Patricia Menegoto

Amanda Rodriguez

Grace is the head of partnerships for Startup CPG. 


She specializes in brand strategy and marketing in the food and beverage space, and is passionate about environmentally-conscious food companies. 

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Shannon Theobald

Patricia Menegoto

Patricia Menegoto

Shannon is the lead for Consumer Insights.


She specializes in consumer psychology-backed growth strategy in alt protein and loves brands that can help save the world. She's also an author & podcast host.

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Patricia Menegoto

Patricia Menegoto

Patricia Menegoto

Patricia manages community & events for Startup CPG.


She is a Brand Experience Designer that focuses on seizing that AHA moment, and is passionate about food-tech startups & building community

Rusty Schwartz

Rusty Schwartz

Danielle Steinberg

Danielle Steinberg

Rusty brings Startup CPG a wealth of knowledge and connections.


He is the founder of KitchenTown and has provided access to resources to hundreds of early stage food companies.

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Danielle Steinberg

Danielle Steinberg

Danielle Steinberg

Danielle works on marketing and content for Startup CPG.


She is an avid content creator with a passion for raising awareness of brands making a difference in the world. 

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Emily Gillam

Danielle Steinberg

Emily Gillam

Emily is the global head of brand relations for Startup CPG. 


She is a sales advisor to the community, and the founder of Bloome Consulting, working with food & beverage brands looking to launch new products at major retailers. 

Team members (continued)

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Rachel Barge

Caitlin Martin

Rachel Barge

Rachel leads Startup CPG's growth marketing and helps us engage better with our community.


She is an expert DTC growth marketer at LeapGrow.co 

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Matthew Poon

Caitlin Martin

Rachel Barge

Matthew coordinates Startup CPG's live events featuring our amazing brands.

 

He's an R&D food technologist and probably the best yoyo-ist you've ever met

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Caitlin Martin

Caitlin Martin

Caitlin Martin

Caitlin is Startup CPG's head of investor relations

 

Her background include foodag corporate strategy, management consulting, and investment banking. She's pursuing her MBA at Tuck ('22)

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Jennifer Lee

Jennifer Lee

Caitlin Martin

Jennifer is Startup CPG's head of product. 

 

Her leadership roles span Operations, Marketing, and Management Consulting, and she holds an MBA from The Wharton School. 

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Audrey Gyr

Jennifer Lee

Kirk Visola

Audrey  manages PR for Startup CPG to showcase all our amazing brands. 

 

She works at The Good Food Institute and is passionate about creating a better food system and ending conventional animal agriculture. 

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Kirk Visola

Jennifer Lee

Kirk Visola

Kirk is a creator and a conceptor, and the Creative Director for Startup CPG.

 

He loves simple and clean design, great coffee, delicious cocktails, and taking long walks through his favorite video games. He is the founder of MIND THE FONT, a Black-owned full service design agency. 

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Mary Beth Allen

Mary Beth Allen

Mary Beth Allen

Mary manages global development for Startup CPG, helping EU & UK brands enter the US, and vice versa.

 

 She's a brand owner, brand marketing consultant, and import/export specialist, focused on Natural, Organic, Health & Wellness CPG companies.

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Jenna Movsowitz

Mary Beth Allen

Mary Beth Allen

Jenna works on our publication, The Spotlight, and is part of our marketing team.


She is passionate about writing (she's working on her first book!) and even more passionate about food, especially when it comes from small, sustainable brands. 

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Jimmy Kepner

Mary Beth Allen

Jimmy Kepner

 Jimmy focuses on building amazing products for the Startup CPG community.

  

His background is in management consulting, focusing on supply chain and operations for food & beverage companies. He’s enrolled in NYU Stern’s MBA program starting Fall 2020.

Team members (continued)

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Erin Fasano

Shannon Hamilton

Shannon Hamilton

Erin is the Editor for The Spotlight, Startup CPG's content arm featuring the amazing brands & experts in our community.  

 

Erin has 15 years experience in marketing and advertising and a passion for scaling food & beverage brands. She has an MBA from the University of Southern California. 

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Shannon Hamilton

Shannon Hamilton

Shannon Hamilton

Shannon works on Startup CPG's product team.

  

She is a martech product manager at Adobe who has spent her career helping organizations create meaningful experiences for their customers. An international woman of mystery, she's lived in 7 countries and has an MBA from Kellogg at Northwestern University.

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Ryan Callery

Shannon Hamilton

Julie Sullivan

Ryan works on The Spotlight, Startup CPG's content arm.

  

Ryan is a 15 year CPG journeyman, with time well-enjoyed across agency and marketing services vendors (Doner Advertising, Upshot Marketing) and as a copywriter for large brands like Miller Brewing and small brands like Oars & Alps and Brandless.

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Julie Sullivan

Julie Sullivan

Julie Sullivan

Julie works on The Spotlight, Startup CPG's content arm.

 

She is the founder of The Key Dough Cookies - a multi-purpose mix that can be used for more than just cookies. She is passionate about health & wellness, and believes healthy options should be easy to find and readily available.

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Yami Godoy

Julie Sullivan

Erica Johnson

Yami works on insights & analytics for Startup CPG.

 

 She’s a strategist and researcher that believes in the power of data and storytelling. She is passionate about sustainable food systems and thinks everyone should have access to healthy and responsibly sourced products. 

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Erica Johnson

Julie Sullivan

Erica Johnson

Erica helps emerging brands find out about Startup CPG and our resources. 

 

  After 9 years in finance, Erica decided to go back to school for bioengineering to pursue her dream career in cellular agriculture (UC '22!) She believes sustainable & quality food production is the key to a happy planet.

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David Komisar

Jennifer Blundell

Jennifer Blundell

David works on communications and partnerships for Startup CPG. 


Bringing a professional background in B2C logistics, David is most passionate about environmental responsibility and all things The Strokes. 

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Jennifer Blundell

Jennifer Blundell

Jennifer Blundell

Jennifer hosts the Startup CPG podcast, uncovering stories behind today's youngest brands & industry leaders. 


She has over a decade of experience building integrated marketing strategies and is passionate about increasing representation of diverse people and voices in brand narratives. 

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Andy Kurtts

Jennifer Blundell

Andy Kurtts

 Andy manages Startup CPG’s eNewsletter.


 He is the founder & creative director of Buttermilk Creative specializing in packaging design for the specialty food & beverage industry. 

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