About Us

Startup CPG is a free accelerator for your small brand.

Startup CPG is 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're especially interested in help with web, comms, social, and people/culture.

Team members

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

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

Amanda Rodriguez

Amanda hosts the Startup CPG podcast and is our Microgrants program manager.

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

Shannon Theobald

Patricia Menegoto

Amanda Rodriguez

Shannon is the managing editor of The Spotlight (our online content).

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.

Patricia Menegoto

Patricia manages community, events, and social media 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

Patricia Menegoto

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.

Grace Uvezian

Danielle Steinberg

Grace leads strategic 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.

Danielle Steinberg

Danielle manages email 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.

Emily Gillam

Danielle Steinberg

Emily Gillam

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

She is a sales pro and works with CPG manufacturers who are launching new products at major retailers like Walmart, Target, Meijer, Publix, Kroger, and many more. She's excited to finish her MBA at Purdue in 2021.

Team members (continued)

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

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

Caitlin Martin

Caitlin is Startup CPG's head of strategy & investor relations

Her background include foodag corporate strategy, management consulting, and investment banking. She's enrolled in Tuck MBA starting Fall 2020

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.

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.

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.

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.

Liat Simha

Mary Beth Allen

Liat is Startup CPG's Israel market director, helping amazing brands enter the US market.

Through her agency NutriPR, she helps nutraceutical and food & beverage companies build their image in global markets and drive quality leads to their websites using advanced PR, online advertising and social media tools.

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)

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.

Ryan Callery

Shannon Hamilton

Ryan leads Retailer Relations for Startup CPG.

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.