It's official - CPG DAY WAS AMAZING!
The inaugural DC Startup Week CPG Startup Showcase & Competition this past Monday 10/16, hosted by CPG in the DMV Connect, was a huge hit. The sampling event perfectly complemented the four incredible CPG/Food panels in the afternoon that delved into just about all aspects of building a brand, including product development, mission, branding, production, COGS, distribution, sales, funding, and more. Shoutout to Mackenzie Loy, with Homemade in DC, who hosted and moderated two of those excellent panels.
And the biggest THANK YOU goes out to the 21 amazing brands that sampled their products and told their stories (full list is below), the hundreds of attendees that engaged with the brands and voted for their favorites, the CPG experts that judged the competition and/or joined the panels, and the Competition event sponsor WeStock. Plus, none of those would have happened without the support and tireless work of the DCSW Team, including tons of coordination for this day from Rachel Koretsky and Stephanie Ortiz
Now, without further adieu, here are the winners of the Competition, along with the lists of the prizes, judges, and all the brands that participated. Stay tuned for more official announcements from DC Startup Week soon.
The inaugural DC STARTUP WEEK
CPG Startup Competition
Sponsored by WeStock
Hosted by CPG in the DMV Connect
AUDIENCE AWARDS:
1st Place: Absurd Snacks: $1,000 Prize Sponsored by WeStock
2nd Place: Aji Tea
3rd Place: Shuga x Ice
OFFICIAL CPG JUDGES AWARDS:
Judges Overall Winner
Myles Comfort Foods
BEST Product Taste & Quality
Myles Comfort Foods
BEST Marketing & Brand Story
Absurd Snacks
BEST Packaging
Amazi Foods
BEST Go-To-Market Strategy
Wild Bay
BEST Innovation
Pop's Praiseworthy Snacks
FINAL CPG JUDGES LIST (Thank You!)
Matthew Alongi (Rainforest Distribution)
Brooke Loschiavo (Giant Food)
Cullen Gilchrist (Union Kitchen)
Channing Salava (Nestle USA)
Peter Kaye (PK Growth Partners)
Gary Cha (Yes! Organic Market)
ADDITIONAL PANELISTS:
Samy K.
Sid Sharma
DCSW CPG Startup Competition PRIZES
(Some Awards only apply if not already in distribution)
3-5 Brands Win:
- Fast-Track distribution consideration by:
- Giant Food
- Rainforest Distribution
- UNFI Distribution
- Union Kitchen stores
- Yes! Organic Market
- Local Brand Features by Retailers & Distributors where applicable
All Winning Brands Get:
- A mention/feature in the Union Kitchen newsletter recapping the DC Startup Week CPG event
- A 1 Hour CPG coaching session, depending on brand timing and interest, with a representative from Nestle USA, Giant, Yes!, Rainforest, UNFI, Union Kitchen, or PK Growth Partners
BRANDS:
Amazi, MasPanadas, Wild Bay, Zenjoy, Mocktail Club, Rejuvenation, Bennetts Coffee Co., Aji Tea, Myles Comfort Foods, One Trick Pony, Andy Factory, Growee Foods, Absurd Snacks, Mountain Culture Kombucha, Shuga x Ice, Good Time Health, Garden Riot, Pop's Praiseworthy Popcorn, Shea Yeleen, Bulldog Brinery